Never ceases to amaze us – how beautiful things sometimes reflect off water – mainly when it is still.

Sometimes a perfect mirror image.

Some people never take notice – but it is all around.  Some people just don’t get what the big deal is about “water”.

70% of our oxygen comes from the ocean.

71% of the Earth’s surface is water covered and 97% of Earth’s water is from the oceans – so not suitable for drinking.

We know it impacts the weather, temperatures, life……..

Less than 5% of the ocean has been explored to date.  Does that mean that what we don’t know exceeds what we do know about the ocean and its impact on our lives?

It is not a big deal.  It is Colossal – Mammoth – Gargantuan !!

So would it surprise you to learn that even when it’s bright and sunny and warm on land, it is a tad chilly out on the open North Atlantic?  We learned right from Day Two that ’tis better to overdress in many layers and start stripping once you got too warm (a rare event) cuz if you got chilled from the start, it was not nice.  Thermal underwear, wool, and a good set of coastal marine sail pants and coat are a must.

Now some would say, why not just go down below to warm up?  Well, with 10 foot waves only 3 seconds apart, even the heartiest of sailors with their lifelong sea legs know being confined below is not wise.  Also, it’s nice for the cap’n to have company…… So an excellent alternative is simply to hang out in the companionway!   The first mate did a lot of sitting in the companionway facing the cap’n and under the protection of the dodger which was lovely.   But even better, to warm up even faster, she found that sitting front on got half her body in the cabin, the other half under the dodger, and some reprieve from the view from behind.

And of course, nothing beats a good old fashioned cup of Lipton chicken noodle soup to warm the innards.   It became a daily ritual, served in a thermal travel mug, an excellent simple and inexpensive addition to our equipment this trip (unlike most of the equipment upgrades).  Whether or not there is any actual science to the hot soup method of warming up, we don’t know, but it sure seems to have a warm and cozy kind of impact.

Here’s a brief video of some of the wildlife we encountered. Enjoy!

Looking over the so many pics captured during the more than 200 hours spent sailing 2000 kms of ocean, we reflect on all there is to share with those interested in our adventure! Different strokes for different folks of course. Some are interested in the ocean life we encountered, some in the boat itself and associated mechanics, some in the geography of the places visited, some in the amenities available at each port, some in the interpersonal challenges of sharing a tiny space with others, some in the fashion standards aboard a 30 foot vessel in the middle of the cold Atlantic Ocean. Some in what exactly happened to our Halifax crew….
So for our most loyal followers, we’re pulling some things together to fill in some of the blanks left in our blog. So many different themes to be considered. Some simple – like the many faces of the ocean – a dozen different colours……. Some more complicated.  For now, just a few for your viewing pleasure.

P.S.  “Would we do it again?” seems the most common question today.   What do you think?

 

                                      
    
   

Our story started simply enough; four friends moving a boat to its new home . . . 

What happened was an epic adventure. Epic because it galvanized many new skills, emotions, self-discoveries, tests of endurance, appreciations for people, for places and the bonds of friendship. Epic.

And, it was a true adventure. Never knowing what each day would bring; the discoveries, the challenges, the new beginnings. And the weather; friend mostly, but quick to turn to hostile foe.

Sea adventures are unique for their unfolding in such a foreign place. Not a city, not a country, but a completely different environment that drives a deep appreciation for the uniqueness of it. The ocean; a part of our world that’s dark, foreboding, and mysterious but also teeming with a life that thrives there, not dies. We are the true foreigners. Death at our doorstep in every moment; a misjudgement, a wrong move, a bad decision, pride, peer pressure, fatigue; any could result in the ultimate end. But it does not feel foreign underfoot after a few days at sea. It has a rhythm, a fluid motion that fills your senses and fuels your interest. Another world that somehow emotes feelings of belonging. “Sea legs” is a cute expression, it’s also an adaptation to something once known. It’s a place once rediscovered, you feel empty upon leaving.

That’s how we feel today. Day one back “on the hard”. We miss it already. We yearn for it. But this adventure has an end, and a new beginning; because it started as four friends moving a boat, it ended with two people, partners, who will be drawn back . . . over and over again.

   
 

Grey River was by far the most narrow harbour entrance we squeezed through. It required concentratiuon on the cap’n’s part – the cap’n by the way has become quite adept at hiding any sign of doubt/anxiety/nervousness etc. until AFTER the feat causing any such emotion has been successfully executed. A good skill for a Captain.

Once inside the narrow passageway, Grey River’s majestic beauty immediately calms you. Several arms to this Fiord – the walls rising up to touch the clouds, the origins of its mysterious cracks and crevices never to be known for sure to man. Its waterfalls scanty this year due to lack of rain?

   
    
 

Wind southwest 20 to 25 knots diminishing to southwest 15 late overnight then backing to south 15 to 20 Tuesday evening.

This is the marine forecast today.  If we had a dollar for every time we’ve checked the weather and said the word “weather” over the last three weeks, think we’d be rich.

With all those challenges, er opportunities (glass half full people that we are), it is hard to believe that we are actually only 2 days late in achieving our goal of introducing Come What May to her new home in Bay Roberts.  We didn’t meet the goal established, but hey, it is sure starting to feel like success nevertheless.  Tomorrow is definitely the day.

