Leaving Northeast Newfoundland.

     

                     At anchor in Pikes Arm just past the tickle from Herring Neck!!

We made some pretty big jumps in the last few days.  When we left the Northern Pennisula we sailed to the port of La Scie which is just south of Cape St. John.  We had a great wind for the first 20 miles of our 40 mile journey and it was warm!! We are seeing lots of dolphins and the occasional whale still. The entrance to La Scie was very dramatic with high cliffs protecting a great harbour. The next morning the wind was on our quarter and the current was with us as we flew around Cape St. John, whopee what a ride, I saw 9 knots on the GPS. We dead headed across Notre Dame Bay, which is supposed to be a great cruising ground and stopped at Twillingate. Since I was obeying doctors orders and resting I stayed aboard and Barry went off to get groceries.  He did not feel like sight seeing alone so we left the next morning.  

Our next anchorage was in a spot which did not appear on the guide book so we were concerned about the holding.  Barry went off on a hike up to a viewpoint and took the lovely shot above. It blew a houlie over night but the anchor did it's thing and with the forecast for the wind to veer and blow again we set off to Fogo Island, which has a great harbour with some very interesting history. 

          The town of Fogo Harbour with Brimstead Head in the background.  

We arranged a land tour around Fogo Island, our guide was Edmond a retired school principal, who was very knowledgable about the island.   When he was born in 1942, his mother was taken by passenger ship to the next town where there was an American air base, which had a doctor. As the story goes, aboard the vessel there was the captain and Edmond's mother and father.  Edmond is very active in the community and he was at a function when an old fellow started telling a tale about taking this young mother over to Joe Batt's Arm to have her baby and he wondered whatever had happened to the baby.  Edmond exclaimed, "After 72 years, you're looking at him!"

Fogo Island is a fiercely independent spot, when the moratorium on cod fishing was in the works the islanders took the bull by the horns and bought the fish plant from the owners and turned it into a Co-op. Each community on the island has a separate identity and Tilting is where the Irish settled when they came over as workers on the fishing schooners. Barry heard one of them talking and you would think they were straight from the old country even after 200 years of living here. Their town has been declared a National Historic District and I wished our guide would let us take time to read some of the signs all around town. 

     A British cannon used to fend off the French and also the Yanks during the war of 1812. 

   Mother and son in the boat, father operating the hoist in the background. CP 4 in very back 

We went for a very short stroll down the dock and a skiff with a load of cod stopped to offload it. I really enjoyed talking to the plant workers and the fishermen. It was a middle aged man with his wife and grown son, they had 1,700 lbs of fish aboard and their quota was for 6,000.  They had set their nets earlier in the day and had taken 4 hours to haul them in. The fishing is good. We bought two pounds of frozen crab meat from the plant office and had a feast of it with pasta for Barry's birthday.  

                                    

This is Brimstone Head which according to the Flat Earth Society is one of the four corners of the earth. The other three being spots in the Bermuda Triangle, Greece and Papua New Guinea. Being Newfies they have a bit of fun with it and on the way up the hill there is a sign stating that you had better be careful because it you take another step you may fall off the edge of the earth. 

IMPORTANT SAILING INFO.

We are using " The Cruising Guide of Nfld." published by Members of the Cruising Club of America and so far it has been very helpful.

Ports or Anchorages

 

La Scie Harbour  49*58' N X 55*37' W

Tied up to the floating dock.  No water, or power available, no charge, but we came late and left early.

Dinghied over to town and tied up to a private stage but the fellow had no problems with us doing that. 

All services available in town. 

Well protected behind a breakwater. 

Twillingate    49*40' N X 54*46' W

Tied up to fishing dock.  Busy, lots of fish boats. Water, power, $20/ night. 

TV lounge with Free Wifi in Harbour Master building at end of dock. $5/shower, 1.50/ load of laundry 

All services available 

Pikes Arm   49*38'.8 N X 54*34'.1 N  Not in book

Anchored in 8m. water.  Good holding, unsure of bottom, lots of kelp. 

Protected from all but northerlies. Swell came in when wind switched to the north. 

No services. Hike available to lookout point with wooden steps where needed. B & B 

Good shore access via dock 15 min. dinghy ride away. 

Fogo Harbour 49*43' N X 54*16' W

Tied up at dock.  No water but electricity available. $20/ without elec. No showers or laundry. 

Fish plant attached so was smelly.

All services available, but big grocery store and perhaps diesel not within walking distance. 

Great deal to see on the island, got a land tour, had to make 4 calls to arrange. 

A tickle is a narrow entrance.