The BIYC Flotillum 2007,to Bay of Exploits, a Diary 
 

The journal of a somewhat extended cruise, ( 900 nautical miles ) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence along the western shore of  the Island of  Newfoundland and on to the Bay of Exploits. 

July 2:

      The intrepid crew of Yamit, a 1983 Bayfield 29 set out from Corner Brook on the first leg of our expedition north along the Great Northern Peninsula, through the Strait of Belle Isle, and onwards to the unparalleled beauty of the Bay of Exploits.  The vessel was under the control of Captain Ted LeMoine and First Mate Craig Short.  The passage of 893 nautical miles was by far the most challenging our two young heroes had undertaken to date.  Extensive planning had been undertaken during the long cold previous winter.  Charts had been procured, cruising guides had been consulted, and a detailed plan of action developed.  By day 2 the crew had reverted to Plan B. 

 

July 3:

      After a comfortable night on mooring in Woods Island Harbour, the fog lifted and Yamit departed on a calm, clear sea for Port aux Choix, an anticipated 24 hour run.  Porpoises accompanied the vessel throughout the day, whilst winds steadily strengthened to 20 knots by sunset. Off of Daniels Harbour, a resetting was necessitated when the skipper received his first of several baptisms. 
 

 

July 4:

      We made Port aux Choix at 0830 hours, after an enlightening shakedown, which necessitated rest and reprovisioning (read beer and ice). 

July 5:

      0930 hours saw Yamit breaking port, destination St. Anthony, another 24 plus hour run.  Good SW wind allowed a fast downwind run under Yankee jib.  In fact, the crew had to work at slowing the vessels progress so as to reach Quirpon Tickle at sunrise!  
 

July 6:

      Rounded Cape Norman at 0100 hours, some fog.  The sound of a fog horn in fog is not as reassuring as one might believe.  Thankfully Coast Guard St. Anthony kept in routine contact alerting regarding other vessel traffic.  Made Quirpon Harbour at 0530 and met another 29 foot Bayfield heading on down to Bonne Bay.  Good chat just idling for a few minutes.  Some experience was garnered whilst transiting the Quirpon Run.  The 2 to 3 knot rip, and the rock in the middle of the channel, produced a state of awareness rarely achieved otherwise.  First iceberg… Dead ahead grounded in the exit from the tickle.  Evasive action was required, but presented the opportunity to ‘fish’ for iceberg ice.  Replenished, the trip to St. Anthony was uneventful, other than the constant presence of groaning, towering icebergs.  Not so beautiful up close…  While in St. Anthony the crew visited the Coast Guard traffic centre, a modern facility with good, helpful folks ever on watch. 

 

July7:

      Well rested and well fed, having been feted by the crew of a shrimper, we departed St. Anthony with the usual fog, cool weather, and the omnipresent icebergs.  This merely reinforces the new strategy of daylight sailing only; having deduced the advantages of actually seeing what is being sailed through.  We stayed well offshore, but had a good run and made Englee by 1830, a town of quiet, Amish-like people. 
 

 

July 8:

      Got out at 0830.  Moderate winds should’ve given a good run, but the swell thrown out from a Belle Isle Banks storm was producing a rocking and rolling ride, which turned into surfing off of La Scie.  The original plan of splitting the Horse Islands by way of the tickle was changed to Plan C, in the face of mounting sea and reflected waves from the shore.  So, around the lee of St. Barbe Island Yamit went and found some nice sailing until it was out of the lee and bound into La Scie.  Made dockage adjacent to an active crab plant.  The skipper found pressure washers effective at freshening the fenders and fender board. 
 

July 9:

      A big sea is forecast, which was hard to believe after yesterday.  Note that it is difficult to receive marine weather radio due to the geography and the analog cell phone didn’t work either.  The day was spent in port.  Met a German cruiser on a 65 foot steel sailboat he designed.  Sweet… 
 

July 10:

      We departed at 0630, a big sea running from the North against a SW 17 knot wind.  Yamit managed to get a couple of good sails in between the headlands until Ship Run was entered, which is the western approach into Bay of Exploits.

Wow!  Bay of Exploits is unreal.  A steady, warm 20 knot SW wind was blowing with no gusting and raising only a slight chop on the surface, perfect sailing weather.  The wind was warm for the first time in over a week!  The crew was in heaven and decided to celebrate with a brew.

A warning to all those who rely on GPS and charts… The black and white Admiralty Charts will have you sailing on shore if you put too much faith in them.  Stick with the current CHS charts, or your eyes.

