Back to Burgeo

The final leg begins

We broke camp at a reasonable hour and began the final leg of our trip back to Burgeo. The winds were calm but there was a little swell. The swell didn't cause us any concern here but there was a thrill ride in our future.

Ralph calculated the paddle into Burgeo was 15 kms. A day hop - maybe!

The Nuddick

Leaving Wreck Island where we camped we paddled along between the mainland and Baring Island, Green Island and Seal Rocks. As I approached Seal Rocks it became obvious how it got its name. I could hear the grunting and other sounds seals make as they left the rocks and entered the water. They had seen us first so there went a picture op.

The water got bigger

We continued on towards Kelpy Cove Point all the while the swell was building to 2 metres until we reached Barasway Point. The ride of the trip. The swell kicked up to 3 metres and with the clapotis it got very bumpy as we rounded the point inside of 100 metres. The Nordkapp again proved its worth with a rock steady solid performance.

After Ralph and I rafted up to pump out the water in his cockpit Barasway Bay opened up in front of us like a broad grin. At the bottom of the bay a huge sandbar swept around as in the shape of a crescent moon. The swell still present propelled us along at 5 knots as we swung through the bay.

Sheltered cove

Time for a break and a good thing too. Somehow in the rough and tumble of getting around Barasway Point my water bottle wasn't completely capped and I had lost all my water. I was bone dry thirsty. I had about a cup of drinking water left in the day hatch and that would have to do until I got back to Burgeo.

The last section

We came out of Barasway Bay at Fox Point to the left with the islands of Burgeo just visible on the horizon. A kick to port and we were back at Sandbanks Provincial Park and within hailing distance of the finish.

Returning to Sandbanks

We had stopped at Sandbanks Provincial Park for a break almost a week ago when we paddled around the Burgeo Islands. Now, we were cruising past the same spot 6 days later. I reflected that it was hard to believe it was such a short time ago because so much had happened in the intervening time.

Back to the start

We paddled back to the Burgeo Haven B & B where we decided to stay for the night before driving home the next day. It gave us a chance to wash off our gear, give ourselves a good scrub in the shower and rest for the 900 km drive home the next day.

We started the final leg of our trip thinking we only had 15 kms to complete. Somehow the sums didn't add up because upon arrival at Burgeo the GPS said 25 kms. The total for the return from Harbour le Cou in four days was 109 kms.

A great adventure and a great paddle.

The first thing I did after getting out of my paddling garb? A double dip of chocolate ice cream at Joy's Place diner and a cold root beer. A great way to top off the trip.

Grand Bruit to Wreck Island

Stan ready to go - day 3

We slept in the church in the resettled community of Grand Bruit the previous night. At rise and shine we knew we had the weather with us again. A quick breakfast of porridge, kayaks repacked and we were on our way back to Burgeo. We would go far on this day.

Good-bye Grand Bruit

We had spent a considerable amount of time in Grand Bruit having to stop overnight to catch the ferry down to Rose Blanche and then again overnight on our paddle back up the coast. I got used to the place and had a number of enjoyable exchanges with the few people who were tying up loose ends before leaving the resettled community.

Grand Bruit will be left to decay like so many other resettled communities in Newfoundland. I've been in a few where the houses had fallen down and where only foundations remained. I wondered if I'd live long enough to come back one day to see only foundations - probably not.

Blue Hills of Grand Bruit

Leaving Grand Bruit the Blue Hills of Grand Bruit loomed over us in the distance. We originally planned a day hike but that may have been a bit optimistic but I'm sure the view from the top of there 400 metre high hills would have been impressive.

The water was calm and it felt like we literally flew over the surface as we made our way towards Sandbank Point.

Constant rocks and sunkers offshore

There were a lot of offshore rocks and sunkers for such an exposed and unforgiving coast.

Into Cinq Cerf Bay

Ralph's original paddle plan was to paddle into Cinq Cerf Bay and paddle inside of all the islands. At the bottom of the bay a salmon river ran out that on the map looked like it had potential to be a beautiful spot. We didn't make it. We did paddle inside of Cinq Cerf Islands, Shag Island but then outside of Blackhead Island to cross directly to Shot Bag Island and Long Point at the other end of the bay.

