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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 Read more
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  • Morvenna 2023

    St Julians (rocky stop off)

    Jul 15–16 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    50NM day with icebergs, good day to nail down Tarquins navigational education. I think he’s getting it. The anchorage is just off the main route and tucked into a rocky crack. Goody muddy bottom and the anchorage give some confidants as the wind gets to 30kts while we watch the Caribou wonder past on the bank including a this years baby, very cute. Good nights sleep although not much swing room.Read more

  • Morvenna 2023
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    Great Harbour Deep

    Jul 13–14 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    It’s still 30C and is forecast to stay that way all day, which will mean no wind. We swap details and say goodbye to Hansel and Gretel (I forgot there names already). They are heading to Labradore too so it will be embarrassing later. When we inevitably bump into them. We manage to motor sail which makes the trip less painful. Whale and dolphins are back on the daily agenda and that never gets old. Deep harbour is chosen because its not to far to motor and our Ovni Mates from La scie said it was pretty, they were right. It also had promises of a pretty trout stream at the head. Not disappointed. We wriggle our way through the NE arm. Over the bar and into what feels like a still pond. The sun has 2 or 3 hours left in it and We get the dinghy in sharpish so we can go and investigate the river, and the fishing potential. Pretty and isolated wilderness river, it’s what us fly fishers dream of. Tarquin even gets a Lesson. Which includes him burying a stone fly in my leg while I take a photo. Im not cross, I rember catching my own dog duffle while learning in Scotland many years ago.Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    La Scie

    Jul 11–13 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    This place was billed as having french influence and we were expecting wine cheese and crispy bread you have to get up early for. Wrong. I think other boats had been fooled too. It was like an aluminium boat convention. A 49 Ovni (yanks) a 47 Boreal (Fritz) and a Van De Statt 50 (Ruskies) luckily they all speak perfect English. Well the yanks tried their best. We hear there is music on the following evening, Saturday. Tarquin keen to get involved so we decide to stay an extra night and do some drinking with our new boats friend.
    We spend Saturday climbing a big hill and descending to a beach. A swim is on the cards as it is 30C. The dip was quick the water was 7C. We retire to the cafe for a cold one. And to book a seat for music night. We see our German friends doing the same.
    Music night is not as expected. As we turn up we are show to a seat in a small room, there are 15 ish people seated and 5 lead player. We were all given a song book and a musical instrument. When I say instrument I mean spoon, bells, or something called an ugly stick, which is a broomstick with a welly on the bottom a mop on the head with a hat on and a face on it, the pole has washers and bells screwed to it and it is bounced on the floor in time with the music. A great honour when it your turn to play it.. after a couple of hours its all over and after refusing to play a lead roll. We escape with the Germans to drink beer in the cockpit, where we are much happier. Next day up early and north again    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Triton Surprise

    Jul 10–11 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Triton was somewhere we picked out on the chart as being about the right distance for the day and looked like there might be a shop. Good sail, Good wind. And as soon as we are tied up. One of the locals turns up in his truck and offered his driving service. We arranged a time to get picked up. The tour of Triton, we began with the fish plant. It was super busy which was a contrast to most other communities we have been too. The whole place was new houses and building and people returning to Newfoundland. A very positive upward vibe. Almost new 5 bed house sea view (which includes whales and icebergs $360k CAD £190GB Mad. Im thinking we should buy while it’s cheap !!. There are camp sites roads and maintained trails one of which we walked. There are at least 3 secure harbours and and a yard with a giant lift for fishing boats. Great place to keep in mind as a storm or maintenance hidy hole. Yet again forgot to take my camera outRead more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Fortune Harbour

    Jul 9–10 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Perfect sunny day light breeze beat through the islands and perfectly secure and isolated anchorage. Arrive late leave early, just a stop on the way north. So easy so beautiful

