Lost places found

Greeting the morning

We had made it to Anderson's Cove, Crant's Cove and Stone's Cove. Abandoned communities lost to time but rediscovered on our paddle in Fortune Bay.

The night before in Lobster Cove where we camped Saturday night, Stan and myself were driven into our tents by rain and wind. The rain falling on the tent had a sedative quality but the wind beating on the tent made me wonder how long it would take to drift off to sleep. But sleep I did thanks to almost 30 kms of paddling.

When I woke at 4:30 the rain was coming to an end but it was still blowing out in the open waters outside of Lobster Cove in Long Harbour. I watched a fishing vessel come out of Anderson's Cove opposite and head out into the exposed waters with water flying everywhere. I relishedcthe thought of paddling home in it but the wind dropped, the fog settled in and we had pretty much glassy calm water to our paddle out.

The calm after the storm

Whitecaps gave way to a glassy calm sea by the time we had the kayaks loaded and got underway for our paddle out. There was a bit of fog but nothing to concern ourselves with.

Big Conne in the fog

We crossed straight across the mouth of Big Conne (an indent in the coast that's almost 2 kms deep) on our way out whereas we paddled in there and into Little Conne on the way down to Stone's Cove. It was effortless paddling once I got the loaded boat moving. The Newfoundland Census records of 1921 list two communities in Big Conne which I didn't know about beforehand. Might be something to check out if I ever get a chance to paddle there again.

Loaded to the gunwalls and sitting low in the water

For some reason, with identical Nordkapps and fully loaded, Stan's boat was heavier and lower in the water.

Stan's boat being stealthy black doesn't show up well in some pictures against a dark background so I watch for photo ops where he's in the light. It was flat calm behind the protection of Petticoat Island and we took our time drifting sometimes because you could see clear to the bottom where forests of seaweed rose to the light. I guessed the seaweed was close to 3 metres tall, quite amazing really. Sometimes it pays to look down.

Lookin' good

The greenery was particularly green after the rain the night before and fog that lingered somewhat. That, coupled with Stan's beautiful Nordkapp was worth a shot. Here we're just about to leave the protection of Petticoat Island with Chiffy Cove in the background.

Reflections

Stan sits in the reflective waters near Chiffy Point after we emerge from the protective waters behind Petticoat Island. I was slightly ahead of Stan at this point and noticed the greens and browns reflected in the water and waited for him to drift into the picture for a "Kodak moment".

Home is the sailor, home from the sea

Hauled up on a slipway back at Harbour Mille after approximately 50 kms to and from Stone's Cove. A memorable trip for me all the way around. I would definately do this again but next time I think I'd be better prepared by printing an old census to compare to some of the headstones of the abandoned cemeteries. There's something about the words of the "Ode to Newfoundland" that strikes a chord with me ... "Where once they stood, we stand". I'd like to know a bit more about the cast.