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Morvenna 2023
  • Austen Davies
  • Claire Davies
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  • Austen Davies
  • Claire Davies

Morvenna 2023

First year of our sailing trip in our Ovni 435 Morvenna. Looking forward to some great adventures with Rob and Gretel Shaw Leia mais
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    Morvenna 2023

    Williamsport

    4–5 de set., Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    On our leisurely schedule, we make a short bumble down the coast. To a small fjord with little or no information to guide us. As usual there is likely to be a small abandoned settlement in the northerly inlet. But the rest off the fjord is a bit of a mystery. A simple and obvious route in following the deep water down the centre. Then hook right as the settlement of Williams port comes into view , that little inlet is a rock garden of giant boulders in shallow water. This sort of terrain is caused by a Glacier carrying large rocks towards the sea and also pushing fine sediment beneath itself. When the glacier melts the boulders are left on the sediment. Im sure its wasn’t trying to make anchoring tricky. We have to anchor in about 5 metres in the entrance to the bay. Rather than getting into better protection. Once settled elevenses is the main focus. Followed by heading to what looks like a rusty factory. Half way down the steep bay. We motor down about a mile and it becomes obvious the rusty hulks are in fact a decaying whaling station. And the closer we get the bigger it becomes. This place was clearly a megga. Wale processing machine multiple whale per day being dis membered and rendered in Vats. It’s Erie to see this place being slowly absorbed by the undergrowth. The setting is beautiful with a trouty stream supplying water to the process. As we push our way through the long grass which is punctuated with Naily wooden beams there is a continuous hatch of thousand of butterflies which scatter with every step, this goes on all day in all the places we visit. Still don’t know what type of butterflies they are. Are an extended investigation a photo opportunity. We head down the bay to scout the. River fishing possibilities. All a bit much for Mr T he has a nap while i walk the river looking for signs of fish.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023
    1

    Hooping harbour Paradise

    3–4 de set., Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Beautiful day, and enough time to explore some out of the mini fjords. On the est of the headlandFirst stop Hooping harbour. A hidden entrance and a hidden gem. It’s a deep fjord, not that big,but looks like the day the glacier left, apart from a couple of fishing cabins. On the right a pristine river enters full of trout and salmon and Im guessing very attractive to bears in the season. There are several whales cruising and fishing in the middle often very near to us. We notice we are parting a cloud of Mackerel the size of 2 football pitches as we nearer the head of the bay. It’s still deep and our anchor wont work in this sandy bottomed terminal moraine. Luckily for us there’s a wrotten old rope attached to a 200 ton block we can put our trust in (apparently the SAR boat sometimes uses it). We could have reached over and grabbed the mackerel. But that would be like competing with the otters and seals which fill this end of the bay. So one drop with the feathers fills the breakfast pan and some sizzling butter and pepper does the trick. A sunny a day and an explore on shore before lunch. It feels like a mini u touched paradise. An afternoon plan is hatched to take the Dinghy 2 miles up fjord to explore and maybe fish up the river. Its all to good to be true.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Engles

    1–2 de set., Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Early start, although 24 hours late. Not sure how far we go today so we have several destinations dialled in and are happy with all. No wild weather but mostly not in the right direction but we still managed to cover 50 miles and end up at the first small town on a proper road. Engles is a super well protected and i would be happy here in a big blow, even some rough and ready lifting ability if required. I suspect quite a religious town. Many churches but also some great trails. Probably never return but quite a pretty spotLeia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    St Anthonys and the Shetlanders

    30 de ago.–1 de set., Canadá ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    A Nice little day sail south less than 20 miles try to catch a cod on the way (failed) and the second time into St Anthonys much easier conditions
    Drop the anchor in our favourite spot next to the supermarket and near the small dock that get you to the pub quickly.

