
First it was the Caribbean. Then it was Eastern Europe. Now, it’s Nova Scotia.
According to a report earlier this week in the Yarmouth Vanguard, the southwestern city of Yarmouth anticipates attracting a few more megayachts beginning next spring. A 200-foot-long floating dock for them was approved for construction, to replace a shorter floating dock as well as finger piers. Shore power, water, and fuel will all be available as well.
Why Yarmouth? It’s already received a few megayachts over the past several years, according to Dave Whiting, manager for the Port of Yarmouth and the Yarmouth Development Corporation and who’s shown in the photo here (taken by Carla Allen of the Yarmouth Vanguard). The town’s location on the Gulf of Maine and proximity to both Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine–in fact, it’s served by the popular CAT ferry that departs both of those cities–is another reason. And being a deep-water area, Yarmouth allows yachts with drafts to nearly 12 feet to pull in.
But most of all, Whiting read about the economic impact that megayachts continuously make on South Florida’s economy and felt similar success could–and should–be enjoyed in his northern territory. Without naming names, he told the local paper about what one particular megayacht did when it pulled into town a few years ago: “Business-wise, for example, when Crosby’s Florists was downtown, they bought out their entire stock of fresh flowers.”
Florists–and other small-business owners–in coastal cities around the country tell similar stories. So Whiting’s a smart man.
Of course, he also wants megayacht owners, guests, and crewmembers to enjoy what the four-square-mile, historic town (said to have been discovered by Leif Ericson) has to offer. The dock will be located near the Killam Brothers Shipping Office, Canada’s oldest such office, as well as other notable sites. There’s the Yarmouth County Museum, which contains a number of marine paintings and other maritime items. And a few miles away, there’s the famous Cape Forchu Lighthouse, which dates to 1840.
Leave a Reply