  • Morvenna 2023

    Lewisport Drop off and Birthday

    Jul 7–9 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Nice little sail through the beautiful Norte Dam bay to the very safe haven of Lewisporte YC/Marina. As always the friendliest most helpful people you will ever meet. It’s Claire’s Birthday and Claire in her normal way wants to keep it simple and cook our own food in the YC. Which was a great success. We meet a french middle age guy who left Bergen Norway on 14th June and had sailed here via Iceland Greenland and Labradore in less than 4 weeks (I think we are slacking) he was single handing a 50 footer. Luckily he picked up a 20 something German girl in Iceland. After speaking with her we realised she was a perfect match for him. She was doing a low carbon trip from Germany to British Columbia. And so far she had only walked skied and sailed she crossed Iceland on touring skis. She is now about to start a walk across Canada which is 5000 km she wont stop in the winter but ski over the mountains.. (we are definitely slacking) she thinks it will take a further 2 years. Bonkers.

    The nice lady who runs YC takes us all to the bus stop where Clare will get the 5 hour bus to Deer lake airport and join the first flight home, sad times but we have been very lucky with all the things we have seen.

    Next stop service engine top up with water and fuel. Get to the supermarket. You don’t seem to need a car here if you start walking anywhere someone will stop and give you a lift. It was 2miles each way to the super market and we didn’t walk much of it. How did we lose this attitude to helping people.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Exploits Island and the dead

    Jul 6–7 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Strangely Tarquin Granny contacted him and said by the way, your Family are from Newfoundland, and after a bit of chasing and questioning it turned out There Name was Foote and they all came from Exploits island. A isolated fishing comunity that were busy in the 18th 19th century. Good opportunity for us to go on an expedition to find out what we could, it is a beautiful sail from Twillingate through the mid section of Notre Dame bay. Green hilly and mountainous Islands everywhere and not a single other boat to be seen. Just the way I like it. Interestingly Exploits has some maintained bouys from Lewisporte yacht club so we are expecting to see some other boats around. Wrong.

    The nich between the 2 islands is beautiful and pretty safe in any weather, and we are lucky enough to be in bright sun. The harbour is surrounded by well maintained holiday lodges, which are all owned by dependents of the original fishing comunity one or 2 of the house have occupants when we are there and we ask if they know any Footes or can point us at the Cemetary WE are told the last footes only left 2 years ago and there are three cemeteries with 2 relgeous denominations Both Irish catholic or prodistant . Great succes we find many footes and some sad storie of whole families of young children who have died close together, often of disease. Tough life out here.
    Tommorow Lewisporte Claire B day and a flight home    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Fogo harbour and Twillingate

    Jul 4–5 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Fogo for lunch, couple of hour sail from Tilting. Perhaps a walk up the hills and an ice cream. Seemed like a plan. When we arrive in Fogo there were other sailing boats we haven’t seen any for ages, literally weeks. Fogo was a wind free glass off and we slid in silently for a raft up with a Belgium boat about 50 foot. No plastic boats up here all 3 boats were Metal. Steel or aluminium, fenders almost un necessary. Every one has a good yarn to tell about Iceland or the NW passage but Claire is keen to get walking up a hill and Tarquin keen for an ice cream. There is marked trail up to the ridge line and a km loop once you are there. This ridge is where Marconi sent his first transatlantic broadcast to the UK. When we reach the top we can see an iceberg out at sea and probably wedged on a sub sea rock. A plan is hatched to have lunch and scuttle on to Twillingate Via a Berg spotting minor de tour. As we arrived back at the boat ready for lunch and the off our neighbours in the smaller 35’ steel boat remind me that I had asked for some info on there northern travels and they have a dog to stroke so I go board first to find out what they have been up to. They are Canadian so no passport required for them or the doggo. There trip in essence was. BC north to Alaska, through north west Passage, over winter in Greenland then cross to Labradore then south to Newfoundland for another winter. All done on Mobile phones and phone reception. Unbelievable I wrote down all of there tips and realised I was worrying to much. Wow.
    Lunch done let’s go find the Berg. 10 miles later, not disappointed big blue and not surrounded by tourist boats. Photos never reveal the scale but always make you feel pretty small.

