Aug 142015
 
Hike to Brimstone Head - Fogo Island Newfoundland

Jayne and Mike hike to Brimstone Head – Fogo Island Newfoundland

We have been too busy this “Newfoundland Circle” to update our web site as much as we would like, since my last entry at Change Islands we have been sailing, hiking, painting, photographing and explored the harbours of Fogo, Seldom, Lumsden, Bonavista and Port Union/Catalina. We’re sort of stuck, by bad weather, in Port Union, and will see tomorrow morning if we can get out and across Trinity Bay. A significant south west wind has been blowing for a few days, kicking up 2-3 meter waves, and of course we want to sail south west.

This has been a fantastic route to sail, the entrance to Fogo Harbour is magnificent, tall headlands surround a keyhole entrance, and of course the dock is near the fishing harbour at the centre of town. We hiked both Fogo Head and Brimstone Head trails, dashing from a thunderstorm once on Brimstone’s summit.

From Fogo a short sail to Seldom, landing in the middle of a thunderstorm. They have a great F.U., Fisherman’s Union museum, complete with original cod liver oil vats of great volume with some oil still dripping out on occasion.

Lumsden’s compact harbour proved very welcoming and adjacent to 10 miles of gray sand beach, friendly horses and much cod brought on the dock for the “food fishery”. Lady Easton came in close astern as Jayne pondered their high bow from Phantasia’s cockpit.

Bonavista must be one of the prettiest places in Canada and the closest to Ireland, in distance and perhaps culturally too. A short animation sequnce shows our landing under sunny skys in 25C. At Bonavista’s floating dock we met some fine sailors from Holyrood near St John’s, together we enjoyed dinner and a great evening of music by Matthew Byrne at the Garrick Theatre Annex.

Wind and waves forced us into wonderful Port Union, an unexpected gem of a harbour, and an unexpected chance to explore Sir William Ford Coaker’s Factory, the birthplace of the F.P.U. – Fisherman’s Protective Union. It’s complete with an incredible collections of circa 1900 wood working machines and a working printing press from the same period. Also note the beautiful and quite rare ships chronometer.

We’re just listening to the wind generator on Phanty’s stern whirring and thinking we may be taking another day to explore Port Union and nearby Catalina.

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Mike

14-Aug-2015 – Port Union, Newfoundland

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