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AROUND NEWFOUNDLAND Doug and Dale Bruce (Doug and Dale, joint Port Officers for Camden, Maine, freely admit to an ongoing love affair with Newfoundland, returning there repeatedly with their Tayana 55 cutter Bluewater. And they are keen to share their discoveries...)
After three years of sailing to Newfoundland’s south coast and falling in love with the area, we decided to circumnavigate the whole island in 2005 and now our enthusiasm knows no bounds. Planning the journey was part of the fun – whether to travel clockwise or anti-clockwise, which of the hundreds of harbours to select for our primary stopovers, which friends to invite as crew, when to depart – we spent months getting ready. The planning paid off as our trip went very smoothly, the weather gods were good to us, and all agreed it was our best trip yet to Newfoundland. Huge thanks go to OCC Port Officer Ted Laurentius in St John’s, who gave us invaluable advice and other input over several months, then met us in Trinity and again at the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club to add greatly to our enjoyment. Additional thanks go to Michael Rearden, OCC, who flew over from his home in Dorset to join us for two weeks and greatly enhanced our trip – wonderful to share so many cross-cultural experiences. Sailing in Newfoundland has many things going for it: · The scenery is fantastic everywhere you sail, as the accompanying photos will attest. Steeply pitched rocky shores sprout into mountains right next to the ocean. Fjords penetrate into the hinterland on several coasts, providing fascinating exploration and protected anchorages. Lighthouses of many descriptions perch in the most amazing places. Waterfalls and rivers tumble into the sea in a variety of awesome configurations. Islands abound, a few populated, others with mostly birdlife, and nearly all with good harbours. · One rarely needs to travel very far to find a great spot to drop the hook – anchorages of great beauty and isolation are ubiquitous. Some have small towns nearby, many of which have a serviceable government wharf. Numerous towns are connected to roads where one can easily obtain water, fuel and groceries, plus there are a few major ports which can meet virtually any need. St John’s is the capital city of the province and a beautiful, fun-filled urban area it is, with more than enough activities to keep one entertained for days or weeks at a time. · Newfoundlanders are so friendly and fun-loving that one cannot help but fall for their generosity and helpfulness – we certainly have! They have an uncanny ability to ‘wrap their hearts around you’ and before you know it, you’re friends for life. · The history of Newfoundland represents a fascinating journey closely interwoven with the ups and downs of the cod fishery. There are numerous books covering every aspect of the island’s surprising heritage. Our favourite is The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston, which deals with the colourful life of Joey Smallwood, a controversial character from the early 20th century who brought Newfoundland into the Canadian Confederation – a far-ranging history lesson disguised as a novel. · ‘Outports’ are a subject of fascination unto themselves. Newfoundland’s numerous isolated fishing villages, often separated by miles of open water or mountainous terrain, are now mostly ghost towns following a government edict for the majority to close down in the 1960s and 70s so Canadian officials could more effectively deliver social and healthcare services. Many are easily explored, but often with heart-wrenching consequences. · Mother Nature has bestowed Newfoundland with an abundance of gifts, including great bird and whale watching opportunities. Shearwaters, puffins, petrels, fulmars, gannets, eagles, ospreys, loons, plus ducks of many varieties, all appear in abundance. We also spied several whale species in action, especially humpbacks which put on leaping-out-of-the-water displays just for our benefit. The only phenomenon we missed were icebergs which, this year, stayed further north than our course around the top of the island. · Sailing to, around and back from Maine represents a reasonably serious journey of about 3000 miles. It was a challenge (at least for us!) and quite satisfying to get around safely and comfortably. We said our goodbyes in Camden on 10 June and made a cold and foggy passage across the Gulf of Maine. Then, after making a fast trip along Nova Scotia’s south coast, we entered the Bras d’Or Lakes where we spent a quiet week getting Bluewater ready for her leap across the Cabot Strait. Baddeck was selected as our ‘rest stop’ because it offers most services needed and is an interesting town to explore ... and it’s comparatively WARM! From Baddeck our first day sail took us out of the Great Bras d’Or Channel and up to the impressive harbour of Ingonish positioned in the heart of the Cape Breton Highlands. The overnight passage across the Cabot Strait from Ingonish to Bay of Islands started with a perfect forecast – winds from the south at 20 knots, gusting to 25. But as the day progressed so did the wind, reaching 40 knots off the Table Mountains near Cape Anguille. Fortunately it was all behind us and Bluewater seemed to revel in the blustery conditions, reaching her fastest-ever speed of 15.4 knots surfing down the current-enhanced waves. Once off the Port-au-Port Peninsula, conditions backed down a bit overnight and we arrived at the entrance to Bay of Islands at dawn – chilly but excited, and happy to be in Newfoundland. The following lists all the 40 stops we made – over 1700 miles at an average of 42.5 miles per day – and gives a short description of each. All were picked from The Newfoundland Cruising Guide published by Pilot Press, an arm of the Cruising Club of America, a guide we heartily recommend for any trip to Newfoundland. 