Wind and Friends
We are looking forward to our destination today, (August 29) as we have always talked about going to King’s Point by boat, after two car trips there in recent years. The “By The Sea Inn & Cafe”will offer us safe dockage, wifi, showers and dinner out! Plus, we are meeting friends from Ontario there - we are really looking forward to that.
By 10:00am we are moving back through Harry’s Harbour, following our track very carefully. The sky is blue but we expect we’ll be motoring after we make the turn south at Green Bay Island. The wind is on the bow.
Passing the settlement of Green Bay, we turn down the South West Arm. The town of King’s Point is 16 kilometres away, at the bottom of the arm.
The scenery around us is spectacular. Photos do not do it justice and I expect we are getting a view many never see. Very high, forested ridges up to 1500 feet and the shore along the starboard side has a strip of red rock at the water’s edge. The Alexander Murray trail is in this area. We have heard the 8km hike, with 2200 stairs, is amazing with a 1km side trip to Corner Brook Falls.
We do grab some photos of the waterfall at Rattling Brook as we pass by the town of the same name. It is high and we can hear the roar of the water as it flows over the steep rocks. The wharf is just 2km away and easy to spot, being familiar with the area from previous visits.
A half dozen diners are at the wharf rail taking photos of us coming in but nobody takes our lines.(They can’t be from here.) Shortly after our arrival, the Inn’s owner comes to greet us and to offer whatever we need. We start with power and water fill-up and tell him we will be there for a few days, waiting out the expected 35 knot winds as per the Government of Canada “Gale” forecast. I am told where to find the showers and that the laundry is there for us to use.
After connecting with the wifi, we enjoy the sun on the patio along with some cold Iceberg Beer. Many people, including staff, stop by to chat with us about our journey. Ashton, our waiter, is keenly interested in our trip down the St. Lawrence River two years ago.
Dinner out is a welcome treat! We start with calamari and then both order the liver and onions for our entree. All delicious and Susie is extremely friendly, taking time to talk to us even though she is only one of four waitstaff in a very full dining-room.
Ashton brings our dessert (sticky pudding - yummy!) and we ask him if they perform Screeching In ceremonies. He tells us, “no, but it is something we have very recently been talking about.” We tell him about our friends coming the next day and that we’d like to surprise them at our dinner on Thursday. Ashton gets the wheels in motion and we are later told, it is all in place for Thursday. We are excited and tell him we’d appreciate the staff keeping the secret, too.
John and Barb are coming from St. John’s after a two week visit of the island. They had planned to arrive Thursday but with the expected heavy rain and the known hydro-planing on the Trans Canada Highway, they leave the east coast a day early and arrive in King’s Point on Wednesday. Through messaging Barb invites us to their BnB for a supper of hamburgers. (A second night I’m not making supper!)
Knowing they have a long drive, we go for a walk through town, including a stop at the grocery store to research its offerings. Barb is bringing groceries for us so we hold off on shopping.
I had started laundry earlier in the day - well, actually, I didn’t start it. Mary, the housekeeper, took it from me and told me she would start if for me after she has laundered the guest linens for the day. (Upon our later return, she has washed, dried and folded our bed linens and towels.)
On our way back to the wharf, I spot some women sitting on lawn chairs in the park near the old government wharf. They are the “Halls Bay Hookers” - rug hookers that is. We visit each one, talking about their beautiful projects. Some are on pre-printed canvas but others have created their own designs, including one of a young grandson playing the violin. Stunning.
We have spent much of the day tidying up the boat so we are lounging in the cockpit when we hear familiar voices coming around the corner of the building. Our friends come aboard to see our “home away from home” and one of the inn staff comes out to take some pictures of the four of us. It is her parting remark that has us thinking on our feet: “are you the people being Screeched In on Thursday?” Oops….quick recovery and lots of eye winks….all good we think.
We drive the one minute to the BnB and catch-up over nachos and wine, followed by a casual, relaxing supper. Barb also treats Harald and I to the last two slices of watermelon - our first this summer.
It is late when John drives us back to the boat where we have our second quiet night, until 5:00 am, when the wind picks up, right when the forecast said it would.
We remove the enclosure, Harald adjusts the dock lines and secures the radar pole and dinghy. Our day will be spent here managing through the wind and whitecaps in the bay beside the wharf.
As John and Barb forfeited a day in St. John’s, we are happy they have chosen the day to drive to Fleur de Lys and to visit places we have recommended. When they return at 5:30 for cocktails in our cockpit, the wind has died substantially and we have the enclosure back up and the boat back in order.
We head in to dinner at 6:30. Susie comes by the table, as we’re finishing our wine, asking me if it is my laundry in the machine, knowing she just has to get me out of the room to where I can provide the names of those being Screeched In. Barry and Ang are there ready with the certificates, fresh cod, Screech, sou’wester hats and bags with bologna slices.
Needless to say, we pulled off the surprise and our friends were perfectly gracious through the whole ceremony. They had to look like, talk like, sing like, eat like and drink like Newfoundlanders and kiss the cod. I am happy to report they are now Honorary Newfoundlanders and they were totally surprised!
So nice to have company from home