    We are now onto Twillingate. Perfect light wind sail through the island with lovely sunset. As the Berg gets smaller in our rear view. Twillingate has put its prices up for dockage and all the yachties are talking about it. Almost everywhere here is free of less than 20 bucks, Twillingate wants 250 bucks for the same. We decide to Moore o the abandoned fish dock nearby for free. Two locals take our lines and point us at the best pub. Captains bar with lively music and we reserve a seat.
    Yet another good night out . Next stop to Exploits to find Tarquin Family!!    Read more

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    Tilting and the irish

    Jul 4–5 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Tilting is on the east side of Fogo island. A shallow niche in the rocks just behind and Island. The entrance has an unmarked rock in the harbour and it’s lucky we lifted the keel in time. We weren’t expecting to much, but as always the “Newfies” were super fun the moment our boots hit the land people spoke with us. Tried to point us in the right direction. The town has 3 surnames and the couple we met later both had the same surname when they got married. Bit like “KIlk” . We wondered about a bit and walked round the bay looking at all the old houses built on rocks that were a reminder of its hay days a busy fishing harbour. Now only one boat remains. We stumbled on Foleys shed and got an invite inn and beer forced into our hands. In essence Foley’s Shed is a garden shed where people come to play music and be Irish, very Irish. Thick accents doddle folk music and a warm welcome it was a top evening with Both Maurine Foley and our very Tarquin playing tunes. Top night as always and Phil and Mrs Foley dropped us back to the boat by car as it had got dark. On to Fogo town tommorow.Read more

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    Sydney cove

    Jul 3–4 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We are intending to head north up the bay today. Nice light friendly breeze in the right direction, what could be easier. As always Newfoundlands un predictable weather deliver 35 knots out of no where. The rocky little lunch anchorage spot we had eyed up on the chart now looked like a storm covered rock garden, so after a close sail by to inspect. I showered the chart and pilot book deformed another option. “Pork Island” irresistible. And Sydney cove is the spot. By the time we arrive the weather has calmed and the zig Zag entrance is pretty straight forward. It’s a small bay surrounded with holiday sheds/bungalows etc. The guide says there is a well kept path that joins all of the bays and cemeteries, as usual that is behind one of the disused houses. As soon as the hook is set we are off on our evening walk. Someone has worked pretty hard clearing fallen trees and mowing the path. And it is a lovely walk, bay to cemetery to bay. The bugs are biting and we keep the pace up until we get to the last bay. We spot a boat on the dock and then someone hanging out there washing. Blimey people seems weird they spot us and invite us in for drinks. Turns out this is the man who lives here and maintains the path his family have owned all the land in the bay for generation The family Name is Roger’s and his name is Dean. He 70 and as busy as a bee. We had peeked in the cemetery which seen also keeps tidy and they are all called Roger’s too. By the time we have finished all of deans beer it is dark. They offer for us to stay the night but we decide keeping an eye on our boat is wise. Dean decides he will drop us back in his boat and delivers a moonlit tour of the island enroute top evening and that special spontaneous that never gets old.

    The following morning, its is scorchio and the kids want to go for a swim Mrs D and Tarquin that is. I put a foot in and think better of it. Mr T climbs the mast and Jim off mrs D lowers herself in and gently does 2 laps of the boat. Very impressive considering The T man lasted bout 4 seconds in the water. Which coincidently was about 4c.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Little chance Harbour (4 Cod String)

