LBI Keeps Calling

Thursday August 15 - a quiet morning in Little Bay Islands. We arrived back on Monday after a very friendly, hospitable four days tied to the wharf at By The Sea Inn & Cafe in King’s Point.

King’s Point is behind us as we sail out the Southwest Arm at 9:15 Monday morning. Harald installs the preventer as the wind is behind us. It is quiet and relaxing as we coast along at 6.2 knots, a gentle roll under the boat as the waves follow us. It is a twenty-six nautical mile journey so we take turns steering. The other keeps company and watches for boats, nets and maybe even whales. The rugged and uninhabited shoreline, rising up to 1300 feet beside us passes by, in the silence.

Some small fishing boats are out - it is the last day for the food fishery for this weekend. We expect some have already caught their quota and have returned home to clean and store their catch. I was also up early, looking for the Perseid Meteor Shower at 2:30am. I saw nothing but Mike Parsons, at Little Bay Islands, counted forty-three meteors and tremendously green Northern Lights just over the church.

A couple of commercial fishing boats sit in Green Bay - must be cleaning their catch as a cloud of seagulls follows closely behind.

Harald had installed a reef in the mainsail, as we are anticipating up to twenty knots of wind today. At 11:00 we deem it unnecessary, for now, so he shakes it out. Our plan is to turn into the Western Arm of the Three Arms and to spend a few days in Harry’s Harbour. Roy and Tammy might still be there. We are having a tremendous sail, rounding Green Bay Island, with the wind coming on our beam. Probably the best sail we have had all summer. We decide to continue on to Little Bay Islands.

The wind is reaching 20 knots and the boat is heeling 10-15 degrees. Comfortable but a bit of work. We are enjoying ourselves, especially with the gusts coming out of the arms as we pass them and Hall’s Bay. On the approach to the west side of LBI we reach a speed of 8.2 knots. Now, if only the little fishing boat ahead would move a bit to starboard…

As I turn south Harald furls the foresail and just before Black Rock Sunker, it has calmed enough to drop the mainsail. I steer us through the familiar tickle between Mack’s and Goat Island, pass the green marker and approach the small basin north of the government wharf. Jules told us many boats take shelter there when there is a northeast wind expected. After two attempts and the anchor not taking hold, we move back to our “usual” spot just south of the wharf, but closer than usual to shore.

Joyful Noise is secured to the wharf as expected, based on Dale’s most recent message. We look forward to spending some time with them, but today I am very tired from a second sleepless night this week and the invigorating sail. (I’ll be glad when the course of medication has been completed.)

Afternoon is spent in the cockpit, reading and napping. There is no cell service here so we have to readjust to being disconnected after four days of staying in touch in King’s Point. Harald grills pork chops and potatoes. I make a salad and we dine quietly in the cockpit. The family with the jetski and tube had a few runs this afternoon, too close for our liking, but now appear to be packing up to leave their cabin. We anticipate a quiet couple of days.

Rain and a northeast wind was forecasted for Tuesday and, as we have found recently, the forecast is correct. The bay is very quiet as it seems most of the weekenders have gone home, leaving a handful of “seasonals” including Jules to work on his new wharf, Michael to work on the deck of his fifth home and Mike and Georgina to go about their usual daily routine of being the only full time residents.

The rain began during the night but the cloud clears in the early afternoon. We spent the morning playing cards and I did a painting of Rattling Brook but now it is time to dinghy to shore, stretch our legs and check in with our neighbours.

It seems Dale and Patsy are also walking somewhere as they are not at the boat when we stop at the wharf. We make the walk to the far east point after chats with Jules and Michael along the way. Michael offers us showers at his granddaughter’s cabin and tells us the little “blue cottage” still hasn’t sold. There is once again pressure for us to reconsider, with all the solutions for our concerns laid out without a second thought.

We find the “beach” after a very cautious walk along the deteriorating boardwalk, at times stepping off to navigate through the brush instead.

The beach combing is extraordinary! Sea glass and porcelain and some rusty hardware. The water east to Long Island is dark and “bumpy”. We pack up our treasures, stop for water and a snack before making the walk back to Rob’s dock where we tied the dinghy.

Michael stops us again for another conversation. He recalls days in the past when he and his deceased wife visited LBI for the first time, quickly making the decision to buy their first cabin. Undertones of “you really should buy that little cottage” continue.

Patsy and Dale are on the boat when we stop by on the way back to the dinghy. They invite us to come back for supper - she is making spaghetti - “bring nothing!” We stay quite late and enjoy the chatter about boats, engines, places we have visited and just life in general. They will leave in the morning, returning to Lewisporte and a family function. We plan to connect again before we return to Ontario.

It is our last day here, August 16, and it is another very warm day. We venture to shore to find the “wifi cafe”, now just one chair. The service is sketchy and we gain nothing by the hike except for several containers of fresh raspberries and of course the magnificent view.

There are now two other sailboats at the wharf. We are visiting with the sailors who sailed from France to St. John’s last summer and this year are in the final weeks of a circumnavigation of the island. They ask us about harbours between here and Bonavista.

A voice now comes from the wharf, calling us by name. It is Jim on Malekula. He is travelling with his daughter, also circumnavigating as he did the year we met him and Janice in Flower’s Cove. He promises to send me an email so we can chat online and he offers us use of his wifi so we can get the weather forecast. They are heading out for a walk, but we must return to the boat for our departure.

A New and Secluded Harbour

A Hot Day For A (Rewarding) Walk