1. Bay of Islands / Corner Brook – the Bay of Islands YC gave us an exceptionally warm welcome, with offers to fulfil any need. The marina offers great protection. 2. Bay of Islands / Woods Island – the anchorage here is idyllic. Several abandoned farms surround a cove with near perfect protection. 3. Bonne Bay – has to be among the top two or three most beautiful bays in all Newfoundland, as its shores are part of Gros Morne National Park and include the highest mountain in the province. Neddy Harbour was a pleasant anchorage on a quiet night, then we sailed up East Arm and around South Head to find a sizeable mooring tucked into the southwest corner, where we felt protected and enchanted by the surrounding mountains. 4. Port au Choix – the well-marked but narrow channel makes entry and exit relatively easy, with several options for docking or anchoring in this fishing harbour. 5. Red Bay, Labrador – incredible scenery, but sad to find virtually no fishing operations. The old ferry wharves are still in decent shape for visitors. 6. St Anthony – a perfect natural harbour. New docks on the north side welcome yachts – assuming there is room among all the big fishing boats. The very helpful harbour master facilitated all our needs for groceries and fuel. 7. Maiden’s Arm / Hare Bay – a snug, secluded anchorage up a channel with many turns and a few ‘sunkers’, but worth the effort. 8. Williamsport / Forche Harbour – a magnificent, mountainous fjord with good protection in the northernmost cove. The old whaling station and abandoned town make it a fascinating spot to explore. 9. Pacquet (Baie Verte Peninsula) – an attractive harbour with friendly locals to show us around. Lovely cliff walks overlook the entrance. Good anchorage up the bay near Woodstock. From Pacquet to Lewisporte we were in Notre Dame Bay, considered by those who should know to be the premier cruising area in Newfoundland: 10. East Stocking Harbour (NE corner) – a very protected cove in a remote area. Good holding, although a second anchor or lines ashore are needed to prevent swinging onto shoals. 11. North Harbour / Little Bay Island – another remote and beautiful spot, with total privacy versus comparatively busy Southern Harbour. The island has great hiking trails and a fabulous lookout platform high above Southern Harbour. 12. Billy Toole Cove / Cutwell Arm / Cutwell Harbour – an idyllic anchorage with good holding. The entry is a little tricky, but not as bad as the charts make it appear. 13. God’s Pocket / Seal Bay – a not-to-be-missed slice of heaven. 355° protection, great hiking and okay holding – the name says it all. Then look for the ‘Leading Tickles’ nearby – a remarkable series of channels, well worth exploring. 14. Inside Gillespie Island / Fortune Harbour – a cosy spot, away from the omnipresent mussel farms – just one of dozens of possible anchorages in this harbour chosen for its remoteness and beauty. The water was warm enough to swim ... amazing! 15. Exploits Island – Another not-to-be-missed harbour with historical importance. The hike to Surgeons Cove Point lighthouse is well worth the time invested (about three hours). 16. Western Harbour / South Samson Island – narrow entry but a roomy, well-protected anchorage. With squalls predicted we felt more secure than we had at Exploits Island. 17. Sivier Island – secluded protection close to Lewisporte. 18. Lewisporte – a convenient town for crew changes, given its proximity to Gander airport. Lewisporte YC & Marina is an excellent facility, but likely to be busy. Leaving Notre Dame Bay, we started making longer passages between harbours: 19. Deep Bay / west side of Fogo Island – a snug little harbour and town with no services but good protection in most conditions. 20. Seldom-Come-By (south side of Fogo Island) – an excellent harbour, popular with local sailors due to its convenient location and ease of entry. There is a visitors’ dock with facilities (showers, water, museum) at the Fisherman’s Union Trading Company. It is an excellent spot from which to begin a land tour of the island, which has many points of historic and hiking interest. This is highly recommended, but best arranged on the spot. The town of Tilting, with strong Irish roots, is especially charming. 21. Sydney Cove (north part of Bonavista Bay) – another attractive, remote harbour. 22. Padners Cove / Barrow Harbour (near Salvage) – a lovely little isolated cove in a fairly large bay – great in settled weather. 23. Little Catalina – a working fishing port with big shrimp boats coming and going at all hours, but the wharf is big, strong and well protected and the harbour master was thoroughly welcoming and helpful. A worthwhile stop when heading to or from Cape Bonavista where whales are likely to entertain you. 24. Trinity Harbour – another not-to-be-missed town with many historical buildings and a fabulous local theatre group. Their outdoor show crystallised the province’s rugged beginnings and had us alternately laughing and crying. 