Looking for a rest stop

Having paddled through Cinq Cerf Bay we paddled around Long Point hoping to find a suitable place to take out for a rest. It didn't look good but as we looked across to Captain's Island we saw what looked to be a suitable beach so we carried on for almost another hour as the far away beach beckoned.

Caribou

A couple of caribou were on the beach at Captain's Island to greet me. The female and calf had come down to the waters edge for the salt water. They saw me and wandered up into the hills where a stag stood watching over them. These chance meeting are always a nice surprise.

We took out here for our first rest stop of the day.

The fog rolls in

As we sat having our snack break the fog rolled in. It was bright and I suspected the sun would burn the fog off after a while but we left Captain's Island in fog. Stan took charge of Ralph's GPS and led us through the fog around Smoky Island and Muddy Hole Bay. As we crossed Muddy Hole Bay the fog did lift to show we were on target for Muddy Hole Point. I could see bottom in the middle of the bay and thought how interesting this place would be in a sizeable swell.

Connoire Head

Connoire Bay was a crossing of 1 hour as we paddled directly across the mouth of the bay from Muddy Hole Point to Connoire Head. We swung around the Head and in pretty calm conditions and paddled towards Wreck Island. We were ready for a pit stop with over 30 kms under our hulls already on the day.

Paradise

As we came around the top of Wreck Island we were welcomed by this inviting sandy beach. More than a pit stop, we decided that we'd stay here for the night. The forecast for the next day was favourable which meant we didn't have to run in front of the weather.

Our Wreck Island home

Above the beach a level grassy field with a great view made for an ideal campsite. Looking back in the direction we came from I could see the Blue Hills of Grand Bruit and I marveled at how far we had paddled. Actually, I was astonished how far away the hills looked.

A strand of sand

We had a beautiful sandy beach to call home on Wreck Island.

Burgeo is that-a-way but well over the horizon. We sensed the the trip was winding down.

Fire on the beach

Our bellies satisfied with supper we gathered some firewood on the beach and had a bonfire. Later as the fire died down Ralph made notes of the day's paddle while I played it over in my head. We went to bed contented with the day's activities and slept well after the 36 km paddle.

84 kms paddled and good weather predicted for the next day that would see us back in Burgeo.

La Plante Harbour to Grand Bruit

A new day awaits

We awoke to glorious sunshine after camping in La Plante Harbour some 26 kms from the start of our journey in Harbour le Cou. There was still a bit of fog laying on the hills but we knew the bright sunshine would burn off any residual fog after breakfast.

We were taking our chances paddling this coast at this time of year but so far the gods were smiling on us.

In La Poile Bay

The plan on this day was to paddle into the bay to see the community of La Poile, cross over and paddle around in Roti Bay and into Grand Bruit.

La Poile

La Poile is a community of some 200 residents. Its isolated and serviced by the same ferry that serviced Grand Bruit. The ferry Marine Eagle can take 12 passengers; 4 seats reserved for Grand Bruit residents and 8 for La Poile. That results in some shoving and pushing to get on the ferry.

The brother of Ralph's partner taught here some 30 years ago and Ralph wanted to see the place. Turning away he said "Check that off the list".

Heading for Eastern Point

We had paddled some distance into La Poile Bay to see the community of La Poile. The original plan was to cross the Bay and up the eastern shore. Instead Stan picked a course directly aimed at Eastern Point so we did a diagonal crossing of about 6 kms.

Pit stop

Eastern Point at La Poile Bay is a headland where normally conditions deteriorate and they did slightly. It got a little bumpy but very manageable. Two hours into the day's paddle and we figured a stop was in order. We found this sheltered beach just before French Cove and opposite Jacques Island.

Inside Jacques Island

We had stopped for a break on the mainland in a passage between it and Jacques Island. To the right at the bottom of Jacques Island, Roti Bay opened up for our run into Grand Bruit.

In Roti Bay

Rounding the bottom of Jacques Island were were out in Roti Bay proper. Ahead of Ralph lay Gull Island and as we paddled along we could see the transmission tower on the hill by Grand Bruit. We were making good progress in the perfect paddling conditions.

