Wales Tourism and Visit Planning

Nova Scotia on a Cushion of Air

Author: Brett Becker
Upon discovering a hidden leeward cove on Bras d'Or Lake near Baddeck, a small waterside village on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, I guided the inflatable in for a closer look at the weathered terrain - and a little peace and quiet.

Holiday In Wales Passing rocky shores littered with driftwood and water-smoothed stones, I killed the ignition and slowly drifted to a halt. Fog passed just overhead as quarter-size jellyfish silently pulsed beneath the water's surface. This was as close to dead-quiet as it gets, far from the constant invading white noise of civilization. "Peaceful" only comes close to describing the feeling - it was like being at the edge of the earth.

A comprehensive vacation guide for the Grand Strand of South Carolina loaded with information for lodging, golf, attractions, shopping, dining more to help plan your Myrtle Beach Vacation. 5. We have some of the finest cottage and vacation rentals available in Nova Scotia. Whether you're looking for peace and relaxation in a cottage by the ocean, Nova Scotia has it all!

Holiday Wales Our journey began a week before in Portland, Maine, where we picked up a Zodiac Futura Fastroller Mark III to bring it to Nova Scotia's northern coast and test its mettle in a harsh, northern saltwater environment, and learn more about (pronounced aboot in Canada) inflatable boats. Our plans also included using the boat to dive some of Cape Breton's shipwrecks and explore the island.

Make a vacation rental in Nova Scotia your home base for a memorable vacation in this beautiful province in eastern Canada. Nova Scotia is a wonderland of natural beauty, featuring long stretches of beach, hidden coves and pristine national parks. With nearly 5, 000 miles of coastline, no place in Nova Scotia is more than two hours drive from the sea, and most visitor attractions are on the coast or just minutes away.

Cottage Holiday In Wales From Portland, we drove to Bar Harbor, where we boarded The Cat, a high-speed ferry bound for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Once on Canadian soil, we drove to Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital city, to pick up the engine we would need to power the Zodiac. Another day of driving brought us to Sydney, a city on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton.

Albia Dugger While tuna fishing off Nova Scotia last summer, this fish came up on one of the bait rigs we were using to catch mackerel.

Caravan Holiday In Wales Known as Atlantic Canada's Masterpiece, Cape Breton sits at roughly the same latitude as London. The island - Cape Bretoners quickly point out that it's an island, attached to the mainland only by the manmade Canso Causeway - boasts a storied history and a diverse landscape. The island displays a blend of Scottish, Acadian and English culture, and its shorelines are strewn with rocks and boulders - some volcanic - that originated from three continents. Scientists believe they are some of the oldest rock formations in North America.

Other Sales Halifax Gay Personals in Nova Scotia Sup Fella's; Hit Me Up ;) Hey Guys, Jus a fun, loving, outgoing guy here looking to meet some cool peeps to chill with. I live in downtown Halifax Men seeking men Jayboi21 Retail Halifax Gay Personals in Nova Scotia Fun to be with . Iam a very fun person, i have been told that iam the life of the party, iam willing to go out on a limb if you are........

Camping Holiday Wales This land and its waters here at the edge of the earth can be tough on a boat, which made it a perfect place to discover the qualities of the inflatable, a boat once at the edge of the pleasure-boating industry, but now coming into its own.

by native peoples long before that, McNabs has been an important part of Halifax s recreational area for generations. You can reach the island only by boat ... From the guidebook "Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia" Published by Goose Lane Editions Halifax, 4.5 miles Nova Scotia Hikes

Accommodation Holiday Wales Inflatable boats come in a number of configurations: wooden-floored hulls, inflatable keels and floors, rigid fiberglass and aluminum hulls, helm steering and tiller steering, which is still the most popular design, according to Dave Cleroux, sales manager at Seamasters Services Limited in Halifax, one of Canada's largest-volume Zodiac dealers. Seamasters sells about 100 inflatables a year, some of which are $30,000 rigid-hull units for harbor patrols and law enforcement agencies. But those agencies buy less than 30 percent of the inflatables Seamasters sells, he says. Many people buy an inflatable for use as a tender - a means to get to and from shore when a larger cruiser or sailboat is moored, which many are in this province.

Holiday Last Minute Wales "We don't have a lot of people who can afford a $30,000 Zodiac, but we sell a lot of tenders," Cleroux says.