    There is already a nice 50 footer, aluminium. Van de stadt big rig beauty, anchored nearby. And they popped over to see us and make a plan for a meeting up and some drinking I expect. Well. Alistair and his crew were very welcoming and very heavy handed with the drink pouring. While Tarquin was talking music with the younger crew I was getting extremely drunk. I did work out before my brain was turned to blomonge, that Alistare was from Shetland and knew Fred our fishing/composite engineer friend from Lerwick we met earlier in our trip. Long story short. I keeled over in the cockpit and was very sick and was escorted home by Tarquin in the Dinghy Tarquin was drunk enough he went the wrong way in the dark for a while luckily we escaped another Darwin test. Our bright and early start planned for the following day was now cancelled and we watched Alistair sail out of the harbour about 10 am, I could barely lift my head it took til about 4pm before I could hold a conversation. Tomorrow is another day.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Quirpon

    29 de agosto, Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Quirpon is a shallow Chanel of water that cuts the tip of Newfoundland off and makes it an island. Bit of a wriggle to get in on the east side but it is protected by a low hanging electrical cable about 20 metres from the water. And our mast is about 19.5 plus an aerial. Tarquin kinda volunteers to go up to the top of the mast, as we are sailing towards it to make sure we are clearing it. He looks a lot less confident as we get close, and I start to worry we might get an entry in the Darwin awards.
    Luckily all went well, if only by a smidge and Tarquin will get to breed. Top spot plenty of walks and great views even a few whales in the bay. One comes up next to the boat as we sup our first tinny and surprises us with a big blow. To moorow shopping in St Anthony’s (again)    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Battle Harbour

    26 de agosto, Canadá ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Well battle harbour is a tourist destination. And we haven’t done touristy for a bit. There is rumour of hot showers and chef cooked food. We must deserve a treat, we haven’t spent hardly a bean for weeks so it’s time for a blow out.
    We missed Battle harbour while heading north, basically we got blown north and turning left was tricky. What is amazing is that the 50 or so fishing schooners which use to work from here did it all under sail. No motor. Clearly we are not trying hard enough. This is a small island settlement which appeared to service the growing Cod industry of the 1800s. The town was abandon many years ago but has now been lovingly restored and offerers a restaurant, holiday stays and a fully authentic tour of the cod salting, processing and shipping all in original buildings. Really much more interesting than I would have expected. We stayed 2 nights and ate in the restaurant the first night and drunk in the sail loft bar. 2 other sail boats came in while we were there one was a 30 footer skippered by Jonathon a 60 ish builder from Maine, we had a fair bit in common. He had 5 people on this tiny boat, who were all happy it appeared. They had been as far as Baffinn Island. Proper adventurous and t wasn’t his first time and he had yarns to prove it. On the second morning we left early as we were heading back south to Newfoundland across the straights of Belle Isle. No guessing where the cod fisherman came from. The sun rise was spectacular. Only to be surpassed by the pod of Orca that cruised and fed with us for a while. What could be better. Full belly great weather and wildlife, Tarquin even smelt better. Next stop Quirpon down south in Nufndlnd    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    The big hop south

    22–24 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    The wind is still howling but rumour has it the se is died down. Time to get our act together. We have our final evening with Claire and Richie, who send us off with some bottled seal meat as a gift. They live in a shack they built themselves, no running water, and pretty basic. But they are happier than most I have met and generous too. Look forward to catching up with them again. We have 12 miles to get prepared for what the big sea might have in store for us. After battling the current for a bit the wind fills in from behind the island and we are committed 60 miles to punch bowl today and another 55 tomorrow to seal our friends in Williams Harbour.
    Top sail both days and the right decision to go. We end up staying in Williams harbour 2 nights drinking and messy about with Mallory and Cliff. They come in from a days fishing fall out of there wet wheather gear and turn up with drinks food and music. Top fun. You wont find people kinder or better at entertaining anywhere. This town only has 4 people in it today we make 6.
    Shame to go but we have a short upwind leg to the famous Battle harbour.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    2 day blast to Cartwright