The window of opportunity in the above forecast means another early morning departure and an eight hour sail.  Living aboard a boat has been a slice, so much more to share about that, but every sail day is consumed with so much energy, writing about it once docked is often ominous, believe it or not.

Reprovisioning yet again…..  So gotta go for now.

Cap’n hasn’t had a proper dark and stormy in any port of call.  He believes he will get one tomorrow at this next one.  It is well deserved 😀

P.S.  Cape Race was a perfectly executed plan of attack – we nailed it!  Cape Spear, on the other hand, surprised us with a very angry sea.    The playful 15 or so dolphins that surfed with us in those waves though made it an experience that we can remember with smiles in front of our hearts in our mouths.

We are under sail – Where we are now – as south NF as you can be – don’t let the “south” fool you – it is freakin’ cold !!

The lighthouse at the entrance to Francois sets the stage for what’s to come. Perched on its ramparts, it is the only beacon for miles and miles along this rugged coast. It marks a narrow, hidden entrance to the kingdom within and with its castle-like appearance it looks to stand guard against any unfriendly invasion.

Turning the corner and entering the fiord, Francois, (pronounced “Fransway” by the fewer than the one hundred souls who call this home) will immediately cast its spell of enchantment on you. The fiord walls are deep, the water below the keel likewise and the colourful homes standout toylike in the distance. A small, trap-skiff boat carrying two young Fransians comes out to greet us and offer us advice and any assistance we might require, while two more wait to greet us on the floating, public dock, glad to offer a hand to their latest “invaders”, a welcome Come What May had not yet and has not since experienced. After setting our lines and bumpers, we soon tie up and after introductions to our dockside greeters, Lawrence and Valentine, the conversation flows and in no time Lawrence offers us an invitation to visit his home and we are provided visual directions to the grey house perched above. We feel very privileged to be here and thank them for their generosity. Valentine expresses a desire to someday own a boat like ours. The black flies are deadly and we immediately screen our floating home from their tenacity.

You can’t help but feel the special uniqueness of the place. It truly does feel magical. Standing on the dock after a long day at sea, we feel overwhelmed by the beauty. After settling in, we stroll up the gangway into the townsite. All the homes are arranged in about five layers ascending the terrain, fish stages with dories on log ramps to the water on the first level, homes for the next few and then the school and post office second from the top. The church and generator station enjoy the most elevated positions, demonstrating the importance of both to this tiny community. It is all interconnected by a maze of solid timber boardwalks or concrete “streets”, each no more than a mere eight feet wide. We’re later told that the resident women walk from place to place, the men and older children ride the streets on quads. During our walkabout, the place is eeriely quiet, we don’t see a soul.

Boardwalks have been extended in terraces to look-off points (with picnic tables!) and one even manages to offer a bridge over the very top of the cascading falls near the peak of the fiord. Amazing! If you have ever had the feeling of landing in a movie set, this is it! Any of the fantasy movies, from the Lord of the Rings to Star Wars would fit right in here. And the Storybook genre, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, would also feel right at home. It’s just that unique and intrinsically beautiful. Once, when the community was larger, a “suburb” clung to one of the outer ledges of the bay and was only accessible by a boardwalk, which once upon a time hung from the cliff’s shore edge suspended out over the water. 

   
 We continue our stroll of the townsite observing the arrival of a fishing vessel from high above on one of the “streets”. It seems so tiny down below. Come What May looks toylike in the distance as she lays all alone alongside the “visitor’s” floating dock. The bay is too deep to anchor so the dock is a precious resource to both visitor and Fransian alike. One for the safe port of call, the other for the opportunity to have some outside contact. The only way to Francois is by boat and the ferry, which docks soon after us, carries only a maximum of 40 passengers and cargo.

We drop by the grey house of our new friend Lawrence and his partner Barbara. Lawrence and Barbara are from Hamilton, Ontario and bought the house sight unseen for $10,000 about two years ago. They come here for the summers and enjoy the tranquility. Why Francois? Because Lawrence would be “forced” to sail his steel- hulled ketch, the “John Keys” (named after a former skipper he worked these waters with) to Francois and use it as their means of transportation. Something he desperately felt a need to do. Unfortunately, last year, she was water damaged and now lays  on the hard in Burgeo. He hopes to sail her next year. Their living room is full of sailing boats and memorabilia. We take a quick tour of the house and just like the town and the cliff they’re built on, the home itself is terraced inside to reflect the topography. Four levels in all, it is a home of compact efficiency and workable spaces. All windows look to the fiord. Lawrence kindly filled a water jug for us, with pristeen water from the freshwater lakes above the town and we head back to Come What May before night falls, kindly accompanied by Lawrence showing the way. We sleep like the dead, cozy and warm in our snug little haven, safe from the bugs and the trolls that live under the bridges.

Morning’s sunlight fills the cabin bouncing off the walls of the fiord on its way to our snug berth.

  
Onward we go, leaving the little kingdom behind in our quest for Conception Bay and home.