Entering Grand Bruit

The sun was shining brightly as I entered Grand Bruit just after 1:30. It was hard for me to fathom that I was back already given the length of the ferry ride out. The saying "The longest journey starts with a first step" is so true. Almost 50 kms one paddle stroke at a time.

The building clouds foretold of changing conditions and we were onshore only a matter of an hour when the winds picked up. Out on the bay where we had just paddled the wind had created many whitecaps. We were done for the day.

Centerpiece

The church is the centerpiece of most Newfoundland communities. Its usually positioned on a higher piece of ground and acted as a beacon for fishermen returning from the fishing grounds.

Grand Bruit has two - the church and the falls.

The water of a freshwater lake behind the community spills over a ledge that's about 15 metres high. It and the church behind are an awesome spectacle to see as mariners enter the harbour.

Room at the Inn?

Ralph chats it up with Joe, proprietor of the Cramalott Inn. I don't know if he's trying to check in at the wharf but it turned out the three of us stayed in the community church for the night. We were in good hands! It was a unique opportunity and meant a lot of our gear could be left in the boats making for an early departure the next morning.

A shortish paddle of 22 kms on this day for total of 48 - almost half way.

Harbour le Cou to La Plante Harbour

Harbour le Cou

Harbour le Cou greeted me as I looked out my tent door first thing in the morning. I heard Ralph zip out and that was my cue to get a move-on. I had a breakfast of stick-to-your-ribs porridge to fortify myself for the day ahead. A quick listen to the marine weather forecast let us know we wouldn't be forced to stay on shore as we got all of our necessities crammed into the kayaks.

Finally, on the water

After 2 days paddling around Burgeo waiting for the scheduled Tuesday sailing and after 2 more days of off and on trepidation over whether we would be able to get on the ferry, we were on our way back to Burgeo some 100 kms back up the coast.

Sugarloaf shrouded in fog

The fog hung low over the hills looking down the arm towards Lobster Cove in Harbour le Cou let us know what was in store. It wouldn't get much better during the day as we set our sights on Indian Harbour and our proposed first night's campsite.

Is that Petites ahead?

Outside of the harbour the fog proved to be fairly thick. Near the resettled community of Petites there are a number of small islands and sunken rocks (sunkers in Newfoundland speak) that proved to be a bit unnerving. The swell was breaking over the sunkers that were only heard as they were hidden in the fog. Stan made sure we steered clear of danger and we passed safely.

Kelp bed stop

About 2 hours into the paddle and having completed the most demanding section passing Petites and its rocky islands in fairly thick fog we stopped at this location. There aren't many options along this coast so if ya see a rest stop its best to take it.

Big Seal Island

Invigorated after a short stop we paddled between the mainland and Big Seal Island. The south coast is an unforgiving coast for the most part but there were opportunities to skirt inside of islands to escape the constant swell. Here, the boys approach Sarsaparilla Point ... jeesh, who comes up with the names? A returning tourist from Mexico?

Hatcher's Cove opens up

In Little Garia Bay the fog lay low in the distance, always threatening to envelope us. Ralph had a GPS but I knew the sound of swell breaking on port meant we were on course whether we could see land or not.

Duck Island

Passing inside of Deer Island and Pigeon, Tinker and Whale Islands we didn't have much swell. We paddled also inside of Duck Island but then had to veer south and swing wide of a string of small islands and low rocks the swell was breaking over.

Campsite La Plante Harbour

After 26 kms paddling and one stop we arrived at our campsite for the night at La Plante Harbour. When Ralph planned the trip he selected Indian Harbour for the first night campsite but this turned out to be a good choice. There are cabins at Indian Harbour and I'm not a fan of cabins because they remind me of civilization.

The fog rolled in and out all evening but it didn't dampen our spirits. We were on our way and had a quarter already behind us.

Getting into position

Loading the gear

So after 2 days of paddling in the local Burgeo area, it was Tuesday - ferry day.

The primary reason we had come to Burgeo was to take the last ferry to Grand Bruit and then on towards Rose Blanche to paddle the approximately 100 kms back. Grand Bruit, a community that's existed for over 150 years was being resettled and the ferry was being discontinued.