    17–22 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    Well the wind is on its way and the plan is a big blast south with a quick overnight behind an island the first day is quite short 50 miles to a Tickle behind Webeck island we have a solid 30kts all the way and Im worried the island wont have enough protection for a bit of rest. Luckily I’m wrong. We arrive with an hour of light left. Anchorage buries nicely, cold beers and dinner watching the sun go down in perfect pocket of swell free lee. Very early start tomorrow the wind will be building all day. And our first leg to Cape Harrison is swelly and beam on which is a bit risky bit if anything goes wrong. Still 30kts outside we sneak through the gap in the islands and into the swell. 2 reefs in and punching the engine to get to open water. Next problem is to reach the cape beam on. Once round we bae away and any curing at 8 knots. This is a tricky passage through half a dozen narrow offshore rocky tickles if it goes well we will reach the big island outside Cartwright before dark. 103 nm away the waves are big the wind is strong but the sun make it feel less intimidating. Wind tops out at 38 for the day and we squeeze through the gap at the end of Huntington Island 20 minutes after the sun goes down. We are in the home straight, but it’s another 12 miles in this channel. But the swell has gone and the wind is controllable. Time for some tea and cake for the last 2 hours.
    It’s not long before We cat tech up with Claire and Richie and they keep us entertained for what turns out to be a 5 day stop over for the storm to pass. The fisherman tel us the sea is as big as they have seen and that is enough motivation not to chance our arm out in the big see.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Makkovik 40C

    15–16 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    Trying to go to different places as we head south and Makkovik has some supplies available, beer, water, not necessarily in that order. When we arrived the wind dropped the the temperature sores. Once the chores were done. The local kids came to get us to do diving off the dock with them. Top fun and absolutely what the doctor ordered. I was forced to compete with Tarquin on dives. Hadn’t done a backflip in years and that sealed the the competition. Top evening with cold beers,early start tommorow the wind is getting up in the morning in the wright direction.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023
    11

    Roses Island Camp out

    13–14 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Now we are heading south again. We are trying to find new places to anchor each evening. And today is a beutiful Island sail ending in Rose Island which has a small tight cove a river to trout fishing and an abandoned ice fishing hut with rusty wood burner on the rubbish heap outside. Could not resist getting a fire going and cooking tea on it, it also kept the flies away too. It more than 30c here today and tommorow is forecast 40c. The world has gone mad.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023
    1

    Shoal tickle

    9–11 de ago., Canadá ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We awake with thick heads again, and decide on a late start short hop to shoal tickle via windy tickle. This is a meandering route through the islands that follows a winter sea ice skiddo route. About 25 miles in total, and enough time to clear our heads and concentrate on the complicated route. windy Tickle has reputation for being, well windy. But fickle too, and I’m a bit wary as we head into its narrow entrance with 25kts behind us and us doing a bit under 8. Bit of last minute sail reduction and we cruise through as near to being under control as we ever are. Where we plan to anchor is a bay just before the entrance to shoal tickle. As we see the entrance to the bay open before us we realise this little know little used anchorage is epic. Surrounded by mountains on all 4 sides. And the scanty info says good holding for the anchor. Which always helps me sleep. We set the anchor in about 8 metres at about 4pm. The sky is blue so it’s time to tidy up and climb one of these big lumps before tea time. It’s a bit tricky to decide on a place to land and we make one failed attempt before finding a good spot which will allow us to climb the hill. The first area of meadow reminds us of the bear activity as we stumble across a nice fresh berry filled bear poo. Anyway onward and upward. The view from the top must be amazing. We find a dog skull probably a Kayote and Tarquin wriggles a tooth out of the skull. Probably to make jewellery to complete his Viking Pirate look. The view from the top is breath taking and we sit for quite a while and watch the sun go down. Really amazing isolation.
    Unfortunately as soon as the sun hit the horizon the flies forgot we wanted to be alone and absolutely swarmed. The hour down the hill was horrendous. Breathing in flies and being bitten as fast as you could swat the clouds of flies away. Totally claustrophobic situation even the speed of our small boat wasn’t even fast enough to shake them off. Boat doors and windows sealed and swat a few intruders and we are safe at last.
    Next day there weather is could it the forecast has changed and there’s a proper depression about to pass over us which didn’t exist the day before. Doesn’t look like we are going anywhere and put out some more chain as the wind will be coming down the bay and forcing us into the shallows if the anchor doesn’t grip. After a very wind noisy night we up anchor as soon as the wind lulls and head back to Hopedale to catch up up with Clause and Katrin before they do a big hop north. To Tongan national park, home of the polar bears.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Hopedale

    7–10 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    next stop is Hopedale which is a quickly becoming the centre of Innu and Inuit politics.600 ish residents. It’s a totally different culture to the fishing communities in the south of Labradore. I get the feeling this is very much Inuit and we are very much guests. And the pup is going to be the centre of town. The 30 mile sail in is in totally flat water and 12 knots of breeze upwind most of the way. 25c tee shirts shorts and a thousand island to meander through. Couldn’t be easier.