25. Traytown Harbour / Ireland’s Eye – we anchored as far into Traytown Harbour as one can go and felt totally secure, then dinghied over to Ireland’s Eye Harbour (a little shallow) and were in absolute awe of the scenery and the remnants of a life that people once led in this deserted outport. Perhaps the most dramatic setting of our entire cruise. 26. Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club, Long Pond – an excellent facility with the most welcoming members. It is a superb place to restock, change crew and organise visits to St John’s. The city holds many temptations – restaurants, bars, clubs, stores, scenic forts, churches and colourful houses – and for us the best was the new Rooms Museum. We thoroughly enjoyed our urban experiences after many weeks in the remote areas. 27. Fermeuse – our only stop along the east side of the Avalon Peninsula, but a very good choice as we found a protected sturdy dock inside Sheep’s Head. 28. Trepassey – very good harbour, although its size might present problems in breezy conditions. We chose to tie outside the local fishing boats at the abandoned fish plant to the west. From there we sailed close to Cape St Mary’s, where the Ecological Reserve is home to an enormous gannet population nesting among the towering cliffs. The water is deep, so in settled conditions you can sail close to their nests – another sight not to be missed. 29. Burin – a beautiful place with many coves, bays and narrow channels to choose from. We picked the public wharf about half a mile south of the Coast Guard Search and Rescue Station. 30. St Pierre – after a disappointing first visit in 2002 (we expected more charm), we tried the island again and had an excellent visit. The local Yachting Centre has a substantial dock and new showers with laundry facilities. The plethora of services, merchandise (read ‘wine’) and several excellent restaurants (reserve early!) make this a classic French experience. 31. Grand Bank – a favourite after many years in the area – a little less hectic than nearby Fortune, where the ferries arrive and depart for St Pierre. 32. Harbour Breton – we went the extra five miles up the northeast arm into Balden’s Cove, where we were rewarded with awesome scenery, bald eagles plus the peacefulness that comes from being well inland from the ocean’s motion. 33. McCallum – our favourite working outport, McCallum is a classic Newfoundland village with no roads, neatly kept yards and houses, charming people and inspirational scenery. Harbour Supervisor Terry Macdonald can almost always make room for visitors at the Government Wharf and often at his home for a meal ... if you strike him as a likeable sort! 34. Hare Bay and Morgan’s Arm – our favourite fjord. It’s nearly six miles up to Morgan’s Arm waterfall – be sure to go in far enough to find these most spectacular falls, but don’t attempt the little cove at its foot (unless you draw less than an outboard engine). You can easily explore the falls’ perimeter on foot, or even hike to the top of nearby mountains. We usually move to anchor for the night behind Sandy Point, where the water is more than 20ft deep despite what the chart says. 35. Rencontre West – another favourite fjord and abandoned outport village, and again the scenery is awesome. A great lunch stop – the anchorages, other than off the beach in the westerly corner, are a little dicey for overnight. 36. Francois – another not-to-be-missed active outport town, with delightful people and fabulous walks, hikes and views from the hills above. 37. Grey River – yet another favourite fjord, with lots of choice for good anchorages. We usually pick the northwest arm where the holding is good, the scenery magnificent, and options abound for hikes into the hills or up the river. 38. Burgeo – attractive town with good services and the option to tie up or anchor out. 39. La Poile – we’re fond of this town, which has nice folk and a small store. The old government wharf on the south side of the harbour is still serviceable and offers a quiet, secure spot to tie up. 40. Port aux Basques – while not a scenic town, Port aux Basques has a lot to offer given its status as home to the giant ferries crossing to Nova Scotia. There always seems to be room for yachts at the big government wharves, and the rates are reasonable for dockage, power, water and fuel (by truck). The big supermarket is a healthy hike or short cab ride away, but the smaller food stores near the wharves have most essential groceries. One of the best features of the town is the kiosks near the wharves. On most evenings during the summer the town arranges local entertainment – normally good, foot-stompin’ music. From Port aux Basques it is a reasonable day trip across the Cabot Strait to Dingwall or Ingonish on the Cape Breton shore, or even into the Bras d’Or Channel if the current is in your favour. We prefer Ingonish for its well-buoyed, deep entry and choice of several beautiful, secure anchorages. Conclusion Bluewater crossed her outbound track outside Ingonish, completing a relaxed circumnavigation in a little more than eight weeks. While we kept moving most days, we rarely had to stay in port for stormy weather or fog. However, we did use the iron genoa about 70% of the time – usually to motor-sail at speeds that allowed us to make a healthy distance each day. It was a fabulous trip on almost every dimension, and we would encourage those who want to ‘see it all’ to undertake a circumnavigation. The only downside is that you will then want to return to see all that you missed... |
