 Soundview, Newfoundland |
Return to Newfoundland
The following morning the weather forecast was favorable for crossing the Straits of Belle Isle to Newfoundland. In calm wind we motored across and returned again to Newfoundland, and spent the night in Black Duck, a very small fishing harbor we had enjoyed on our way north. While in Black Duck, two elderly fishermen came aboard to visit. In their eighties, these men had known each other their entire lives. With the collapse of Cod stocks in Newfoundland, fishing for this specie that had defined life on The Rock for five hundred years was now restricted to three days per season for personal use only. Notwithstanding their advanced age and individual ailments, these men were excitedly preparing to spend the entire day in a dory jigging cod, as poor weather had prevented them from fishing the other two days allotted. Their interest in “Tamara” was extensive and genuine, as they both vividly recalled the days of the schooners coming north each season for the Cod. To them, we were someone very special, and their enthusiasm was heartening. What Mark found touching was their friendship and reliance on each other. One gentleman was tall and hardy, with strong work hardened hands, but he could see and hear only poorly. The other was much smaller, hunched over, and could get around only with great difficulty, but his eyes and ears were just fine, thank you! So they were a team, with the sighted one doing the navigation, and the strong man assisting his friend in getting around. We regret now that we neglected to photograph this symbiotic pair, as their joy aboard “Tamara”, and happy solution to their physical situation, were most inspirational. But their respect for what we had done this season was most important to us, as these men knew where we had been and what it had required of us to do so. That is the most gratifying sort of professional recognition.
 Nancy at the Helm |
Our plan was to spend two nights in Port Saunders where we needed to pick up an engine part we had ordered over the radio. But a series of 30K SW winds (right on our bow) kept us in Port Saunders for six days. After two days we had seen all there was to see and walked every possible trail and street. Luckily, to maintain Nancy’s sanity, the library was just up from public wharf. So she caught up on e-mail, the first opportunity in over a month. Finally, on September 10th a break in the weather appeared on the weather map, so we departed 0530 for Corner Brook, 116 miles to the south. We arrived at the local marina at midnight. The next day, once again, the weather report was for 25-30 knot SW winds. We would need a 30-hour break to make it all the way to Cape Breton. Patience is the best storm tactic, so we waited three days, until we departed Corner Brook on September 14th with contingent plans if the weather changed. Our arrival in Saint Ann’s Bay, Cape Breton the following day was just ahead of the next storm system.
 Port au Choix |
During the southbound leg of the cruise, we had maintained radio contact with Chris and Anne Laws. They had extended an invitation to us to use of one of their moorings in St. Ann’s Bay and offered us the use of a car. Meeting us on their boat just as we entered St. Ann’s Bay, they escorted us to the mooring. We ended spending three nights with them, touring the area with their car. We spent one day at Fortress Louisbourg National Historic Site. Settled by the French in 1713, it was, for many years, France’s crown jewel of military strength and commerce in the New World. After three great days visiting with Chris and Anne, we headed for Baddeck where Nancy’s friend Leslie (from the wedding last summer) and her new husband Al were, by coincidence, to be staying while on an auto tour of Nova Scotia. We arranged for them to join us on “Tamara” for dinner, and filled them in on our adventures in Labrador.
Off we went again the next day through the Bras D’Or Lakes, overnight at St. Peter’s canal and then southwest along the east coast of Nova Scotia. We thought, once we left Cape Breton on September 21st, that it would only take us about a week to get to Maine, but we just couldn’t get a break in the weather. Anchoring or tying up in Isaac’s Harbor, Little Liscomb, Sheet Harbor, Lunenburg, Shelbourne and Clark’s Harbor (Cape Sable), we worked our way to the southwest, finally entering customs in Bar Harbor, Maine on October 3rd. Back in the US of A!
 Lark Harbor, Newfoundland |
 Fall in Maine |
The big question all summer was where were we going to spend the winter. We had been leaning towards Portsmouth, NH but when we finally starting making calls all the marinas were full for the winter. By default we starting researching Portland, Maine and found a marina at the base of Old Port, within walking distance of everything. Their winter rates began October 15th, so we decided to spend a little time cruising Maine enjoying the fall foliage and a fine Indian summer. The next 10 days we spent in Somes Harbor, Eggemoggin Reach, Oracutt Harbor, Pulpitt Harbor, Camden, and Tenant’s Harbor. On October 13th we tied up at DiMIllo’s Marina, Portland, our home for the winter.
We have now droned on just about long enough, but would happily fill any of you in with more detail. Our plans for next season are to return to Labrador with the objective of getting there earlier, staying a little longer at places that we scouted out on our first voyage, exploring more ashore, and with luck and favorable weather and ice conditions making it all the way to Cape Chidley, and Baffin Island. Our intent is to get more and better photographs to fill out our slide show, as well as try our hand at the production of a video—if we can scratch up the change for a new digital video camera with suitable lens. Ambitious? We suppose so, but there is much to see and many of you to share it with, and we would like to improve our skills at that aspect of all of this. Besides, Baffin Island is a new destination, and the site of Frobisher’s 1575-77 out-post has fascinated Mark for years. Who knows whether we can get there, but we do know that it’s easy to fail. All one must do is neglect to try. The greater risk is in not taking one.