    2 late nights in town. Doing our best drunken talking S H one TEE. By the end of the night we know half of town and will be needling a lay in.
    Our new friends bring gifts for us. (A bit earlier than we are expecting) Ian gives us 2 Char which are for all intense and purposes a salmon. And Harry pops by with a bag of smelt some home made jam and a jar of pickled Beetroote. We thought if had be initially not that warm a welcome but after a bit of warming up all was good. Today Franks supermarket for food and some filling of fuel jerry cans are on our short job list . As tommorow after another big night out we are heading to Naine . Probably as far north we are going to go.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Mugfords blind tickle

    5–6 de ago., Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We are heading to Hopedale. But there’s still plenty of ice around and we want to only sail in daylight where possible. Mugfords blind tickle is half way ish and will protect us from the predicted northerly winds. As always the description is vague and we will arrive as it begins to get dark. Absolutely unique and empty sail through the hundreds of island, we even stop to try and catch some fishy tea. Seems our early fishing luck has left us. No worries fridge still has plenty and it’s a beutiful day. Standard last hour of the day 25knot straight from where we want to go. So motor sail at the target. This is a bleak rock with a crack in it for us to hide. It offers a tiny pocket of lee from the sea and almost no lee from the wind. Anchour grabs and we are surrounded by rock only 2 boat lengths away in 3 directions. What could go wrong. I think I might sleep light tonight.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Tuchialic Bay with some luck

    3–5 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    This is a 60nm run to an anchoring hole, before a big blow comes. We will crosses several uncharted areas, this means we are guessing the bottom and keeping a very strong eye out fr rocks and bergs. The day starts well, up earlier than normal, and we sail off the anchor and slide silently out between the island channels, a few dolphins a few small bergs bits and still blue sky. The world is feeling very isolated up here. But our little boat is definitely doing a good job of keeping us safe and sleeping well. The day goes well but we are on a tight schedule to arrive before dark, in what is, as always, a strange anchorage. We experience winds up to 35knots and as low as zero. We are behind schedule and resign ourselves to arriving in the dark. After rounding Jigger island and final headland un named and un charted. We are head to wind to make our coarse. The wind has already changed and is definitely about to settle in for a storm. It is more than 25knots and the only way to make progress for the last 10 miles is to motor sail, this is a good opportunity to cook tea. The bay is without detail until we get to bear island and the entrance to to small bay. We set off on port tack and decide to tack and make our entrance along the small charted area near to bear island. All seems very sensible. Tea finished, the wind has got up some more and darkness is here. The surrounding area is all mountain and the feeling in the dark is quite ominous. These simple things make me think it would be best to tack and get under the mountains for the run in and one final tack into the bay. GPS radar all doing overtime. We tack close in and punch along the coast under a big bark shadow of the mountain eventually we are able to tack into the narrow entrance to the bay, hopefully keeping the dry wreck on or port side. Our engine would not be able to punch against these conditions so this is a sailing exersize .
    The wind is funnelling out and across the bay, the moon is now behind a cloud and it is totally dark. Our whole plan is based on a paragraph written in a guide book and look at the chart. Seems a bit flimsy at this moment. I have earmarked a spot to anchor and I’m praying the anchor grabs first time. Tarquin heads to the foredeck in his life jacket clipped on and very secure. It would be some mission to do a single handed man overboard in these conditions. In essence we sail into the anchor position 8metres deep and hoping for a muddy grab as the the boat peels off i the wind after the drop. We put out 30 metres to start. Boom it’s a great grab and we let out a further 30 metres the wind is definitely coming. Boat lights on we have a tidy up in the whistling wind then inside for a b ever before bed. Tarquin party shot before bed, wow that was stressful. Over night the wind stays steady at 35kts with some gusts over an 40. The trusty Rocna is buried and does not move an inch. The next day the wind howls all day and we are stuck indoors reading and cooking a roast dinner. Normal sailors life.

