Rose among thorns

Pleasure craft throng the waterfront with everything from local motor boats to deep sea cruisers. This evening tucked in among these plastic palaces was the sublime Hebridee II, a prime example of the schooner art.

Built in 1953 by Hugh Weagle's boat building yard in Dartmouth, to a design by William Roué, the boat is 27'-5'' long on the waterline, 39' on deck and 42' overall, 8'-9" beam and 5'-8" draft.

In 2009 it was donated to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and over a period of several years painstakingly restored to its original (and maybe even better) form. It re-entered the water in 2017 and is now one of the loveliest sights in Halifax Harbour.

.