Entered Lewisporte Yacht Club at 1945 under excellent conditions.  Total distance travelled on outbound leg 401 nautical miles.  The crew deserted when wenches arrived. 

 

 

July 11, 12:

      Miscellaneous provisioning. 
 

July 13:

      Departed Lewisporte for Knight’s Island via Shoal Tickle and Ship’s Run.  We anchored in Eastern Harbour on Knight’s Island.  The harbour offers excellent protection from all winds and a beautiful, picturesque locale with few insect pests.  An iceberg was grounded just outside.  
 
 

Deborah’s Journal: 
 

July 13, 14

      After crew Short departed for shore leave, Captain received a visit from first mate Deborah.  With a vessel fully reprovisioned, we set out to explore Notre Dame Bay for a few days. The passage from Lewisporte to Knight’s Island was a pleasant change from the variable winds frequently encountered in the in our home waters of the Bay Of Islands. We spent a few days at anchor in this quaint in the protected cove which was rimed with lobster pots.

      The iceberg grounded outside the entrance was an inspiring vision as it entered and retreated from our line of sight as Yamit swung gently on the anchor rode.

Sun and warm temperatures enabled all to achieve a state of nirvana rarely achieved.  
 

July 15:

      Returned to Lewisporte Yacht Club at 1200, reprovisioned and reacquired the crew.  Left for Exploits Island1400, a sunny 25 degree day.  Ya gotta love the Bay of Exploits!  The water is so clear the depth sounder could read 600-plus feet depths (on a sounder the skipper always believed was maxed out at 350 feet or so)!

Made Exploits Harbour at 1800 on the party dock (or so it appears), after avoiding several sea kayaks.  It sure is a busy place for a ghost town. 
 

Deborah’s Journal:

      Upon return to Lewisporte, crew Short returned to the vessel to resume duties. We three, departed for Exploits Island, a place of exceptional beauty and serenity.

As this was a transition point, there was not a great deal of time to explore the old, abandoned homesteads. Former residents, of this once thriving remote island fishing community, have been resettled to the island mainland through government programs intended to improve their way of life. 
 

July 16:

      Optimistically, the little Bayfield-that-could made for Englee at 0600.  Found and passed through the narrow tickle at the north end of Exploits Harbour and entered Notre Dame Bay.  Sailing was good until Yamit neared cape St. John, where the seas became confused and forebode the crossed sea conditions between La Scie and the Horse Islands.  This delayed passageway and necessitated a modification of destination to La Scie.  The arrival time was 1530 with sunny 25-degree weather in port (as opposed to on the water). 
 

Deborah’s Journal:

      Our attempt for Englee was foiled by increasing winds. Yamit was directed to the safety of La Scie with crew having a firm grip on the helm! 30 knot winds and icebergs in abundance. Having recuperated from a slight bout of motion sickness I was able to sit back, relax and enjoy lunch. Later I stared with awe, completely engrossed at the passing wonders of nature as they passed by our small vessel. I thought of the many people who dream of embarking on a trip like this, but who are not fortunate enough to be able to experience it. 
 

July 17:

      Departed for Englee at 1030 via Horse Island Tickle, determined now to pass through it this time.  Numerous icebergs were observed including one calving.  Got the camera out, and had the opportunity to restock on ice.  A nice berg and associated bergy bits lay ahead dead centre in the tickle.  Too bad we were stocked with ice now, so we chose to let them go.  It is amazing how much dirt is embedded through the thickness of an iceberg, like mineral veins in rock.  We experienced fantastic weather all the way to Englee, running the whole distance downwind.  A major storm front passed east of us, and threatened to dampen our enjoyment of the day, but just went away to dump on someone else.  Yamit made port at 2130. 
 

Deborah’s Journal:

      I had hoped to travel as far as St. Anthony, on the Great Northern Peninsula but scheduling constraints meant I had to depart Yamit and her entertaining crew at La Scie harbour.  

Friendly locals permitted us to borrow a vehicle and drive to the local bus depot.

Having paid the driver I waved good-by to Captain Ted. 
 

July 18:

      Depart Englee 0900.  This day presented some of the best scenery seen yet.  Yamit passed close to bird rookeries, saw a golden eagle and the skipper managed to summon white-sided Atlantic dolphins, which rode 10 feet off the bow at hull speed.  Tapping a rhythmic beat appeared to elicit their curiosity.  To add to the day, a pod of Orcas passed heading south.