Catering Holiday Self Wales Retail buyers, Cleroux adds, fall into three basic groups. The yachting set buys an inflatable for a dinghy, or tender. Another type of buyer uses the boat just like someone who buys a fish-and-ski model or a traditional runabout: as their primary boat. If powered correctly, they can pull a skier and, yes, people can fish from them.

Holiday Wales Walking Sure, the first thing that pops to mind is a hook ripping a hole into an air chamber, but the shape and diameter of the tubes help keep hooks from taking hold. Unless the hooks are an inordinately heavy gauge, they won't puncture the boat's skin, Cleroux says.

Family Holiday Wales "I've been fixing them for 12 years and I've never seen a hook go through one yet," he says.

Holiday Riding Wales The boats also are popular with divers, Cleroux says. Tiller-steer models remain a favorite because of the room they leave for tanks, regulators, weight belts and fins, all of which are designed to work well underwater, but are cumbersome and take up a lot of space aboard a boat. But who would dive in the frigid waters of Cape Breton? Apparently, enough people for Canada to establish underwater national parks, according to Ken Jardine, owner of Scuba Tech in downtown Sydney. In fact, Cape Breton diving is loaded with history.

Adventure Holiday Wales One legend says that a Scottish couple who had just married planned to sail to Cape Breton to make their new home. The husband would move to the island first, and two years later, after he had established a household, he would send for his wife. Back in Scotland, the woman had inherited enough money to sail to Cape Breton a year ahead of schedule. Planning to surprise her husband, she sailed without telling him. As she arrived at Louisbourg harbor, a bay on Cape Breton's east coast, a tumultuous storm tossed the ship onto the rocks at the harbor mouth and sank it. No one survived the wreck, which still lies on the harbor floor.

Holiday Park South Wales When her husband and a crew of volunteers went to retrieve the bodies, he found his bride among the dead. Legend contends that when the wind blows in Louisbourg, you can still hear the woman's cries.

Cottage Holiday Wales In the same harbor lies the Celebre, a French man-of-war sunk by British warships during a battle in 1758. We buzzed out to the wreck, which features 64 cannons and hundreds of cannonballs scattered about the site, and geared up for a dive in the 46-degree water. The cannons are overgrown with seaweed, and their barrels are now lobster condos. Even after spending more than 200 years in 25 feet of salt water, some wooden slats from the hull remain intact.

Holiday In Wales Another wreck from around the turn of the century at the harbor mouth, the Evelyn, lies in 36 feet of water. Surprisingly, the bottom - and the wreck - is visible from the surface. Once underwater, we could see the spare propeller, which was about 18 feet in diameter. On the bottom lay an engine connecting rod longer than the Zodiac. Farther toward shore, the main propeller - still attached to the boiler - lay under a garden of seaweed. These wrecks are still very much intact because Canadian law protects underwater national parks and prohibits divers from taking anything. Nearly out of air, we surfaced and reboarded the boats.

Holiday Wales With its low freeboard, getting back on board an inflatable after a dive is simple. Remove your weight belt and toss it into the boat. After that, remove your tank and buoyancy compensator and lash them to the side of the boat. Grab a handle along the side tubes, give a big fin kick and pull yourself in. Then haul in the gear. It's as easy as using boarding ladders that don't extend far into the water. And the inflated tubes and floor make for a nice soft landing.

Cottage Holiday In Wales The Zodiac's open-floor design proved ideal for diving. It also would be good for fishing or any sport where you need lots of open space. Our Zodiac featured an inflatable floor, which you might assume would be spongy and unsupportive, but because of its high air pressure it is stable and strong enough to stand on with your feet together - even with nearly 100 pounds of dive gear strapped on.

Caravan Holiday In Wales That kind of stability usually comes at the expense of added weight. But the Fastroller Mark III weighs in at a scant 163 pounds. Add a 120-pound engine and 5 gallons of gas, and you have a boat that weighs just more than 315 pounds and can be secured to the ocean floor with only a small anchor. In fact, we anchored two inflatables at each dive site using one small folding grapple anchor, and neither budged an inch while we were underwater.

Camping Holiday Wales Despite their feather-light weight, inflatables can carry a heavy load. Our Mark III had a weight capacity of 2,601 pounds, which is about how much an 18-foot runabout or a subcompact car weighs.