    On the second day morning it’s time to leave and head north again. There is a nasty surprise awaiting. It’s clear and blue with a nice breeze. I set a coarse up through the narrow charted area next to bear island. We are flying along at 7 knots i decide to scan the path ahead with binoculars. It’s a perfect sailing day and what could go wrong. Well the route we are on has a totally dry uncharted reef in the charted area it is 1 metre out of the water and runs half a mile straight out to sea. Quick change of plan and we do a 5 mile detour. Had we carried on with that plan of entry the night before, we would not have seen it and would have hit the rocks in the dark. A good reminder of how bad the surveys here are. Luck again.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023
    1

    Ice Tickle

    2–3 de ago., Canadá ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    Ice tickle is a dodgy looking anchorage about 50 miles from Cartwright. It’s nestled between a couple of island but has good mud for the anchour if the weather changes. This is a beautiful passage through yet more islands and across the entrance of Melville lake and goose bay. En route we see more than 20 icebergs and i am reduced to taking photos of weather. We arrive at the anchorage with the last light of the day fading into darkness. Big day done today. We are now properly into Inuit territory a good nights sleep and a big day tommorow as the northerly winds are on there way.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Cartwright

    1–2 de ago., Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Cartwright is a small town tucked in out of the weather, it is the first place we see significant innu and Inuit influence. As we pull in we see another yacht already there. Other yachts 3 nights on the trot seems impossible. We have sailed in all of the way from Indian tickle and try our best to sail all the way to the dock. Defeated by lack of wind and some dodgy depth soundings we drop the sails and motor over to the dock. It is a German boat again call Flintholm and they off to take our lines, Claus and Katrin super friendly live aboard sailors in there 60s. We grab a shower and have a couple of beers in the local pub. Absolutely zero atmosphere. Then early night. Cartwright has some limited restocking opportunities. So we stock the food top up the propane and load the beer and wine. We get to know Claus and Katrina’s sailing stories and we invite them for supper on our boat. Current signature dish is roast Salmon (fresh caught) and roast vegetables. Salmon perfect veggie crunchie.
    We stay one more night waiting for the weather, to go from no wind to some wind. Tarquin takes the opotunity to go for a long walk while i catch up on paperwork. 3 hours later he returns with a 25 year old Inuit girl and she stay for beers and looks through our photo and picks out her families sheds and fishing spots and we even have met some of her family in other harbours. It’s more like Cornwall than you might think. She lives with her boyfriend in Pinsents arm a pretty remote cove near charlotte town. Top girl with top stories with the most unlikely name of Claire Sainsbury’s. I think Tarquin is in love as we leave to go north.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Eagle cove

    27–28 de jul., Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Heading north, our intention is to take the inside routes where possible and squasho run is recommended by our new fish friend Cliff from Williams Harbour. It a bit too far to go in one hit and we find eagle cove on the chart just at the entrance to the Run. It’s a good sailing day but as usual tainted with some fog as we head off shore on a starboard gybe. Our next job is to Gybe back into the channel south of stones island. We have 4 icebergs between us and the land all leaving a trail of growlers, we are so busy/ relaxed looking for the gybe point we almost don’t notice a 70 foot high 200 foot long that is hidden behind our Genoa. We get within 400 metres before we notice it. How can that happen. We choose our gybe spot and it is a bit beyond the lay line by the time we have taken a good look at our new iceberg intruder. We have a comfortable broad reach through the bergs and bergs bits on the way to the channel. Ice is definitely becoming normalised in our days, but we must be careful not to be casual. As we past through the first channel there are seals, some atlantic dolphins and scattered puffins as usual. Mustn’t take this kind of wilderness for granted.. 3 hours later after weaving through the island the cove entrance is there and we slide into this perfectly still lake of water. All we have to do now is find a good spot to set the hook. The only spot shallow enough has limited swing room. And the forecast is for the wind to swing 180 in the next 12 hours, not strong but enough to make sleeping a worry. We climb the the hill and wall the ridge and can see for miles in every direction. Not a sole or hint of humans in any direction. When we return from the first walk we reverse the boat into the hitch against the anchor and throw some lines ashore. Just to make sure a good night sleep is had.Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Square island harbour

