Back to The Pocket
Departure day. I’m up at 6:30 to start the coffee and oatmeal. The marine weather report says “fog with 1 mile visibility”. We can see there is still some lingering in the eastern bay which we have to travel through to exit.
I go back to bed and sleep another hour. By 9:15 the fog has cleared near us so we raise the sail and the anchor and begin our journey west to God’s Pocket in Seal Bay. The forecast is for wind from the east at 10-15 knots. We are back to long underwear, wool sweaters and costal gear.
Back through the s-turns with the anticipation of what the larger water will look like today. We are trying to get used to the element of surprise.
There is now a second ice berg off Indian Cove and we spot a very large one with twin steeples north west off Long Island. The wind is variable and light. We motor.
Passing Leading Tickles we recall our drive there a few weeks ago and aren’t surprised to find there are still two fairly large ice bergs, just a bit south of where they had been. There is another smaller one at the top of Seal Bay on the western shore. We marvel at its interesting shape with the open, high arch in the middle. It appears you could sail right through it. I mention that the arch will likely fall in coming days. Within 5 minutes I turn to see it has already collapsed. Neither of us heard a sound. In another two minutes there is no trace that it was ever there. We know this will be top of mind when we head back out in a few days. The ice had to go somewhere.
God’s Pocket is where we met Ann and Mike on Pachina Mia and Mark on Kashmir last August. There are no boats in this very sheltered anchorage when we drop the anchor at 2:15.
Harald lowers the dinghy and goes on a little tour. He reports back that we might be too early for fresh mussels.
Spit baths and shampoos seem in order before our supper of BBQd sausages and veggies. We are both very tired and head to bed early listening to the ice berg thunder in the distance.
Tues July 11
The day becomes very warm and sunny so we put the cover on the clear centrepiece covering the cockpit. We plan to stay a few days so we get some chores done first thing. I clean the head, the windows and the cockpit. Harald fills the diesel tank and relocates the foresail furling line.
I go for a little paddle around the basin and find the source of the sound of running water on the western shore to be a lovely waterfall nestled in the black spruce and aspen forest near shore. The wind is too strong for me to paddle past the point to the larger bay where I was hoping to catch some cellular signal and possibly grab an updated forecast. I drift back to the boat.
We read there is a trail on the north shore allowing for a panoramic view of Seal Bay and the open Atlantic to the north. We head out in the dinghy, motoring this time so we can get out to the open. The ice is still where it was yesterday.
We beach at the north shore beside the abandoned cabin but after several hundred meters pushing through dense forest we can’t find any clear trail to lead us to the promised lookout - just piles of moose and caribou poop. So we aren’t alone here.
We’re warm after our hike. The water looks so inviting but it’s still only 16’C so we wade in from the small beach near the piled lobster traps and just splash water on our sticky appendages. A spotted sandpiper flits by, low to the water and sits on a rock long enough to pose for a photo.
Soup and grilled tuna sandwiches is the evening meal. There is a lovely southerly breeze. We feel no need to leave, after all, we have worn shorts all day and who knows? Maybe Mike and Ann will show up.
We actually sleep with the hatches open and only the bug screen across the companionway. Harald prepares bacon and eggs which we eat in the cockpit.
There is heavy cloud but a light breeze in the basin. The weather forecast looks wet and foggy in the next two days. We are content.
I strip the bed and handwash the large king-size sheets in the galley sink, hanging them on the lifeline. Pure Ocean Breeze drying scent!
We check the water tanks to find the forward is full. Aft tank is at less than half so we switch the usage tank to forward. This should last us at least another week to ten days.
Harald checks the engine antifreeze levels and services the autohelm, which has been stiff in use. He also organizes the cockpit storage locker. (Later to realize he might have left the large flashlight down in the depths of the locker)
I send the signal home to let everyone know we are staying put and doing ok.
Time for another row out to the bay. The large iceberg seems to be in the same place but smaller. Not good for mariners.
The wind is to be 15-20 knots today. No real need to move. It might rain tomorrow so maybe Harald will finally have a day with no need to do chores.
We switch to playing Skipbo tonight. I win two of the three games.
The threat of rain seems to be passing. We read with headlamps until quite late hoping to see some stars but the sky over us remains cloudy.