Accommodation Holiday Wales We also found that inflatables are perfect for exploring because they draw little water, go virtually anywhere and turn as a quickly as amusement-park bumper cars. And what better place to explore than Cape Breton, where lighthouses, coves and craggy shorelines abound?

Holiday Last Minute Wales We motored out the Bras d'Or Gut, a sliver of salt water - with a swift current and some heavy chop at its mouth - that links the St. Andrews Channel with the Atlantic Ocean. On the way, we passed the lobster and fishing boats that make up one of Cape Breton's main industries.

Catering Holiday Self Wales Outside the mouth at Point Aconi, we darted among lobster-trap buoys for a closer look at the rocky shoreline and its lighthouse. To the north, nothing but Atlantic Ocean for 90 miles until you hit Newfoundland. Because the Zodiac was easy to maneuver, I avoided most of the lobster-trap lines. But because of sun glaring off the water, I snagged one with the propeller. Like most problems we had during our experience with an inflatable, it was a simple fix: Kill the engine, tilt it forward, and the propeller is within easy reach.

Holiday Wales Walking Their price and convenience also put inflatable boats within easy reach. I enjoyed learning what the Zodiac can do, and taking it to a place where lots of people rely on them as tenders, for work or dive boats, and yes, for pleasure. There are plenty of inflatable manufacturers and lots of different designs. Each is built with a little different purpose in mind, but each can get you out to those quiet, secluded coves where it's just you and the jellyfish.

Family Holiday Wales

Holiday Riding Wales Zodiac Futura Fastroller Mark III

Adventure Holiday Wales Perhaps the most original and notable features of the Fastroller Mark III are its patented hull and inflatable floor. These two features allow the Fastroller to store easily and plane quickly.

Holiday Park South Wales The hull design incorporates an inflated keel and two removable "speed tubes" on both sides. The result is hydrodynamic lift for quick planing times - even with a full load and a low-horse engine. The speed tubes also absorb bumps from choppy water, provide a smooth, comfortable ride and exceptional maneuverability. The Fastroller turns sharply with little listing or sliding.

Cottage Holiday Wales "You have to be careful. These things turn on a dime," Cleroux says. "They don't slide out at all."

Holiday In Wales The Fastroller's inflatable floor is another feature unique to Zodiac. When inflated to 11.2 psi, the floor is surprisingly rigid. Key advantages over wood or aluminum rigid floors are weight savings and ease of assembly and take-down. The floor also adds buoyancy to the Fastroller and is removable for cleaning and repair. In addition, it features tie-downs for a fuel tank and other gear.

Holiday Wales The air tubes surrounding the hull and floor feature semi-recessed valves and are constructed of Strongan Duotex, a new fabric tested to the molecular level. A new formula for the fabric coating increases resistance against cuts by more than 50 percent and against abrasion and exposure to the elements up to 50 percent. The fabric is warranted for five years.

Cottage Holiday In Wales The Fastroller series comes in 12-, 13- and 15-foot models with a maximum recommended horsepower of 25, 30 and 40, respectively. Each comes equipped with a foot pump, passenger grab rails, lifting handles and a spray-deflecting rub rail. The transom has been reinforced with an aluminum engine-support plate and is fitted with two self-bailing drain holes.

Caravan Holiday In Wales

Camping Holiday Wales Avon 4.01 RIB Deluxe

Accommodation Holiday Wales Choose a new Avon 4.01 RIB Deluxe and you'll be in good company. The U.S. Coast Guard, NATO, Great Britain's Defense Ministries and coast guard all have chosen Avon inflatables.

Holiday Last Minute Wales And with good reason. The 4.01 RIB is hand-built beginning with a nylon weave double-coated with Hypalon to create a material so strong that it's virtually unaffected by weather, fuel, oil, UV radiation and everyday abrasions. The fabric also is resistant to battery acid and temperature extremes from -21 degrees to 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Avon is so confident of its material that it backs it up with a 10-year, transferable "no-quibble" fabric warranty, and a five-year guarantee on seams - one of the longest coverage periods in our roundup.

Catering Holiday Self Wales The 4.01's medium-V rigid hull slices through chop to maintain a smooth ride. With a 50-horse engine, it can reach speeds nearing 40 mph. Once on plane, the boat's wetted area aligns evenly with the console's helm seat, ensuring a dry ride. The hull also features anti-skid decking with fuel-tank retainers and davit lifting hooks.