    26–27 de jul., Canadá ⋅ 🌫 9 °C

    We leave Charlotte town a bit late in the day, so we carry some tide through the narrows. But its raining and the wind is in the wrong direction and when the open sea is ahead of us we are overtaken by our shrimp boat friend on there way to a 5 day trip 90 miles offshore. (Northern Prowler) WE give them a wave and decide to find a hide hole for anchoring up for the night. There is another little deep harbour area just between some island and we set a coarse through the first “tickle”. AS it comes into sight it is an abandoned fishing town with various levels of tumble down building around it. As is becoming normal the last few island en route to the settlement have free roaming sled doggos on them and they always rush to the side we are passing to investigate. The harbour is deep and anchoring is going to be tricky. There is a building almost falling to the harbour but it has a run down wharf also. We have no idea how deep it is or how stable it is but we give it a go. Super slow we ease in. Rocks everywhere but none to bother us, with our keel up. We are tide on but hope the roof of the building does fall on us.
    A local fisherman of Inuit decent helps us tie up and stays for a chat. And tells us the history of the towns demise, and how some people and the cod are now coming back. Time to meet the other coals and take some photos before the Flys get a grip of the atmosphere.

    I walk round the back of the sheds and small abodes to reach the hub of the community which is 3 guys Called Cambell (very proud of ther Scottish heritage) fixing there dock. I get invited into the boat shed for a tour of what has been the family business premises for 100 years and father camber explains where the fish are landed and the hole in the floor where the fish guts are dropped. The flies are murderous during the conversation and I’m told they are the wort ever. The winters are no longer as long or as cold up here and things are changing super fast. More flies survive the winter, commuting from comity to comity can no longer be bee done reliable on see ice. Recreation like dog sledding and skiddo are getting very tricky. These guys are at the sharp end of climate change. A always I leave the conversation with a “feed” this time its 2 Very large Mackerel. And 4 Salmon Fillets. It’s hard to explain how neighbourly these guys are.    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Charlottetown

    25–26 de jul., Canadá ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    For some reason no photos here. But we managed to sail the boat the whole way in through the various narrows and and doglegs, sometimes reaching over 7 knots it was a fun sail. And we cooked Welch’s (sea snails) en route that were given to us by Cliff Russel. They were surprising good. Charlotte town is a desperate stop off and by all accounts our last place to get fuel water and food for some time. The Powell family run the shop and fuel and most other stuff. They are all super helpful and young Mr Powell about 70 ish delivers us in his truck with fuel and shopping. Mr Powell senior, Ben Powell lived a tappers life in the bay and got the community started and built the school to hold a comunity there he wrote 20 books about the life out in these parts and its worth finding one if you want to understand frontier life. The local shrimp boat captain (not Mr Gump) invited us on board to see his boat and the new engine he had installed. Was quite an eye openerLeia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023
    1
    11

    North to Williums Harbour

    20–23 de jul., Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Storm has gone through, so there’s a little chance to head north with a solid wind behind us. Our plan it to up and gone by 8am but it takes 30 mins to unravel the 2 anchorage set up we are trying. 830 through the “Tickle” and out into open water once more. The iceberg that was in the entrance as we arrive has now broken up and been blown across the bay. Altogether much smaller. Ever cautious here we go for 2 reefs straight off. Which turns out to be the right descision we have a solid 25kts with gusts over 30 right behind us and we are flying along. Couple of gybes a bank of fog and some breakfast and the world is looking rosie. This is a 50 mile day and we have rolled off the. First 25 in just a few hours. As usual the weather doesn’t last long here and we are into a flat calm. Luckily for us a big berg has run aground near the shore, and it’s big. The biggest we have seen. It’s about 6 miles away but not far off track so no brainier to go take a look. As we get close its is obvious it is surrounded by little growlers. But it’s calm and clear so navigate between them for the best view. Absolutely stunning and never gets old.after a couple of spins round the beast we head toward Williams harbour and I prepare our evening meal on route. Timing must have been perfect as we are all finished eating as the harbour entrance comes into view. Williams Harbour is what is known as a resettle community. This means it used to be a thriving fishing town probably back in the 80’s but when fishing dried up the Government no longer wanted to provided services to these remote places. The services would be schools power sewage water ferry connection medical. So what happens the Government offers each householder 250k to be re settled and then the community no longer gets services. The community voted and they took the 250k. But they are all allowed to keep there homes but now if they want to live there they have to provide all of there needs themselves. It is now a summer only community of 50 ish people down from 500 in its hayday and when we arrive there are only 4. Cliff Gallagher takes our lines and welcomes us and the yarn telling begins. Barely tie the boat on and we are in the cockpit drinking beer and finding out what’s what. With the history Clif is 54 and born and bread here runs the fishing boat and winters in Goose bay. Then 2 more show up to the cockpit barring gifts. 1 whole salmon. 1 half pound bag of scallops “fresh”,some home blackberry smoked salmon fillets and 2 new utility knives. It was like Christmas and would have been vey boozy if the mosquito Luftwaffe hadn’t moved in. These people are so kind and so neighbourly couldn’t be more helpful.

