There is magic in the early morning light. We were off the dock around 5 am and out beyond the harbor as the sun began to light the clouds that were edging the hills. Finally we had a clear and beautiful day without fog. We rounded the island and turned south to cross Belle Isle strait. Oh, and I am making the trip with Max on his boat, Sugar.
Max handed me the helm just after he pulled away from the dock. It’s an easy power boat to operate. The auto pilot isn’t totally reliable. It sometimes veers off course but I was happy to hand steer.
The big rolling seas that we have experienced in the past few days have finally laid down. As we made our way south we had a nice push from the tide and a following sea. It was a perfect morning to do a crossing. We even saw a little iceberg floating next to Belle Isle.
Having sun and visibility makes it possible to enjoy the land and the sea life. There are swooping gulls riding the wind currents as well as puffins who are look like little flapping footballs flying close to the water. We have seen dolphins in the past few days and there was a whale or 2 on the trip across Belle Isle strait going to Labrador. We will certainly see more whales as we move down the coast of Newfoundland.
As we approached the tip of land that begins the Newfoundland coast, we had a display by numerous whales spouting nearby and in the distance. Then the dolphins appeared just after the whales dove down out of sight. The sea was dead calm so the display was easy to see. Max also narrated stories of the islands and pointed out a shipwreck. Great entertainment for a long day at sea.
We got into St Anthony and tied up around 1:30 pm. Mia wanted you to see L’Anse aux meadows so Tony took us there and I went along for a second look. It was interesting to hear a different person tell the story. Then we had a long afternoon of stories about family and friends which was a bit much. Everyone here knows everyone and they are all related in some way. I know none of them. Oh well…
We are off to dinner and then to bed. Fabulous cod as usual.
The Adventures of Anne 