Holiday Wales Walking Pictured with the optional deluxe console, the 4.01 also is available with other options including a ski tow hook and an offset steering wheel with windscreen. The 4.01 comes standard with passenger grab straps on each side tube and a watertight bow floor locker. Buyers can opt for the bow locker cushion, which converts the locker to a forward seat.

Family Holiday Wales Three handles mount to the tubes - two at the stern and one at the bow - for easy carrying. Each 4.01 can be ordered in white or light gray with accented rubbing strakes.

Holiday Riding Wales

Adventure Holiday Wales Quicksilver QS 430

Holiday Park South Wales One of the Quicksilver 430's prime advantages is that it's backed by one of the largest marine dealer networks in the world. Mercury, Mariner, Force Outboard, SportJet and MerCruiser stern-drive and inboard dealers worldwide support Quicksilver inflatables sales and service.

Cottage Holiday Wales The 430 starts with a grooved, inflatable keel and a low center of gravity. Quicksilver constructs the 430's floor of marine-grade plywood and joins each panel with aluminum H-channels. C-channels along the side align the panels for stability and durability. The transom also is constructed of marine-grade plywood and reinforced with a cast-aluminum bracket for secure engine mounting. What the 430 has that a lot of other inflatables don't are flexible, webbed anti-spray gussets that span from the transom to the rear of the side tubes. These keep passengers drier, particularly in reverse gear, when too much throttle can accidentally soak the crew.

Holiday In Wales To keep inflation simple, Quicksilver uses Halkey-Roberts valves, which are recessed to keep from snagging on clothing and other gear. Divers applaud the soft tubes, a low freeboard and rope handles for easy roll-out and reboarding.

Holiday Wales Quicksilver added a couple of other thoughtful features to the inflation tubes. For starters, there are four separate internal air chambers. Obviously, the more chambers, the safer the boat. Additional chambers allow the craft to continue floating in case one or more deflates. Rub strakes protect the tube sides from splintered docks and other sharp objects. But Quicksilver thought to make the center of its strakes flat, which provides an ideal place to attach registration numbers. In addition, the tubes are silver, not just to coincide with the company name, but because the finish stays cool in the sun and deflects harmful UV radiation. Quicksilver backs its products with a five-year pro-rated limited warranty on the fabric and air-holding seams. All other parts and accessories are warranted for one year.

Cottage Holiday In Wales All Quicksilver models come with a Cordura nylon carrying case with storage pockets and grab handles. A high-velocity foot pump and a repair kit also are included.

Caravan Holiday In Wales

Camping Holiday Wales Artigiana Batelli AL 320

Accommodation Holiday Wales Though Artigiana Batelli may sound like a 19th-century Impressionist painter, it's really an inflatable manufacturer that has been in business for 30 years. Last year the company introduced its line of aluminum-hull rigid inflatable boats. At 10 feet, 6 inches long, the AL 320 falls squarely in the middle of AB's aluminum-hull line.

Holiday Last Minute Wales "While we are an established company, we continue to be responsive to the needs of the market and to new directions in inflatable technology," says Alexandra Heyer, AB's sales and marketing director. "Our goal is to provide a state-of-the-art inflatable for an affordable price."

Catering Holiday Self Wales Beginning at the waterline, AB starts with a 5083 marine-alloy aluminum hull that resists abrasion from rocks, sand and coral for years of performance. Because of its medium-deep-V keel design, the 320 pops on plane quickly. Its bow is turned upward with a spray-deflecting strake stamped into the aluminum hull, creating a dry ride for all on board. Inside the aluminum hull, anti-skid decking ensures steady footing, and lifelines give each passenger something to grip in rough conditions.

Holiday Wales Walking But this is no ordinary aluminum-hull boat. Even when flooded, the 320 remains buoyant. Its four air chambers and five-ply Hypalon neoprene-coated tubes add immense flotation capability and resist chemicals likely to be spilled on them such as gasoline and two-stroke oil. They also feature Haley-Roberts valves and deflect harmful UV radiation. Assembled by hand, not machine-welded, tubes and seams on the 320 are overlapped by 1 inch for extra strength.

Family Holiday Wales The 146-pound craft also comes standard with four davit lift points and lifting handles in the front and one on each tube at the stern. Its aluminum oars feature telescopic construction for easy storage when not in use. A removable fiberglass rowing seat also comes standard, as do a hand pump, protective rub strake and maintenance kit. Each AB inflatable is backed by a full five-year limited warranty.