    Jul 1–2 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Refuelling Bonnavista from a truck. Driver was a bit disappointed with the amount we needed, he is used to 10 000 litres at a time. We had 150 litres. The fog was thick and the sea was glassy as we slipped out of the harbour 30 miles to a very small cove in amongst the hills. It time to catch another cod for tea too, so I will stop when we see a bit of sea bed which looks likely. As forecast the fog burns off an hour into the trip and the beauty of Bonnavista bay is revealed. Rugged and green in every direction. Where we are heading looks like Halong bay in Vietnam in the distance. I can see there is a bump on the see floor approaching, should hold a cod if Im lucky. I slow the boat and grab the rod with feathers on. I lower it down into about 25 metres of water. The weight doesn’t even hit the bottom and I’m on and it feels big. The boat is drifting out of control. After a short hard fight I get the catch to the surface. I have 4 feathers in a string and have caught 4 cod smallest about 3 kilos largest about 10 kilos . I throw 3 back and keep the small one, our fridge isn’t that big. Fishing here is far too easy.
    We get the boat going again, still no wind and we cut a slice through the glassy surface of the bay, not a sole in sight as usual. There are many many islands and hills. If this was any where else it would be full of yachts but not today just us as usual.

    The entrance is small and well disguised in the lay of the land but its a perfect storm hole high ground al round and a narrow wind entrance. Like anchoring in a pond.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Bonnavista

    Jun 30–Jul 1 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Tarquin. Needs a beery night out. And this town has bars and restaurants. We don’t know it but our exit and run north to Bonavista head is the last we will see of whales for a while. All of the wild life is hear following the shoals of Caplin. They haven spread north into Bonavista bay yet. We enjoy a gentle gibing sail through the rocks to the head land. We are intending to cut inside the island but as we arrive we can see the wind has been compressed up against the land, and we are about t o get hit by it. We go from gentle doddle to 30 knots of breeze in 100 yards. 2 reefs in we go outside the island in the safe water. We are about to beat hard up wind for the second half of the day. Tarquin is earning his beer. 4 hours later we are e heading through the narrow harbour entrance. Quick change and walk into town for beers and ice cream, not necessarily in that order.
    5 pints, 1 ice cream and spicy chicken wrap later everybody is ready for bed.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Catalina Reset

    Jun 29–30 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Next stop is Bonavista bay, but thats too much for 1 days hop so we opt for Catalina after a slow motor sail of whales and Dolphins we head into this very protected fishing harbour. And the promise of a shower water and top up or propane. A friendly harbour Master guides us onto the dock, leaving a space for a salt ship that was coming tommorow. Jobs done we are off to Bonnavista tommorow.Read more

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    Bay De verde, what a day

    Jun 28–30 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Our exit through St John’s narrows was in total contrast to our entry. Port control said head out when you want nobody around. The sky was blue and the sea was flat. We were not mor than 100 metres through the narrows before the first whale came to visit. And there were blows everywhere. Sails up nice little westerly and we are doing 7.5kts. Dolphins whales sea birds blue sky. Could not have been better. Our intention was to head round to Newfoundland yacht club. But as we were rounding the headland, to head south we spotted something weird on the horizon it looked like a giant sugar lump. Iceberg??? Check the radar something but not determinable. After some faffing about we decide to go and find out. We set coarse for the the sugar cube . Radar suggested 7 miles. Definitely worth investigating on this beutiful sunny day. The closer we get the smaller the sugar lump gets, weird. Turns out it was a well known phenomenon that lifts things above the visible horizon. We are still exited and plough on. In the end we did 12 miles of whale and bird spotting before we got there. It was worth every minute a berg about 70 metres long by 40 metres and about 25 high surrounded by whales breaching and calling out loud. We spend 2 hour gently circling the bird od engine off glauiding withe the whales. Absolutely magical. As sunset approaches we choose a spot for the night on the chart and head to Bay de Verde. Via Baccelieu Island to see on final wildlife show, the giant gannet and puffin colonies. Unbelievable noise and activity, so much that we decide to do all the same again tommorow. We bump into Aaron our American frien in the harbour and spend the evening talking about and watching whales on the harbour wall.
    Up early Aaron want to do a walk before we leave t re visit the iceberg.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    St Johns, The strip, more whales

