2025 Sailing Season Round-Up
Captain’s Log - 251015
I would like to start by thanking all the Sable Ocean Adventures’ 2025 guests and skippers for making the summer sailing season one to remember. After years of preparation, I was rewarded with unforgettable memories and friendships made. Thank you!
We made 6 trips to Sable Island this year and I could not be happier on how they all turned out. From the sailing, the island, the wildlife, and the friendships all contribute to an unforgettable season. Read on for an update of the 2025 sailing season and highlights.
|:—:| | Marilyn and Alyona at Bald Dune |
Weather Window and Success Rate
On the final trip of the season, Parks Canada employee Kristen advised that Sable Ocean Adventures had the highest success rate of all operators to reach the island. I was happy to hear that!
As advertised, we have a weather window to make landfall from Tuesday to Thursday. We cannot guarantee the whole three days on the island to any guest due to the will of Mother Nature. The summer of 2025 in Nova Scotia and the Western North Atlantic ended up being the nicest (driest) weather in recent memory. The south wind prevailed, and we made landfall on all potential days except for one near the end of the season. That day, we approached the island on the tail end of a northerly blow, which created quite a swell that hammered the north beach landing location. We made an attempt as the swell died down, but in the end, we waited until the morning for calmer seas. The next two days on the island delivered excellent weather, and we explored more than enough of the island to get our fill. Other than that one event, all of our scheduled beach landings went as smoothly as can be.
|:—:| | The first of many successful landfall of the season in June |
Skippers (Crew)
When I first envisioned this endeavour, I was aiming for a single crewmember who would join me for the entire month of sailing. As I found out, and not to my surprise, booking someone for the month of July in Canada is a tall order! Out of good fortune, I discovered a fleet of seasoned mariners out of Lunenburg and the Picton Castle program: Skippers Lyra, Annie, and Violet. All having the experience of sailing around the world and other local maritime endeavours, they made for an excellent compliment to the program. To round out the skippers for the trips, a good friend from my Coast Guard days, Phil, has a lifetime of experience sailing his own C&C sailboat and working on Coast Guard ships all around Canada. I could not have asked for a better lineup of crew, as they were all highly capable, enthusiastic, and personable. I hope I am as fortunate next year to have them join again.
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| Phil and Andrew | Annie with guest Allan at the helm |
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| Lyra | Violet |
Our Guests
I’m delighted to share that our guests exceeded all expectations. I could not be happier with the people who joined us on the trips to Sable Island. I quickly realized that the type of person who books this extraordinary adventure is an adventurer themselves, like me. I now have new, amazing friends all over North America—people whom I can call when I am in town and who, I’m sure, will offer me anything I need or just meet for a coffee. Thank you to the 2025 guests for making the inaugural season one of the best summers of my life!
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| The inaugural charter guests to Sable Island | Making landfall on the tail end of a tropical depression |
The Horses
People ask me if we see the horses on Sable Island on the trips. I can confidently guarantee that if you set foot on Sable Island with Sable Ocean Adventures, then you are going to see horses, and lots of them. There are over 450 horses on the island of all colors and flowing manes. They go about their business as if we, humans, were not there at all. It is a very special experience to sit and observe these beautiful animals in such a safe and wild environment. Since the horses have had no contact with humans in many generations, they see us as either a benefit or threat to them. They will just look at us, and some may be more curious than others, but will simply continue foraging on the marram grass.
|:—:| | Eastern band of horses taking turns on a sip from the Sable Island water lens below the sand surface |
One of the unique aspects of the Sable Ocean Adventures offering is that we make landfall on the eastern end of the island, where the horses don’t see humans as much and tend to be more curious. There are no freshwater ponds on the eastern end of the island, and the horses dig down in the sand to access a lens of fresh water that encompasses the whole island. It is what sustains life. I didn’t ask Zoe Lucas, but I am very curious as to how they figured out that digging in the sand will produce fresh water.