We were going to live part of Newfoundland's history and be eye witnesses to the depopulation and resettlement of a remote community. I've been in resettled communities many years after when the building had fallen down. Now, I was going to be at the funeral.

Waiting to board

The Marine Eagle landed in Burgeo from Grand Bruit with a full compliment of passengers (surprisingly limited to 12) and their household belongings. Some of the passengers were making their last ferry trip out of Gran Bruit and I sensed it was a solemn occasion.

It took some time to offload the freight and as we waited we fielded questions about our boats and our plans.

All aboard

We lugged the fully loaded boats aboard and lay them on the rear deck.

Surveying the coast

We stayed on deck for our ferry ride to Grand Bruit aboard the Marine Eagle to survey the coast we would be paddling back along in a couple of days.

Joe, proprietor of the Cramalott Inn at Grand Bruit, gave us tips on where we were as we sailed and where we could get off the water if we needed. It was a lot of information to remember.

Arrival at Grand Bruit

A 3 hour steam at 9 knots brought us to Grand Bruit. The church dominated the community with the Blue Hills of Grand Brut behind.

Comfy in Grand Bruit

We were given the keys to the home of one of the relocated families where we holed up for the night hoping to get on the ferry the next day for Rose Blanche. It was touch and go because the ferry could only take 12 persons and the freight waiting to be moved meant there was no room for our boats. We anguished over what to do.

But, lady luck was on our side. The weather turned miserable overnight; it rained and the wind blew hard. The wind whipped the sea into a sizeable swell so much so that the rear deck of the ferry was awash and they couldn't take the household freight. The next morning we got our boats aboard, secured them and we were on our way to Rose Blanche.

Next day departure

Having gotten on the ferry at Grand Bruit we steamed almost 3 hours aboard the Marine Eagle to Rose Blanche. When we arrived at Rose Blanche the only suitable camping space was beside a run-down fish plant so Ralph arranged for free transport to Harbour le Cou, 5 minutes away. There we set up our tents by a vacant house, cooked supper and hit the hay for an early morning departure.

The serious business was about to begin.

The islands of Burgeo

Islands in the stream

There are tens of islands of all sizes just outside of Burgeo. On a map, they look like sprayed buckshot fired out of a 12-gauge shotgun.

Ralph, Stan and I were in Burgeo for a second day awaiting the scheduled Tuesday ferry run to Grand Bruit. The previous day we were in active water to the east of Burgeo. On this day we explored some of the islands that lay outside the town.

The next land beyond these islands would be the islands of the Carribean so we made sure not to paddle in an offshore wind!

Venice, Newfoundland?

Burgeo is heavily indented by the sea. It almost gives the impression of being a town built on a series of islands, like Venice, without the gondolas and architecture. Here Ralph and Stan paddle out the "Grand Canal" *lol* on our way out to the islands.

Oily calm seas

This was my first trip to the south coast. I don't know how many days a year the sea is as calm as this but I'd guess not many. No matter, it had settled after yesterday's swell of up to 2 metres and we were in for a sweat day of paddling.

Weathered granites

The area around Burgeo is composed of Silurian granites of varying crystal sizes indicating the granite was implaced at different depths. The greater the depth, the longer the magma took to cool resulting in larger the crystal sizes. Exposed after 100's of millions of years they're weathered to a tan colour by the pounding of the sea.

Between a rock and a hard place

Ralph and Stan paddling between Baggs Island and Rencontre Island.

Coming ashore

From the islands the beach at Sandbanks Provincial Park was clear to see and so we went there for a break. A sandy beach is preferable to a boulder strewn beach but it also has disadvantages - the fine sand gets into everything. I'd be finding sand the rest of the trip.

Sand into the horizon

Burgeo boasts the best sandy beaches in Newfoundland and on this evidence, who could argue. Too bad they are so far away from the populated areas. If they were closer they'd be packed with people rather than not another soul besides us.

We made out way back to Burgeo where we made final checks of our gear and supplies in preparation for our ferry trip to Grand Bruit the following day. Then the real paddling would begin.

It would be a week later and we'd be paddling along this beach again on our way to completing our south coast adventure.