 

A spontaneous decision was made to put into Hare Bay and to reconnoitre a suitable anchorage.  The presence of an island named Death’s Head Island guarding the entrance to Maiden Arm made this sound like a place we should check out.  Dropped the hook at 1700 in the innermost part of Maiden Arm, where the water was flat like glass.  The crew was quite unsuccessful at provisioning from Poseidon’s larder so beans and bologna again, washed down with sweet malt beverages.  This is one place we highly recommend to all the cruising types. 
 
 

July 19:

      Yamit departed Maiden Arm at 1000, under light 16-degree southerly winds.  We were back to pleasant sailing weather again!  Sure enough, icebergs were becoming more frequent again, as well as seals in the water.  One was observed basking on the low flat portion of an iceberg.  It obviously feels that there was no risk in doing that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of note, one interesting geological feature is “The needles”, on the chart identified as Needle Rock.  About five miles north of Great Brehat, these sharp pinnacles of dark rock pierce the surface to heights to heights of 30 to 40 feet on sheer vertical faces.  Skipper felt the need to investigate.  Quirpon was made at 1500. 
 

 

July 20, 21:

      Yamit lay over for 2 days.  The winds were from the NW and NE 20 to 30 knots, fog, and temperatures between 8 to 12 degrees.  Periodically one’s breath was visible, in late July none the less!  No supplies are available in town.  Reprovisioning entails a one and one half hour hike to the neighbouring (?) community.  For entertainment, the town provides a reconstructed French oven by the shore in which visitors may bake breads, pastries, or whatever turns one’s crank. 
 

 

Jully 22:

      Yamit departed Quirpon at 0730 on almost flat seas with a light breeze blowing from the northwest, destination Port aux Choix.  The straits were entered at 1200, with wind increasing to 20 knots, the seas increasing as well.  Come 1600, in the Straits, the winds had risen to 34+ knots with gusts, and the seas were piling to heights of 3 to 4 metres and breaking.  The skipper elected to run for Cooks Harbour.  While running downwind, apparent wind speeds of 27 knots were observed.  Cooks Harbour was made at 1930 with Yamit tying up at the unloading dock.  Winds were measured at 24 knots in the lund of the large dock.  
 

July 23, 24:

      The weather was forecast for winds SW 20 to 25 knots with gale warnings.  We figured we would hold a spell.  Breezy conditions prevailed in the Straits, a gale blowing through on the first day.  All in all a most comfortable place to hole up in:  shower, laundry, take-out, full retail services with fuel are all available in Cooks Harbour.  The people are extremely friendly and helpful.  The crew took the opportunity to stretch their legs and had a pleasant hike to the Cape Norman lighthouse.  The cliffs and shoreline speak volumes of the power of the ocean.  The crew took the opportunity to clean the vessel.  
 

July  25:

      Yamit departed 0500 under 20-degree 15-knot SW winds and clear skies - very pleasant.  The winds built to 23 knots.  Opposing wind, current and tide resulted in minimal headway.  It became necessary to tack to take advantage of favourable Labrador Current on the Labrador side of the Strait.  Having completed this exercise 4 times in succession, Yamit found itself just off of St. Barbe in the early morning, so the crew elected to pull into this favourable refuge.  The total trip out of Cooks Harbour was 121 nautical miles, for a course made good of 40 nautical miles.  In future, the crew will make more advantageous use of the Labrador Current and its 1 to 2 knot southward flow into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  
 

July 26:

      Made St. Barbe at 0700 and took an immediate 3-hour power nap.  The crew then went out for a hearty steak-and-eggs breakfast at the local grill.  Invigorated, the next order of business was a tank of diesel and provisions. 

The skipper and crew felt game enough now to strike out for a direct route to the Bay of Islands.  The weather was forecast to have strong winds on the 28^th, and we wanted to reach the shelter of the bay before then.

Departed at 1430, weather conditions having improved significantly, with clear skies, and a 22-degree 6 knot SW wind.  

July 27:

      Winds increased to 15 knots.  Yamit was kept to the sail plan and making 3-and-one-half-knot headway.  This is now the first sustained wind after leaving the Strait, and chose to motorsail with 2 reefs in the main.  We are learning to make progress to windward.  2 metre seas were seen off of Trout River, but Yamit was now making 5 knots close-hauled. 
 

July 28:

      The outer Bay of Islands was made at 0200.  The full, orange moon setting behind Pearl Island was spectacular.  The seas flattened out once Yamit entered the bay.  Yamit tied up at Bay of Islands Yacht Club at 0700.  Now starts the cleanup of the vessel.  189 nautical miles on the last leg from St. Barbe to Corner Brook, and the overall trip logged 893 nautical miles out and back again.  Good crew!!  Good Skipper!!