Heading North to Newfoundland

Posted on: June 15, 2023

After departing the lovely small town of Baddeck, Bowdoin and her crew set course outbound the Great Bras D’Or lake for the Narrows. The Narrows is a 15 Nm stretch that leads you out of the lakes in into the NE coast of Cape Breton Island. With plenty of favorable current in the Narrows Bowdoin made good time and was shot back into the Atlantic. The sun remained warm but the cool water made the temperature drop and for the first time new layers of clothing were dawned by the crew.

Now on to North Sydney we made a few hours stop to fuel up the ship and conduct some crew training.

Arriving in Sydney we tied to a large industrial fishing pier and before we could make fast the mooring lines a crowd of fisherman, longshoreman and others were at the rail to say hello and offer a helping hand. Before I could respond a 10lb box of shrimp hurdled over the rail at me and that was that. I responded with a Bowdoin cap and all were delighted. Now full of fuel and fresh shrimp from the Labrador crew of the F/V Osprey we were again on our way. This time for Newfoundland via Cabot Strait on up the western coast.

June 13
Has been a great day of sailing with staysail, fore and a reefed main. Bowdoin charged down wind averaging 7.5kts and reaching 11kts. All hands remain well.

June 14
At 0830AT Newfoundland was spotted and a few hours later snow spotted hills were in plain view. However with welcome southeasterly winds temperatures remained comfortable.

Friday the wind in Belle Isle Strait will turn to the Northeast. So we will put this southerly in the bank and head further up the coast to find anchorage and wait for our window to Labrador. The ice in southern Labrador has been receding fast with significant changes daily but we do expect to start seeing bergy bits and some larger bergs perhaps in another day or so.

Leaving port