A quick visit to Nova Scotia

We left St Pierre at 1900 on September 19th and sailed off into a stunning sunset followed by an equally stunning sunrise....

Throw in a large pod of dolphins and it was a magical 187 mile motor to the top of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where we dropped anchor at New Cambleton at 0130 after 30 hours (the longest we have ever motored!). We motored because there had been so many headwinds and more predicted and it was time to get south.

We headed off the next morning to Baddeck to visit our friend Henry Fuller who has the Baddeck Boat Yard and were able to tie up at his dock in very beautiful surroundings. We were last here in 2000 with our boys. It was as far north as we got on that trip before we turned for home.

While we were there we were able to replace our 11 year old batteries as they were a little tired and we got such a good price we couldn't say no. $1,000 cheaper than we paid all that time ago! We figure they should be the last set we buy if we look after them. Of course, it's never as simple as just dropping them in, the new ones were 10mm longer so Phil had to lengthen the battery box.

Henry was the perfect host, driving us around the Cabot Trail on a sunny day, introducing us to his interesting  friends and letting us use his workshop. After 6 days we headed off again, leaving the BraDor Lakes via St Peter's Lock. We had one opening bridge along the way.

 

We stopped at several small fishing villages heading south. Did a lot of walking and talking to the locals. We swung on a mooring in Purcells Cove, Halifax, where Brigid, whom we had met in Greenland lived, and enjoyed a social few days.

 

We have been moving quickly to get south to see our dear friend Paul McNiff who joins us regularly, 7 times over the years. He developed a brain tumor this year and was unable to come to Iceland, but we were sure we'd get to see him. We were wrong, and he passed away just days before we were able to sail to Maine. Here he is in Fiordland, on the second of three trips he made to NZ.

Then just 3 days later we heard that our lovely friend Jen back home had passed away. She was the wisest, kindest and most caring woman I have ever known and had been dealing with cancer for several years. The loss of these two friends has been a big blow.

Next stop Maine, and we will be arriving without visas so maybe we will be back here again in a few days. We did the online application at Henrys and phoned Halifax for an appointment only to be told they are not making anymore. We got an ESTA visa waiver thinking that might help. Fingers crossed.

Fun in Newfoundland

August 25 we left Labrador at dawn and had a good sail with a bit of motor-sailing over to Saint Anthony, Newfoundland, 67 miles away. We tried anchoring but picked up a lobster pot so tied up to the dock next to our friends on Diomedea who we had been cruising with for a lot of the summer. We had had an internet-free few weeks since Greenland so with new sim-card and phone number we caught up on the family news. Sadly Phil's youngest brother Rob had died from a heart attack a week earlier and his funeral was the following day. We were able to talk to everyone and send words to be read out but it was hard being so far away. He was a big kid at heart, full of life, big smiles and loads of fun.

We stayed in Saint Anthony for three days as we got used to the idea of losing Rob. Did a lot of walking and talking, remembering good times and talking to people back home. When we cruised with our boys there was very little communication, a phone call to parents once a year, letters sent home regularly and a mail-drop now and then for us. Now we have become used to constantly being in touch and love it most of the time.

It was a 114 mile sail to Fogo Island which we did overnight to arrive in the morning now that we had lost the 24 hour daylight we enjoyed over summer up north. Our lovely friend Fraser, a long time cruiser herself, was there to greet us as we tied up amongst the fishing boats and then began a whirlwind, social fun 12 days on the island. She took us home to meet her partner Lee, show us the house they are renovating and to a dinner with their friends. We ended up staying with them so the conversation didn't have to stop. It was just the best time being with like-minded people, helping on their house (Phil mainly as I got a dreadful flu) and meeting the neighbours. Fogo is a special place, with great walks, stunning scenery and a good mix of interesting people. It seems to be humming and has a community that cares.

Day 2 we went to a show/gathering at a local metalwork artists place. The lodge organizes these events and the food was delicious. How's that for a kitchen with a view!

This is the view from their house as a bit of weather passes through.

 

The edge of Hurricane Dorian hit so we moved from the public dock in Joe Batts Arm over to the fishing boat harbor. The wind got pretty strong but there were no big seas, just got a little bouncy. The plus was that we got to stay for longer and hang out with the locals.

The Lodge provides a lot of employment on the island and people staying get to meet the locals.

Alf pictured here below provides a lot of the lodge's fresh produce, growing huge amounts of potatoes and greens organically. He and his lovely wife Joan took us driving around the island, fed us and told us plenty about island life. Their son sent us off with fish and a book on Newfoundland. Everyone was so kind and friendly. 

Finally we had to drag ourselves away. The days were getting shorter and while it seemed warm after Greenland and Iceland, there was a definite chill in the air. Once again we did long days, 50 to 70 miles between anchorages. Beautiful spots, little towns, great walking... Petty Cove, just south of the city of Saint Johns, was our favorite stop. Fishermen helped us tie up then invited us to their man shed for a beer.

We did one fast leg heading west, a 90 mile sail in 12.5 hours! Three weeks after arriving in Newfoundland, we sat at anchor at Saint Pierre for 8 hours to wait for fair winds to sail to Nova Scotia. Again, it felt like we were moving too quickly and missing too much, but sometimes cruising is like that when you are working the seasons.

A week in Labrador

The 600 mile sail to Labrador took four and a half days, was pretty comfortable and included 48 hours of motoring. We started looking for icebergs way too early and only began seeing a few about 20 miles off the coast. First stop was a deserted fishing village called Smokey Tickle. For some reason huge wharfs and fish factories were built just a year or two before the whole industry collapsed. For a while people continued to use the cabins but now they are all in ruins.

  I decided to have a bath in this pond along with a million mosquitos before the rain and thunder began. It was a great place for walking and poking about amongst the old buildings.

 We had a foggy trip to Cartwright to clear in at the local police station where everyone chatted with us and fed us cake over the several hours it took as the paperwork was faxed to Goose Bay and back with the official stamp. The policeman was just finishing a three year stint there so was emptying his freezer and gave us moose and wild salmon to try.

 We saw our last icebergs on the way south from there, feeling both happy and sad about that as we love photographing them but they also give us a bit of an adrenalin rush as we move amongst them.

 We did quite long days as we rushed south. Punchbowl was 72 miles away, another abandoned fishing village and from there down to Lady's Arm which felt very gloomy with a few houses and a lot of mess, no road access, grey weather....

 Last stop was Fox Harbour where we sat out some wind until we could get over to Newfoundland. A week in Labrador wasn't nearly enough but we leave with good memories of friendly people, beautiful anchorages and villages trying to survive.