    Jun 26–28 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    The trip to St John’s was in the afternoon with every darkening sky and increasing wind. There are whale blows everywhere sometimes in groups of 5 and 6 the whales are working as a team and fishing shoals. With the occasional breach as one of the whales scoops up a big chunk of the shoal. Always very special to see this kind of activity all alone not on a tour. The wind had built and the sea was grey but we decide to go back up wind to drift through and observe one last group of whales fishing. Light was fading and it was time to make progress towards the entrance of St John’s . As we round ‘Old Harry” and can see the tiny opening which is St John’s a biblical rain cloud empties on to us. Luckily Claire was on the helm and took the brunt of it. The requirement for St John’s is to call harbour control on the radio. To announce your intentions. We were getting drowned so our intention was to get in and tie up fast. Harbour control informed us that we were 3 in line to pass through the narrow channel and we should wait outside. During our waiting period the sea went glassy but the rain continued. Harbour control asked if we could wait a bit longer while they allowed another fishing boat out before we went in.
    When we finally passed through the channel we were in a largish city of around 200k people and giant logistic ships that service the offshore oil business. There was even a cruise ship.
    We tie up by the pelican crossing in the NW corner of the harbour. Totally surreal, from wild whale viewing to middle of city in just a few hours. Tarquin eyes lit up when he realised that St John’s is famous the longest road of bars in North America, he was in his glad rags before you could say Puffin soup. We head into town for a nice resturaunt meal and Tarquin allows us to come to the bar with him. He wasn’t too worried about us spoiling his cred. Live music in every bar . Most bars have an Irish bias.

    Next day off to stomp the trails up to the headland for the best views. All exited for a second night out on the strip. Tarquin ditches us early and we go to the supermarket. He finds a live music bar full of student. He couldn’t be happier.

    Tommorow we head north again and leave the container ships and cruise ships behind.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Bay Bulls

    Jun 25–26 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    For some strange reason we spent 2 nights in Trepassey and ended up eating out which was a treat. We get up bright and early and decide to take on the last headland before heading north its 62 nm to bay bulls. We aren’t ready for the big city of St John’s yet so bay bulls is a bay just short of St John’s. It’s famous for bird and whale watching. The weather is fine so we decide to take an inside route through islands that are reportedly full of sea bird colonies.
    As the days goes on the wind increase. By the time we are cutting between great island and the mainland we had 25 plus kts behind us by the time we could see the clouds of Puffins on green and gull island we had 35 kts. W decide to go round the outside. The wind peaked at 38 knots quite a sleigh ride. We could see whale blows everywhere. We made a plan to return to the island the following day when the wind would be calmer..
    Bay bulls had the largest stone crushing ship in have seen parked on the dock and it was clear it was going to be working day and night. No piece for us but tommorow is looking exiting.
    The following day was clear blue and we got up early to head back towards gull island and the bay we had seen so much wildlife. The area is known as witless bay nature reserve. Bay bulls has several puffin and whale tours heading out to this area, but we were up early enough to be ahead of them. There is enough wind to sail and we slip along with just the noise of the clear cold water sliding past the hull. As we reach the gap between gull island and the mainland we see our first whale blow. The crisp morning is blue and the haze from the blow hangs in the air for ages before dispersing. We roll in the Genoa to slow down. The Finn whale came up to breath directly in our path only 1 boat length ahead. A big puff and it was easy to see his or her blow hole open and close and the roar of air escaping caused us to be silent and stare. Several more blows over the next few minutes the whale never more than 2 boat lengths away. One and a half times the length of the boat every detail of Mr whales skin texture was visible. Trickling through the bay we see clouds of puffins, and whale start to appear at all angles we eventually sea a group of hump backs breaching and playing on there sides. Totally magical morning. Which we finish sliding by the puffing and guillemot colony at close range at at 1 it while ate lunch. This is what came for wildlife in the raw. Now to carry on to St John’s and the big city    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Trepassy final escape from Placentia bay

