21 & 22 August 2022 – Sunday & Monday – Cabot Strait, Baddeck and A.G. Bell Estate Tour

Yes it was a rough crossing of the Cabot Strait. We chased after loose items that were banging and rolling around. It was impossible to sleep with the pitching and rolling despite having stabilizers on the boat. Locals call it the Chuck Strait with good reason.  At least this crossing was dry and warm inside a power boat instead of wet and cold in a sailboat. Our sailing friends who also made the crossing had a miserable night. We were all happy to reach the Bras d’Or lakes and much calmer waters. 

We all tied up in Baddeck at the main dock. I made Bloody Mary’s for everyone including the sailors, and then we took naps to recover from the long night. In the afternoon we headed to the Alexander Graham Bell museum. AG Bell, as he is fondly called, was born in Scotland. When he moved to the US, he lived in Washington DC but hated the weather. After a vacation in Nova Scotia, he decided to make his home in Baddeck. There is a 600 acre tract of land that belongs to the family including the main house where Alec and Mabel lived, worked and entertained. There are 13 houses on the estate populated by his descendants.

The museum in town which I had visited before has a huge collection of Bell’s inventions and memorabilia. Although we all know Alexander Graham Bell for his invention of the telephone, his first interest was teaching deaf people to speak. This interest came from his father who taught locution.  One of his students was Helen Keller. Mabel, Alec’s wife, Mabel had lost her hearing at age 7 after having scarlet fever. We were told that many of the grandchildren never knew that Mabel was deaf because they had been taught to speak directly facing all people. 

Bell built an airplane that flew shortly after the Wright brothers. He built several hydrofoil boats that were the predecessors of today’s foiling boats although his work was largely ignored for many years. He had a son born prematurely who had “lung problems “ and died. Alexander built what looks like a very early version of a cuirasse which is an iron lung predecessor. He was also a founder of the National Geographic society. His son in law headed the society for many years. 

Mabel was a force in her own right. She had a library built in town. She started a women’s group to have lectures and discussions in the area. The group survives today. She also ran the entire operation of the 600 acre estate including gardens and animals. At some point Alexander worked to help local farmers by breeding sheep that would have twin offspring. When AG tired of the sheep on his property, he sold them. Mabel went out and bought them all back. The family said that when she and Alec would be out at night, she positioned him under a streetlight to read his lips as he answered. When she had enough answer, she walked away!!!

A few of the sailors who had been on the Newfoundland cruise with us are descendants of the Bell family so we were invited on Monday to visit the old mansion,named Beinn Bhreagh and hike the area. 

We toured the main house ( no photos allowed). No one has lived there since 2006. It needs repairs for cracking interior walls and exterior stain but the house is still used for family parties. The butler’s pantry is filled with dozens of sets of dishes. They had 17 bedrooms and lots of visitors stayed to meet with AG. 

We then hiked up to the highest point on the land which overlooks the town and great Bras d’Or lake. Mabel and Alexander are buried there. It was their favorite spot.

We then hiked to the Watson’s home where they served us lunch. Lea and Jim Grosvenor Watson hosted our hike and lunch. There were 2 daughters of the original Bell family. One married a Fairchild and the other married a Grosvenor. Lea and Jim both teach deaf children. It’s seems a full circle back to the original work of Alexander.

We returned to the boat and did some laundry before dinner. We ate at a restaurant on the wharf next to our boats. They had good food and service. Our next plan is a van trip along Cape Breton peninsula following the Cabot trail.