Last Stop On The Labrador
We leave Battle Harbour about 20 minutes after Santana, after we pay our tab and say our goodbyes to Peter, the ladies in the kitchen and the wharf crew. We promise to be back.
At the Camp Islands, we pass Santana. Neither of us are sailing, but rather steaming our way south the 20 nautical miles to Chateau Bay. We are relieved to find no bergy bits as we enter the American Tickle and into the bay where Santana plans to anchor in Henley Harbour but we will go to the head of Pitt‘s Harbour as has been recommended by so many who know the area. The Devil’s Dining Table rock appears as an old friend as we pass by.
The anchor is secure at 3:30 and after a quick bite of hot dogs and carrot sticks, Harald lowers the dinghy and we head to a shore we did not explore on our first visit here just a week ago. We know from Ed O’Reilly’s videos that the remains of Fort York are on the point just east of where we are anchored. We pack cameras, water, bear and bug spray and set off on the 2km trip to shore.
Maneuvering past the many small rocks we pull the dinghy on to a sandy shore. This seems out of place when we look around and see the rest of the harbour consists of high cliffs and low scrubby growth.
A pair of loons follows us in and then lingers off shore until we return after our walk.
Wishing I had picked up the Labrador flower book in the Battle Harbour gift shop, I can only take pictures of the “new” specimens and hope to research their names when I can. The cloudberries are so close to being ready to pick, it seems a shame to pass them by. I wonder if anyone comes here to gather them or if they are just left for the bears.
We find the plaque commemorating the fort which was built here in 1766 but the star shaped ditch surrounding the site is lost to us. It is clearly visible on Google Earth but all we find are sunken ditches that do not form any pattern. The fort was successful in fending off a raid of Ogbuctuck Indians in 1767 and was then abandoned 8 years later. Thanks, Ed, for getting us here.
On our return to the dinghy we find evidence that we are not alone and make haste to push off, grateful we packed the bear spray.
It is starting to rain when we close up the enclosure and sip rum hot chocolate. Harald finishes securing the dinghy and I review harbours on the Newfoundland shore where we plan to be anchoring tomorrow. An easy supper of pre-cooked ribs and fresh Battle Harbour rolls with Kirkland bean salad - becoming a staple until we can locate fresh vegetables again.
Our last night on the Labrador coast - early to bed in anticipation of our crossing the Strait of Belle Island again tomorrow.
