Winter storage of foreign boats in Nova Scotia

Our media have been much vexed on this subject for the last couple of weeks. It has long been the law that boats imported into the country have been subject to taxes. (15% on assessed value in this province).
This is what my book has to say about it, and it has not changed much since the 1996 first edition.



The cruising permit is good for six months. If a boat is kept in Nova Scotia for longer than this, it will be assessed for HST, a tax loathed by Canadians, and which currently stands at 15% of the value of the boat. If you wish to keep a boat over a winter here, you can avoid this, and extend your permit by getting a work order from a boatyard. Overwinter storage and painting the bottom will satisfy the Federal Government's leeches.



I suspect they won't like this if you try this two years in a row. The official form for this is #E99 and is available on line from the revenue men.( www.cra.gc.ca) will get you there eventually


The revenue men have ignored this for decades. It may be that someone in the head office has woken from their slumbers and realised this legislation was actually on the books and could gather more shekels for their insatiable maw. They are planning to enforce this, and they consider things like bottom painting routine maintenance and not eligible for exemption. Safety issues WILL exempt you from the tax,( problems with the rigging, transmission or electrical problems, noise from the prop shaft, leaking, etc.) but don't try this for years in a row. It is almost impossible to get advance rulings from these creatures in writing, so  you, ( and us) are at their mercy). You can appeal their decisions, but I can tell you from personal experience , the playing field is very much tipped in their favour. Some U.S. states ( Georgia for one) have similar legislation, though it is not often enforced.

The Cape Breton Boatyard in Baddeck, home to a dozen expensive American boats, some of which have been there for 20 years is incensed by this action. Some of the boats have decided to leave, and this will adversely affect employment in the yard, some of the few well paying non-government jobs in a depressed rural area .If  you own Canadian property, the rate is reduced to 5%. This is likely to loose more revenue than it gains, but these guys are not known for clear thinking.

 

Heckman's Anchorage- Lunenburg Back Harbour

Just to the northwest of Chockle Cap is a small island, Hobson's Island. At least it used to be there. On the chart it is supposedly 30 feet high and it used to have a little lump of red soil, looking like a small loaf of bread, with grass on the top. It has gone, presumably in one of our recent big storms and now looks like a drying reef. There is a north cardinal buoy "ME" 400 yards or so to the north. Middle Ground, to the west is now marked with a black and red isolated danger buoy "M". The shoals extend quite a way from the remains of the island and it is well to give this a wide berth.

Mahone Bay Civic Marina

The town of Mahone Bay has become quite organised in respect of visiting boats. The town maintains a mooring field of 50 moorings. The majority of these are rented seasonally but there is usually availability for transient boats ( I'm tied up to one while writing this). The mooring field pretty well fills up the space you might have once used to anchor, and if you want to anchor , you will have to do so outside the moorings. Renting a mooring is much to be preferred as the holding ground is poor and the mud foul. The dinghy dock has been improved and it is no longer a hazard to get ashore, it is just east of the public wharf. The marina monitors channel 68 or call 902 624 0348. On entering, there used to be a light on a little cribwork structure. Thus disappeared in a recent tropical storm and has been replaced by a flashing red buoy. You can get water at the public dock, and there is a pumpout (which may or may not be in working order) but there is no fuel.

Carter's Beach

Those of you that know this beautiful anchorage will be familiar with the little stream that runs into it. It used to come out just east of Carter's Island, which is on the west boundary of the beach. It has changed its course, and now exits to the west of the island. Approaching by dinghy, you can't see this until you are right on top of it. I think this change happened during a hurricane in 2010.

Lockeport

Lockeport is a pretty good place to spend a few days if the weather outside is playing up. Its not far off the beaten track, access looks difficult on the chart but unless you draw 12 feet is easy in practice. It is tempting just to anchor in the harbour, but the holding ground is poor and if you drag you'll be lucky not to go aground on some unforgiving rock. The marina on the west side , just south of the big Clearwater fish plant is inexpensive, the owner, Bruce, very helpful and diesel is cheap. The restaurant serves very good fresh fish. There are a couple of other restaurants within a block of the marina. The liquor store is just across the road from the marina. Go one block to the west and turn right, you will see a grocery store, which, for a remote place is very well stocked. Carry on past and you come to a walking trail, part of which is the old railway track, that goes  round the whole town. It's about three miles and takes me a little over an hour.

restricted opening of St. Peter's Canal lock

you should be aware that Parks Canada have restricted openings at St. Peters. As far as I can tell, they are open daily in July and August, but last transit at 19h. After labour day, only open at weekends, and close completely Sept 22. The website is not at all clear, and there may be even less service than this, so check it out before you make the long trek here

how to get books

I have this on here before, but I'll repeat it.
If you are interested in a book, actually a CD, send an email to me at
peter.loveridge@ns.sympatico.ca
Mail address is
RR#1 Glenwood, Nova Scotia , Canada B0W1W0
fax is 902 643 2665
cost is $65 which includes mailing, bank charges etc.. As long as our currencies are withing 10% of each other $US and $Can are at par.
Cheques on any US , Canadian, or European bank in any convertible currency are fine.
In person, you can also pick up copies at the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club
 I did originally distribute a number of CD's to various booksellers, chandlers and so on, on consignment , but the reality was that they never paid me, so I terminated these arrangements. Writing the guide was never conceived as a money-making operaton, but I have to say this experience was disappointing.
My internet connection, from our sole provider is so slow that I can't send the book out online, and I can't really do paypal either for the same reason
Our mail is a little slower now than it was in Queen Victoria's time, so it may take 2 weeks after I put a CD in the mail for it to reach most parts of the USA.
If you buy a CD you are welcome to print it out, as many times as you want, for your own use without any further royalties