Moving South
There is a gentle rain falling and it is foggy in the little bight when I wake at 6:00am. I go back to bed until 8:15.
We are not in a rush with the plan to cruise the 17nm to Conche. We will anchor in the northern basin if the ice bergs are gone. Maybe dinghy to the wharf with all the flags - now we know that is Clara’s brother’s wharf. We would like to meet him and walk again through town. (we are also very low on potato chips!)
I make tea in our travel mugs and Harald starts raising the anchor. We pass back through the village at 9:45 and motor toward the Conche Peninsula. The wind is right on the bow but we keep the mainsail up, just in case.
The large Grey Islands, Bell and Groais are ever present on our port side. Their shores appear steep, the islands wooded, nearly flat on top. On a clear day, these can be seen from fifty miles away.
Along the way we are entertained by a pod of dolphins and far on the horizon, a large black humpback breaching, six or eight times, with a tremendous splash visible about 15 kilometres away.
The sea state is calming but the weather to the south appears threatening - low grey clouds, bottoms dark with rain. We can see the rain falling in the east.
The outer face of the Conche Peninsula is unique in its shape - unlike all the shoreline we have seen to date. The kittiwake rookery covers some of the cliff in white; the noise of the seabirds can be heard a half mile off shore, even with our engine running.
Passing Englee
The weather to the south appears to be moving east, so we make the decision to continue on. It is still dry and being further south for a couple of days is a good plan. We are sorry we will not get into Conche but sometimes the weather wins. (Potato chips will have to wait.)
We run another 12 nm south to Canada Bay, home of Englee and many anchorages. We choose Otter Cove, in the northwest, as the wind is predicted to be from the north in coming days. Mike and Ann and Torngat have all been here with good recommendation. We also know there will be rain so we are pleased with our location, anchored and not on a wharf. We cannot get to shore easily, but we will not miss the wet wharf, the smell of cod and the busyness of people. It has been a busy, and rewarding week, but we are longing for the seclusion.
Otter Cove
Other than the terns, some cormorants and a bald eagle, we are alone. A lone seal appears later. There is an old fishing boat on shore and a wharf at the head of the bay. Maybe when the sun comes out, we will venture there for a shore walk. A waterfall, the only sound we hear, snakes down the hill behind us.
The rain begins early Tuesday morning; fog blocks our view beyond Green Island but we know Englee is just five miles behind us. If the wind shifts, we can venture to the south side of Canada Bay and anchor in either of two bays there.
For now, we keep busy with wiping condensation, Harald performs all engine checks and I get back to writing this blog. Breakfast was pancakes with the bakeapple compote I made in Goose Cove. We need to find more bakeapple ! (Cloudberry). We also hope we haven’t missed the blueberries in La Scie and Little Bay Islands.
Lazy Waterfall