    We will have to wait here a few days while a big northerly storm moves through. And that brings colder temperatures. Walking, Eating catching up on paperwork all on the cards for the next few days
    We both do the strenuous walk out to the headland and see so many icebergs passing by, a good reminder that we are in te 16 berg square and to be on our game tomorrow when the wind abaits    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    Labradore hop

    17–20 de jul., Canadá ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Well its time to commit to the next big step 50 nm door to door sail from Newfoundland to Labradore, it not that longer sail but if you had to drive around it would be more than 3000km and 2 ferry rides. St Anthonys is the last proper civilisation for a long time and fuel water and food become proper consideration . An early start a low wind flat water means that Tarquin challenge of navigating the old fashion way with charts compass and DR have a sporting chance of having success. Good to see him getting to grips with all the principles. We checked the ice chart and the square we are passing through has 16 icebergs in it today. Some drifting some have run aground but who knows where. When the fog comes in the radar is your only eyes. Its a good sailing day vis is in and out but we make good progress and chateau Bay, the entrance to Henry Harbour is in site about 5pm its pretty foggy as we slide in and Tarquin continues to navigate with DR and Radar. Really good effort for first time. We are a little un nerved by berg come into view in the foggy entrance. Run aground on the port side. There are a couple of recognised anchoring spots in this array of island and pools, but we or should I say I think it’s a good idea to try and anchor down near the river 3 miles away. After 4 attempts we give up and motor back to Henley Harbour. And bury the hook there before the southerly gale we are expecting turns up. Top spot. Except we haven’t left enough swing room and the wind is veering. We move the anchor just one more time before dark.

    Next day it really windy but decide on a hill climb scrable to get a good photo, followed by a beach bonfire. All a total success and a good way to spend storm days. What is real obvious about Labrador is there really is no one here and we have entered genuine frontier land. We wander round the beach area where we are and find the graves of the previous family who lived and perished here “the stone family” her though the 1800’s the rock of there boat and small shack are still here along its graves of at leats 5 family members one was 85 when he died and lived on those shores for 70. One was his 13 year old son.

    Sausages on the fire and the permanent smell of smoke in our clothes. We will be heading north Tommorow again    Leia mais

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  • Morvenna 2023

    St Anthony’s

    16 de julho, Canadá ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    We get up early in St Julians, we consider sailing off the anchor but it is just too tight and the wind is funnelling. The early start is so we get into St Anthonys in time for shopping and hopefully a beer. As we go north the weather is becoming more and more un predictable and changes with a moments notice. We leave in 25 knots,south. perfect for down wind day before long it 2 knots then fog then as we arrive there is 30knts funnelling it of the harbour entrance and there s no way our engine will motor upwind against 30knts we get rid of the Genoa and have to sail, tacking under the main all the way to a sensible anchoring spot, as you might guess this was pretty stressful at the end of the day and Tarquin and I had to operate as a team, we did and it was reassuring . As soon as the anchour hit the bottom the end died . We opened a beer as we were too late for the shop. As always we decided to take this opportunity to fill the fuel tans and took our jerry cans ashore and go looking for a petrol station. It wasn’t long before a lift arrived. And drove us up the road to get the fuel and dropped us back at the quay. Luckily he pointed out all the bars en route. We filled the tanks and went to discover which bar was the best.
    on the way back from the bar, we met a guy flying his drone he sent us a beautiful pic. Luckily you cant smell the fish plant as we can,    Leia mais

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