Holiday Riding Wales

Adventure Holiday Wales Nautica RIBJET 22

Holiday Park South Wales Just in case you thought all inflatables measured less than 16 feet and were powered by outboards with no more than 50 hp, check out Nautica's RIBJET 22. Lots of manufacturers make center-console inflatables of 20 feet or more, but the RIBJET takes the breed a step further by incorporating a diesel engine, a jet-drive propulsion system and a genuine radar arch.

Cottage Holiday Wales The RIBJET starts with a fiberglass deep-V hull to handle high seas. Combined with the extra buoyancy of the inflatable tubes, the RIBJET is ideal for chartering dives or as a rescue craft. But that doesn't mean this Nautica is strictly a workhorse. Drawing 18 inches or less water, it can be used as a flats boat, but the RIBJET goes where a lot of other 22-footers won't. Its jet drive means there's no propeller to snag on sea grass often found in shallows, yet its 55-gallon fuel tank also means you can take it out where no flats boat could go.

Holiday In Wales Once out where you can't see land, you'll appreciate the stability of an inflatable. Its tubes are constructed of Kleber Hypalon fabric and warranted for 10 years. You'll also appreciate the center console, which features grab rails on either side and plenty of space for electronics. Up front are three padded seats with fiberglass-lined storage containers underneath and more storage and seating under the seat forward of the console. Its uncluttered deck allows plenty of room to walk around the console to the stern.

Holiday Wales The stern features not a boarding ladder, but a handy fold-down stairway with handrails and grab rails on the radar arch. There's another grab rail behind the helm seat and storage underneath for life preservers, fire extinguishers and other gear And because it's jet-driven, that means there are no sharp propeller edges that could slice bare feet when boarding. Not bad for a little "rubber raft."

Cottage Holiday In Wales

Caravan Holiday In Wales Apex A-15

Camping Holiday Wales One rub with inflatables is that you often have to add a lot of options to get the kind of boat you want. The Apex A-15 is different.

Accommodation Holiday Wales Sure, you still have to buy an engine after you pay the A-15's $7,990 base price, but at least you get the engine you want. Where the A-15 differs is in its list of standard equipment.

Holiday Last Minute Wales Unlike most inflatables around 15 feet, the A-15 comes with running lights, which allow you to run the boat at night. Inflatables usually have to be much larger to offer this feature. They also don't usually come with a built-in fuel tank, and when they do, they usually don't hold as much as the A-15. It holds 23 gallons of fuel, and combined with the boat's light weight, offers an extended cruising range. Other items not commonly found on this breed of boat, rigid-hulls included, are a bilge pump, a center console and an upholstered seat.

Catering Holiday Self Wales The starboard-side console offers storage underneath, accessible through a door at the driver's knees. It also comes with enough room to mount ancillary electronics, and to make installation and servicing easier, Apex installed an access door on the front of the console. The seat features an upholstered backrest and cushion with storage underneath. At the bow, Apex included a storage locker ideal for an anchor, dive gear or life preservers.

Holiday Wales Walking Its tubes are constructed from a polyester-reinforced Hypalon for increased stretch resistance and coated with neoprene on the inside to ensure an airtight seal. Two carry handles mounted at the rear of the tubes and one at the bow double as cleats for docking lines. Lifelines, which serve as grab handles for passengers while under way, are mounted on the tubes at the front and to the sides of the console seat.

Family Holiday Wales And of course, it comes with staple features such as nonmarking rub strakes, oars, bow tow eye, foot pump and repair kit. Like all Apex boats, the A-15 comes in light gray or white and is backed with a five-year warranty on fabric and seams.

Holiday Riding Wales

Adventure Holiday Wales All hot air?

Holiday Park South Wales The inflatable is an interesting breed of boat. Trouble is, though, many people still consider them "toy" boats, which doesn't apply to today's models. Inflatables can withstand conditions much rougher than rigid-hull boats of comparable size, and they are often more stable and can carry more weight. They provide a stable, dry ride and they are more durable than gel-coated fiberglass. Bang your fiberglass boat against a dock and see what happens. An inflatable comes away with nary a scratch, because it basically acts as its own fender.

Cottage Holiday Wales "You really get the best of both worlds with an inflatable," says Seamasters' Cleroux. "Once they [buyers] get in one, they realize it's probably the safest boat you can buy."

[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]