September 1-2

One item I forgot in the Red Bay account (Aug 31). Approaching the harbor we saw clusters of terms circling, calling and dive-bombing as they do when they’re on a school of fish. They were tracking schools of dolphins who were also circling, surfacing, and driving the fish to the surface. There were maybe a half-dozen such pods in the space of a mile. That’s the arctic: nothing, more nothing, then a brief frenzy of activity, then nothing again. Though of course the “nothing” is an endless play of ever-changing waves, clouds and light, seen through the lens of a boat in motion, driven by the wind.

On September 1 we crossed the Strait of Belle Isle in drizzle but with a fair wind. We were glad to reach Port au Choix on the west Newfoundland coast, light the oil heater, and dry out the boat. We were on a public wharf along with numerous fishing boats. Shrimp is done, they’re waiting for mackerel. The fishing boats are quite amazing. There’s a government length limit of 65′, so they’re uniformly 64.9′ and built upward like skyscrapers to accommodate all the gear — a tangle, to my eyes of ropes, hoists, hydraulic tubing, valves, and motors that somehow, working together, drag vast nets through the sea and haul them in, fish-full. I expect these boats rock and roll a lot, and I can’t imagine how one works heavy equipment while the deck heaves unpredictably. I have enough trouble with heavy equipment when both it and I stationary. As usual, a man appeared on the dock as well came in and helped with the lines. As usual, he and Tim discussed the weather and fishing. As usual, there were jokes about government regulations and fish prices. As usual, he’d been fishing for fifty years. His son would be going out tomorrow to look for cod, which had a small quota and whose price has plummeted here for unknown reasons, making it hardly worth the bother.

On September 2 we needed to make it to Bonne Bay (80 miles = 16 hours) before the wind shifted to the south and increased. The thirty-knot north wind failed to materialize so we had a comfortable time of it. We expect to sit here for two days waiting for a favorable window to make the final dash to Nova Scotia (40 hours of sailing). But it’s a great choice: a good harbor, fascinating geology, possible hikes, a few stores. We’ve been so lucky with the weather so far!