    Jun 24–25 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Trespass is the last stop before we start heading north. It’s just a quick night stop,a small non descript local fishing wharf. Kevin a local fisherman takes our lines and tell a yarn or two about the local area. He tells us where to fill up with water but doesn’t tell us it brown coloured. We fill the tanks with brown water. Claire and Tarquin take a walk walk to the headland and lighthouse and return with a stray dog and stories of watching humpback whales is playing in the bay. The next headland we pass will see us heading solidly north again. But the ice charts are no longer on zero small bits of ice will now become a possibility.Read more

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    St Brides tricky scrape

    Jun 22–23 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    So style storm that we hid from in Indian harbour has passed trough and we make an attempt to get out of Pancenti bay. After a bit of study of the chart we decide to squeeze between Merasheen Island and red island on the wind angle we have. Lucky we did as the whales were feeding in the big swell to the south of red Island. Top whale spotting. And also some some white sided Atlantic dolphins feeding on a shoal nearby. Lucky for us the wind filled in tour o a solid 25kt and we covered the 42 NM to st. Brides in short order. I was all planned and pilotage done for entry into this very tight and not often visited fishing harbour. There was a significant left over swell running in behind us and the entry is pretty shallow. It would be pretty tricky to turn round once committed to this strange entrance. A couple of big swells rolled us forward and the depth was looking super shallow. It all felt very wrong after a minor panick I adjusted coarse and decide to go the wrong side of the buoys and got squirted forward to wards the harbour entrance turn. After a few more squirts forward we are in. very stressful. We get tied up on the fisherman’s wharf. The sun is out and the stress is gone. Cars keep driving to the wharf to see the idiots who have come in on a yacht. One eventually talks with us a tells me that all the navigation buoys had been thrown about in a storm last winter and we very lucky we had gone the wrong side it them as there are “suckers below that area, sinkers are shallow large rocks. Lucky escape i recon. We get a tip for a good place to get food, he said get the cod and chips I sold them the cod. He was right it was good and all the locals were there and a few wanted to hear our story. They were all fisherman and told us the best and safest route out of the harbour .
    St Brides has an enormous Gannet colony and we took a visit as we left spectacular    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Indian Harbour Merasheen Island

    Jun 20–22 in Canada ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    After finaly checking in with Canadian Customs we decide to leave Argentina as it is a very commercial ferry port. Indian Harbour on Merasheen Island has been on the charts for 200 years as a good storm hole. There a small storm coming and we fancy something remote. It’s about a 20 mile sail to what should be an un inhabited and wild island.. Its thick for as We set off but that doesn’t put off the atlantic white sided dolphins from coming to play. We are doing 7knots again in 25 knots of breeze in thick fog. What could go wrong. The vis is just clear enough as we enter to make our way through the curving passage. We drop the hook in a position that should be good for the forthcoming storm. But run lines ashore just in case we misjudgeed it. Every stop is new and every situation is a guess. Dinghy in and off for a stomp through the trees. 300 metres through the trees is a lake which has been created by a beaver with a big bushy dam. Mr Beaver has managed to hake a 7 or 8 acre lake for himself. Might have been there for generations, I will fly fish later to see if he comes out in the twilight.

    While we cook tea we do a bit of safety training which include donning the emmersion suits. One size fits all. Except Claire it seems.

    Fishing later but no sign of the any decent trout. Luckily mr Beaver comes out to tell me off for standing near his dam. Always good to get wildlife viewings all alone in the middle of know where. Strange to think I will almost certainly never pass this way again. The following day we take a walk in the woods and find graves of various settlers from the last 2 centuries. the Tobins had several generations in the woods near the harbour.. absolutely top spot but shame the wind came in from a different direction and we were side on and unable to move. We run 2 extra shore lines to big rocks and wait it out. Next st Brides and trying to get out of placenta bay.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Argentia for Crew change