|:—:| | A foal learns the tricks of the Sable Island trade |
|:—:| | Grooming |
Zoe Lucas
Those who are familiar with Sable Island know of Zoe Lucas. She has lived on the island for over 40 years and has studied and researched the island and its inhabitants almost the whole time. She is the most knowledgeable person about Sable Island on the planet. On the third voyage of the season, we arrived during the tail end of a tropical storm, which brought the most rain we had all summer. We arrived on the island in the middle of a rainstorm. The wind and rain were relentless. We hiked near the main station for a couple of hours and were soaked through to the bone. It was a memorable experience, as the horses’ behaviour is much more rambunctious in inclement weather. The first sighting was a couple of bachelor males galloping within sight over a dune—a sight out of a National Geographic magazine. As we made our way back to the main station, I heard over the radio a call from Zoe inviting us to her lab to show us her research. This first visit has now become an anticipated feature of future trips. She shared her research, passion, experience, and knowledge of the island, which ended up being an unintended highlight of the adventure. Thank you, Zoe, for sharing your work with us!
|:—:| | Andrew delivers apples to Zoe in a bait bag that washed up on Sable Island shores |
The 6/49 Cruise
The 6/49 cruise was something that I did not have on the itinerary (thank you, Scott, for the inspiration on the naming of the cruise). As part of the cruising sailing experience, a civilized sail along the island to the next landing spot turned into the “6/49 cruise.” The weather was hot, and the wind blowing a light and favourable 10 knots from the south made for Caribbean-like conditions. As we indulged in some wine and cheese and soaked in the sun, Scott remarked, “I feel like I’m in a 6/49 commercial!” (For those who are not Canadian, 6/49 is a lottery). I laughed, and the cruise from Main Station to Bald Dune has since been dubbed the “6/49 Cruise.”
|:—:| | Guests enjoying the 64/9 cruise |
2025 Sailing Conditions
Sailing to Sable Island involves many factors. In my opinion, if you have an ocean-capable vessel, it is not a particularly challenging crossing, as you sail in one direction without obstruction for 24 hours (except for some fishing boats and a few buoys). The weather and the sea state are the main challenges. We had a couple of nights where the wind reached 40 knots. I am happy to report that the sailing vessel Malla handled the conditions beautifully. Crew and guests remained safe and comfortable while the staysail carried us to the island. On average, the sailing to and from the island was exhilarating for the guests. Since July is the lowest average wind speed month of the year, I was expecting more benign conditions; however, we were greeted with outstanding sailing!
|:—:| | Garry taking advantage of favourable sailing conditions to capture some marine wildlife |
Favourite Island Locations
Even though I have now been on the island for a total of 15 days, I have still not seen the whole island. We would end up visiting the ‘hot spots’ each time, as they consistently delivered. These are the Main Station, West Light, Bald Dune, and East Light. There is great diversity in the landscape at each of these spots, along with fascinating beach debris, artifacts, and shipwrecks in these locations. The Skidby, the Merrimac, and other shipwrecks can be seen in these general areas. Next year, I would like to explore additional locations to see what I can discover.
|:—:| | Decommissioned East Light |
Cuisine
With the help of our shore support team member, Alyona, guests were treated to chef-prepared dinners, fresh sushi, gourmet pastries, and artisan sandwiches for island lunches. The menu evolved over the course of the season, featuring everything from surf and turf to wood-fired pizza. The first trip had the captain and skipper preparing Atlantic seafood chowder for the guests, which was the only boat-prepared meal for the whole season. It turned out exceptionally well; however, there is considerable work involved. The following trips featured master chef Kyle Chrisofferson, who developed an exquisitely curated cuisine. Thank you, Kyle!
|:—:| | Surf and Turf at Sable Island |
|:—:| | Sushi lunch at sea |
Guest Testimonials
My father recommended that I maintain a guest book on the boat for people to sign and share their experiences. It was a last-minute addition that will make for something very memorable to look back on and read. I was deeply moved by what guests shared. “Trip of a lifetime” was the recurring theme. As I mentioned above, our guests are adventurers, and this adventure is one of many they have experienced. To have well-travelled explorers tell me that this was the best trip of their lives was a great honour and validation that this vision I brought to life is truly special.
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| Testimonal | These need to go on goolge reviews! |
|:—:| | Sunset at Bald Dune |
Until next time! I look forward to welcoming you aboard for an unforgettable journey to Sable Island in 2026!
Capt. Andrew M. Bruce