The Bluenose is the sailing ship depicted on the Canadian dime and on the Nova Scotia license plate. It is the most famous Canadian ship and was the fastest sailed vessel in the world, holding the record of 14.15 knots.
It was designed to be both a fishing boat and a racing gaff-rigged schooner. Wikipedia has a very detailed description of the ship including all its dimensions. It was built of Nova Scotia pine and sailed out of Lunenburg on the south shore of Nova Scotia. When fishing, it carried eight dory boats, tough “rowboats,” that were set out with a pair of fisherman in each. (More on dory boats in another post) The main fish caught, cod, was used for the salt cod industry.
The Bluenose is famous for winning the International Fisherman’s Trophy in 1921 and many other races. A replica Bluenose II can be visited in Lunenburg.
The Bluenose has special meaning for me because my mother- and father-in-law sailed on it in the 1930s.
Basic Facts
| Type | Schooner |
| Displacement | 258 t (254 long tons) |
| Length | 43.6 m (143 ft 1 in) o/a34.1 m (111 ft 11 in) lwl |
| Beam | 8.2 m (26 ft 11 in) |
| Height | 38.4 m (126 ft 0 in) |
| Draught | 4.85 m (15 ft 11 in) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Mainmast, height from deck | 38.4 m (126 ft 0 in) |
| Foremast, height from deck | 31.3 m (102 ft 8 in) |
| Sail area | 930 m2 (10,000 sq ft) |
| Mainsail area | 386 m2 (4,150 sq ft) |
| Crew | 20 |
References
Tide Harbor Suspense by Zara West 