Critical guidelines for safe landing

If you are in charge of a vessel, the following information and guidelines are critical for a safe landing at Sable Island National Park Reserve.

Visitors arriving by sea are responsible for their safe arrival and departure from the island. Parks Canada has limited capabilities on the island to assist in a marine rescue or emergency.

Before departing the mainland

• Contact the Parks Canada Operations Coordinator to ensure we are aware of your itinerary and you are informed of activities or conditions on the island or offshore that may affect your plans
• The possibility of heavy fog, shifting sandbars and rough seas in the waters around Sable Island can pose challenges to boat access

When within 10 nautical miles of the island

• Contact the island on Marine Radio Channel 8 or 16 to confirm safe arrival and to obtain any special instructions

Anchoring

• Vessels must anchor offshore and have a zodiac or other small boat suitable for a beach landing
• Vessels must anchor off the north side of the island, opposite the Main Station – at longitude 60.01W
• There are submerged sand bars off the beach, and vessels should maintain their distance – 500 meters is usually sufficient, although there are times small boats are able to approach within 200 meters
• Contact Sable Island on Marine Radio Channel 8 or 16 when anchored
• The Parks Canada Operations Coordinator can file or close sailing plans as required

Beach landing

• There are no wharf facilities or mooring buoys on Sable Island
• A zodiac or small boat is required to get ashore and make a beach landing
• All boat passengers must have life jackets for beach landings
• Zodiacs or small boats must not be overloaded beyond manufacturer’s recommended carrying capacity
• Visitors must not attempt to land on the beach until Parks Canada personnel are in position to greet them upon arrival and to provide an orientation and safety briefing
• Changing conditions may make it hard for a small boat to land or depart from the island
• Sailors should be extremely careful about coming through the surf zone and sailors should have experience in managing beach landings in rough surf

Communications

• When coming ashore, boat passengers must have a VHF radio and maintain communications with the beach party on Marine Channel 8

Contact

Contact our Visitor Experience Coordinator for more information about planning your trip:

• 902-497-4906
• sable@pc.gc.ca