Sailing is a freedom unlike any other; untethered from terra firma, the serenity is as profound as the ocean is deep. In Halifax, guests at the five- star Muir Hotel may spot tugboats, yachts, research vessels and even a submarine from its harbour- side balconies, but they can also experience the awe of wind and waves from the water, which offers a unique connection to this city shaped by the sea.
From the teak deck of Little Wing, the hotel’s 36-foot (10-m) Morris yacht, the sounds of the busy working port recede and peace washes over me. Near Georges Island, a harbour seal gives two short honks as it surfaces, and the sailboat glides on, past McNabs Island and Point Pleasant Park, slipping into the Northwest Arm, an inlet lined with mansions.
The Muir’s ethos – born of this place – is evident in its architecture, art collection and even the chocolates in the room, shaped and painted like Nova Scotia’s blue-slate rocks, but the water beckons. I forgo the hotel’s 24-foot (7-m) motor boat for a Muir kayak and paddle directly to the massive Liberty of the Seas cruise ship, where I am wonderstruck by the ocean’s power to embrace these behemoths. From my balcony, I ponder the allure of the muir, Gaelic for sea. I only skimmed its surface, but it was tonic for my soul.
