Chester Harbour, and Ferry to Tancook Island, NS

 A lot of people know about Chester, NS, but nobody talks about it. They simply don’t want anyone else to go there. Chester is a tiny village, with a population of 1,200 people, 68 kilometres west of Halifax. The town overlooks island dotted Mahone Bay, and is a sailor’s paradise. The village of Chester, situated on a peninsula halfway along the coast of Mahone Bay, is one of the most picturesque communities anywhere, it dates back 224 years when it was settled by New England planters and fishermen. For years the New Englanders had sailed from the harbour of Massachusetts on their annual spring voyage to the local fishing banks. In 1761, a vessel carrying 18 adults and 10 children first dropped anchor in what is now Chester Harbour.

 

 

 Ferry to Tancook Island, NS

 

Today, we took a ferry from Chester Harbour to Tancook & Little Tancook Islands, it is a 55 min ferry ride one way and cost $5.50 per person for the round trip. The ferry departs from Chester and services both Little and Big Tancook Islands. The Tancook Island ferry runs daily year-round on a predetermined schedule and The William G. Ernst ferry transports passengers from the mainland to the islands, the ferry has been in service for 32 years. This is one of the nicest ferry rides we have taken and the ferry stays on Tancook Island for a hour and a half so you can take in some of the local stores and amenities on this isolated small Island and then enjoy a 55 min ride back. To say the least it was a very enjoyable 4 hour day for $5.50. 

The stately home below is the owner of Clearwater Lobster Co. and is only visible from the waterway, we captured it from the ferry on its way to Tancook Island.

 

This is a picture of Tancook Island taken from the ferry on our way to the Island.

Tancook Island is shaped like a fish hook and named after the Mi'kmaq word for "facing the open sea". Tancook Island is only 3 miles long and 1.5 miles at the widest point. With only 125 year-round residents, it is a true island life, Nova Scotia-style and most of the residents of this island are lobster fisherman.

 

 

 

 

Tancook Harbour