A Shore Walk and A New Harbour
It is departure day but again, we are going only a short distance. There are so many anchorages we have researched and rather than running long distances to destinations with highlights, we would like to take in as many of the smaller locations as we can. Before we head to Sydney Cove on Pork Island, we will take the dinghy through the small cut at the top of the basin and tour part of the 2km long inner bay or lake.
We dinghy to the south shore where a walk has been recommended. There is no trail and once again we find our way along rocky ridges and spongy ground covered in moss and lichen. I am glad I am wearing my high rubber boots as some spots are bog-like. The view is worth the walk. The wildflowers are lovely, including sheep laurel and Newfoundland’s provincial flower, the pitcher plant.
My phone starts chirping at the highest ridge and I see a message from David, wanting to have a FaceTime call - yesterday. Ah, the frustrations of not having cell coverage. I quickly respond that we have coverage right now, but the time to see the family has passed. We will try another day.
A pair of terns are not happy with our presence, so we suspect we are near a nest. After a short snack we head back down where I remove my boots and wool socks - the cool water feels welcome on my feet. Salty, but cool.
The entrance to the little pool is strewn with rocks so we paddle part of the way back to the cut and then motor to the boat. The sun is shining, there is little wind and we are ready for the short hour long cruise to Sydney Bay. Just passing Silver Fox Island we hear a helicopter in the distance. It seems to be coming from behind us. It is a large, yellow Search and Rescue CH-149 Cormorant flown by the Canadian Air Force. After passing us, it turns and comes back - comes back low and very close. It keeps coming closer until I give the signal “all okay” and then it departs. That was interesting.
By 3:00 we are settled in Sydney Cove in the Fair Islands. There are a half dozen cabins but we are the only people here. At one time there were sixty houses around this little cove. It is hard to fathom up to thirty fishing schooners anchored where we are sitting. We can see the markers for the remains of three that lie at the head.
We leave the enclosure down. The air is dry and we will be leaving in the morning. I fry the salmon as the barbecue problem is still a mystery. We plan to be in Glovertown tomorrow so perhaps we can get some assistance, or other parts, at the hardware store.
The night is quiet and calm. The sun wakes me at 5:00am but I stay quiet until 6:30. The morning is lovely and warm as we leave the small cove at 7:30am.
