How to explore McNabs Island

The waves are
smashing against our tiny boat, soaking us with water of questionable
cleanliness. McNabs Island appears like a faint glimmer of hope in the
distance. Suddenly, a massive cargo ship emerges through the
mid-afternoon mist, heading straight toward my friend Walter and I. We
paddle desperately against the current, but the ship pulls a quick 180
degree turn, presumably to get away from us as we flail about
madly.

Once we pass Georges Island, we finally learn how to use the kayak’s
rudder. By the time we get to McNabs, we’re completely drenched, but
eager to explore this 1,000-acre labyrinth of wilderness and
rubble.

There are a few things I wish we’d known before charging bullishly
to the island. This guide should make your island treks easier than
mine.

Things to do on McNabs

• Explore

The island has a post-apocalyptic feel. Clamber atop the crumbling
remains of Fort McNab for a great view of the water and some prime
sunbathing. Enjoy a picnic amidst muzzle-loading guns on the manicured
grass by Fort Ives. Other notable sites include Hugonin Battery,
Strawberry Battery, the McNab family graveyard, the boarded-up
teahouse, the lighthouse and a rifle range. There are no plaques
explaining the significance of each site, so bring a map (the best ones
are made by non-profit group Friends of McNabs Island Society, mcnabsisland.ca) or let your imagination
run rampant. The Friends of McNabs Island Society lists several hiking
trails throughout the island. Most of the island is owned by Parks
Canada and open to the public.

• See Ghosts

Many report seeing island spirits, which is unsurprising given
McNabs’s bloody history. On Hangman’s Beach, British naval officers
strung the executed corpses of mutineers to scare potential deserters.
The island is also the burial place of roughly 200 British cholera
victims.

A local woman and lover of McNabs reports seeing a ghost:

“It was a man. He was really short. He was transparent, almost like
a hologram. He was bearded and he came into my friend’s cabin,” she
recalls, in a matter-of-fact tone.

There have also been reported sightings of sea serpents and a
ghoulish horse and carriage, as well as tales of buried treasure and a
lost French gold mine.

• Camping

Contact the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (861-2560)
weekdays before 4:30pm to reserve a campsite near the old teahouse.
There are outhouses near campsites.

• View Wildlife

If ghosts aren’t your cup of tea, check out island wildlife. McNabs
is a birder’s paradise. Experience a cacophony of chirping and
screeching over the sounds of boat and helicopter traffic. Expect to
see one of the island’s many ospreys.

I saw a white-tailed deer on the island. Other animals seen on the
island include coyotes, muskrats, red foxes, bats, otters, and mink.
Happily, there are no skunks.

• Beachcomb

The beaches of McNabs are littered with tampon applicators and
condoms, thanks to a botched harbour clean-up. We stroll down Mauger’s
Beach contemplating washed-up oddities, such as a rusted child’s
bicycle and a tube of insulin. Pleasure boaters dock their rides on
Wreck Cove, a secluded inlet surrounded by dense forest.

• Meet IslandersMcNabs attracts a colourful assortment
of characters. Artist Tony Publicover says he moved to the island
seeking tranquility nearly six years ago, after his childhood woods in
Dartmouth were turned into subdivisions.

Anton E. Self, who’s constructing a data-hosting facility in one of
Nova Scotia’s cold war-era military bunkers, pounced on property on
McNabs nearly a decade ago.

Self, who enjoys the lack of automobiles and the noise of shipping
traffic, says “it’s been an amazing love affair ever since.”

Getting there

• By Ferry

Murphy’s Waterfront Taxi (Cable Wharf, 420-1015) charges $120 round
trip fee to get to and from the island, which is only affordable if you
go with a group. The ferry seats up to 12 passengers.

“You could swim there. It’s not that far,” say staff at Murphy’s,
when I appear hesitant to pay the round-trip fee. They also suggest
hitching a ride from fishermen leaving from Dartmouth.

I don’t end up swimming or sea-hitch hiking because I learn that
McNabs Island Ferry (Eastern Passage, 1-800-326-4563) takes people to
and from the island for $12. The ferry’s captain, Mike Tilley (AKA Red
Beard), lets children over five aboard for $10. (Children under five
ride for free.)

A & M Sea Charters (Eastern Passage, 1-888-858-5545) only takes
groups to McNabs, and costs $15 per person for groups of 15. (Tip:
Private ferry captains sometimes respond to coercion and sneak you
aboard.)

• By Kayak

Rent an ocean kayak at MEC (1550 Granville, 421-2667) and carry it
from Granville to the dock at the end of Salter Street. It’s cheapest
to split the $55 cost of a double. But don’t take a page out of my
book. Check out Transport Canada’s Sea Kayaking Safety guide and learn
the basics first.

Bring

A map, cell phone, waterproof shoes or plastic bags to wear over
your socks (the island has several wet patches), food, tons of water,
binoculars and layers.

This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2009.