    Jun 19–22 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Claire and I planned to get up early to get croissants for the trip from St Pierre towards Argentina. Only Claire achieved this goal and I awoke to fresh fresh croissants. She had bought one extra for our new American single handed friend Aaron. He never saw his croissant as we man handled the boat off the dock.
    Solid 20knots downwind for the trip back to Canadian waters and the Burin Pennisula. We have to get 50 miles in today to make it on time to pick up Rob and Tarquin. Our overnight choice for a sleep on the way to Argentina was little Burin Harbour which is a very sheltered natural notch in the the rock which has yet another dis used fish plant in it. Easy sailing day and many hours listening to Shantaram on the blue tooth speaker. .
    Next day up early and sneak out between the rocks very direct line to Argentina we spot a whale at the entrance, after slowing the engine getting out the binoculars and spend 30 mins sneaking up on it. We realise the whale is in fact a wave being thrown by a shallow patch. After feeling like a couple of buffers we, head off on the the last hop across Placentia bay, a solid 25 knots of breeze gives us an average of 7.5 knots for the 50 mile trip. That’s if you don’t include our whale spotting talent. We head into the very windy soothing west arm of Argentina to hide from the incoming bad weather. We have arranged to meet Tarquin tommorow after he gets off the plain in St John’s. He can then get a cap to the head of the bay and walk down the 2 km track and meet us on the beach.

    Good chance of some fly fishing in the river while we wait from him.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Saint Pierre for Duck

    Jun 14–17 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    As with what seems all french islands all over the world, they are in fact actually France in every way except geography. And we were setting off toward Saint Pierre the capital of this french island group, with a mindset to have some proper french food and top up the fridge with cheese and wine. These island are often the last staging post for a Greenland expedition and there were several aluminium expeditions boats in the boat yard. The french are also very keen sailers so Claire and I were very keen to look the part as we sailed off the anchor in the morning. Perfect silent job done we began to slide quietly out of the bay in very light wind. This could be a long slow trip. Never have I been to a place that truly fulfills the fraze every season in a day like the waters of newfoundland. It wasn’t long before we were 7.5knt upwind in flat water 20 knots of breeze and heading into a pea souper of fog, where the temperature will drop 15c. Progress is fast and again the mighty Morvenna averages over 7 knots for the trip. As always 25kts sideways wind while trying to park the boat.
    There are 3 other boats on the dock on the way to Greenland and they all end up in the same restaurant as us. Hope they don’t eat our duck.
    After a good nights sleep the bikes come out and Claire finds a route around a few headlands and good views to boot finishing in a trendy cafe where they were having a chess tournament.

    We make a new fried Aaron a single handed in a Vancouver 27 for who this is his first stop since New York , pretty impressive. Aaron has nice french croissant from a fresh french bakery which he got at 6am with us for breakfast. He is intending to hop to St John’s in a single go. About 300 miles then possibly straight to Ireland. Wow he averages 4 knots. That’s less than 100 miles per day on your own.

    Next for us is to pick up Tarquin in Argentina back in Canada which will mean to 50 mile days for us. And checking back into Customs.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    70nm to Miquelon.

