Our summer adventure is almost complete, Phanty sits ashore as we build a cradle and prepare for the long winter ahead. Thanks Keith and everyone a Bay of Islands Yacht Club for your expert assistance with many difficult tasks as well as your excellent hospitality.
Lark Harbour
After charging up our batteries and supplies in Corner Brook we took 10 days to explore the Bay of Islands, a fantastic day sailing in light off wind conditions brought us 30 miles to Goose Arm and it’s North West Cove anchorage.
The cove I think could rightly be called a hurricane hole, thick black mud covers the bottom and bobbing at anchor we listened to forecasts of 30 knots for locations only miles away. Look for the tiny white object in the lower right, that’s Phanty.
We must have hiked 30 km over the 6 days we were anchored in Goose Arm, climbed then descended 1000 meters into the spruce, balsam fir, tamarack and birch covered hills. At the head of the arm a fast flowing, clear and cool river filled with salmon and trout empties.
From Goose we sailed back out to the Bay of Islands, passing west of Woods Islands, Vesuvius and Man of War shoals, with 25 knots on the starboard beam to enter beautiful Lark Harbour. Anchoring in the back harbour, although not recommended, due to possibly strong south westerly and katabatic winds, worked out fine, we laid out both our CQR 45 then CQR 35, on 200 feet of chain, but the wind never got above 10-15 knots.
From there it’s a short trip ashore to explore the town, lunch at Marlaine’s “Tide Watcher Cafe” can’t be missed as well as hiking in “Blow Me Down” Provincal Park across the bay. We spent a final day walking 3 km across to Little Port to admire there rows of bright orange Little Port Dories.
Jayne stopped to paint a view of the bog and cliffs and made a fine new friend in Mr Sheppard who regaled us with a tale of ghost dories at dawn and how in the old days the snow banks were so high you could touch the power lines and ice flows 30 feet thick would trap ships trying to enter Corner Brook for weeks at a time. He said he had fished for 40 years and hated every minute of it.
We wished him gales of wind and lots of snow before departing for a final sail down Humber Arm and back to The Bay Of Islands Yacht Club, which we’ve now joined as full members.
Goose Arm, Lark Harbour, Little Port, Haul Out
sounds like you had great winds and made good use of your skill sailing to goose bay and that you anchored in the back harbour at lark harbour well prepared for wind – i’m glad it was pretty calm. the hike above goose arm must have been strenuous! wonderful pictures of all the beautiful places you’ve been recently :-).
Lovely photos! I look forward to seeing Jayne’s watercolours of Newfoundland.
Hi Lorna
I’m thinking of getting a number made into giclee prints on watercolour paper since the paintings themselves are only postcard or slightly larger.
thanks for the note! Jayne
Great idea! I really like what you have there so far.
I believe there is where the nearest to the sky…