    Jun 13–14 in Saint Pierre and Miquelon ⋅ 🌬 9 °C

    The day started 6am with a leisurely motor out of the fjord. We had put the main sail up at anchor with intention of a bit of a sail as we went. No chance as normal wind was funnelling into the groove of 800 ft rock that is Hare bay and was on the nose the whole way to the entrance. Luckily we had put 2 reefs in the main, when we put it up or we would have been flattened in a couple of gust on the way out. As we finally reached the exit. We bobbled about in the confused sea and confused wind for nearly 5 mins trying to make some order of it all. During this process we had a Hump back friend come and visit. He/she was so close we were in danger of making contact. Again super exiting.
    Once the wind and sea had tidied itself up. At about 1/2 mile offshore. We tidied our sail plan up and got the boat going. The coarse was due south, of pretty close to. 2 reefs in the main and the staysail. . Wind was 25-30 knots Christal clear day, but the sea was obviously going to build over the day. Morvenna was eating up the miles and our average on the GPS was well over 7kts we had thought we would be lucky to be on the anchour by dark. But it was beginning o look like we would get a beer and go shopping too. Mainland Newfoundland disappeared into the haze behind us,pretty muchh as the headland of Miquelon began to appear ahead of us. Small and indestinct at first. But larger and sharper s the hours past. The best part of 30knts gets tiring. After many hours and the sea building this meant hand steering was by far the fasted progress. Mentally the lee and flat water behind the the headland was very inviting, but slow to arrive. It was a nice sense of relief as the wave size diminished behind the headland but no sign of the wind backing off and we were about to go from a broad reach to full upwind. As we hardened the sails to go up wind the force really came on and we had 30kts true wind speed. Something our engine would not be able to overcome. Miquelon is very low lying ground in fact almost a completely flat isthmus and offers absolutely no shelter from wind of almost any direction, which isn’t mention in the guide book. So our choice was, in our slightly tired state. Beat up wind in flat water for 45 mins in a gale or sail on another 30 miles to Saint Pierre. Beating it is. The harbour was full and impossible to enter in these conditions, so we anchored out side which was definitely the safest option. Time for a cuppa tea. And then a stroll round town looking for a customs officer, we are now in France.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023

    Hare Bay Hump Backs

    Jun 12–13 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Hare bay. Just a short sail from “Franz Way” but we were waiting for the wind to change direction and allow us south to the french islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. This Fjord has a reputation for being one of the best salmon rivers. And I was pretty keen to take a walk up, it and see the pools. As always we set off in light wind, but the time we reach the entrance it there was 25 knot pushing us in and we were concentrating quite hard on handling the boat through the high sided entrance when we saw a large splash on the port side. No idea what it was but we kept an eye on the area. Then right on cue a pectoral fin appeared out of the water about 50 metres away followed by a tail fin at the same time. It was a humpback frolicking about while fishing for salmon. It seemed like quite a small whale but very happy with the world it breached a couple of times and flapped about on its side. I would have got better pictures but was busy flapping about in the wind trying to turn the boat round for a second pass. Absolutely top excitement . We sailed on deeper into the rocky fjord passing a new aquaculture development.and then left into the north west arm. And towards sandy point and our intended anchorage for the night. What people never talk about when sailing is the knowledge that your plan might go tits up at any time. And in these kind of places it’s very hard to have a rock solid back up plan. The plan looked like it was about to go tits up. There was 30 knot blowing through the anchorage that we had planned and we were beating hard up wind in funnelling breeze to get anywhere near it. As we approached the narrowing and shallowing area we intended to an hour in. A decision was getting critical. Luckily the sky was clear and the vis was good. That situation changes fast round here. There appeared to be a pocket of lee shelter under sandy spit for some reason. The wind was everywhere and from every direction. We decided to reduce sail and have a crack at anchoring in this small lee. If nothing else it was very flat water and I have a great test in My Rocna an hour holding on in a blow. Anchor down blue sky 25 knots. I can live with that. Late lunch and of to explore the river system might even take a fly rod.

    The bottom end of the fjord has 2 rivers 1 large Ian river and a decent size stream. Absolutely dreamy isolated wilderness. With wild rivers and fishing opotunities. Absolutely the reason to come so far off the beaten track.
    The wind settled down for a quiet night and we had a leisurely supper in the cockpit (still eating cod fillets).
    Tommorow the weather was supposed to be to go westerly and give us a nice 70 nm reach to France of Miquelon anyway.    Read more

  • Morvenna 2023
    11

    Francois

    Jun 10–12 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Pronounced Franz Way . A small fishing community, mostly retired of 90 people. Ther only connection to the world is a small supply boat once per day. Very clean tidy and friendly. We managed to fill with water and diesel so we are good to go all over again. We are at the end of our gifted Cod fish so only sausages to go. I might need to catch a fish. This town breaks the record for biggest schools to smallest pupil numbers. The school is big enough for 200 kids and has 4 with 2 teachers and a secretary. The school is the biggest building in town. Great stop, great hikes even caught some trout in the pond.Read more

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