Paddling the bare minimum in Bay Bulls

Dean suggested a paddle in Bay Bulls as it is sheltered from the southerly winds forecasted.  When we got there Gerard was in the process of taking a tour group out.  Room was scarce but I managed to get to the front of the line and put in between the boats on the right.

Dean and Terry moved their kayaks over to this fibreglass unfriendly beach.

As we got going it got a little crowded but we soon ...

... gave each other a bit more space.

There was a sizeable swell in the inner harbour which meant 5 kms out in the open ocean it was going to be massive.  I shot this and as we paddled further east I took the camera out to take another shot and ...

... nothing.  The camera just would not turn on.  Massively disappointing.  I thought to myself there are going to be only a few pictures to share.  Therefore, I now going to redirect you to Dean's blog for more shots of today's paddle so he's bailing me out today.

Back at the takeout the GPS said 10 kms paddled.  That's barely a paddle but it was entertaining in the conditions.

Incidentally, when I got off the water I checked the camera for water inside.  There was none, not a drop.  I popped the battery out, reinserted and the camera was working fine again.  I'll remember that for the next time it happens..

The crown jewel of the Southern Shore - Part II

In Part I we covered the route to Lance Cove which is the site of the annual Fathers' Day club paddle lunch and turnaround.  We decided to paddle on to Church Cove and Cathedral Cave before stopping for lunch.  Between Lance Cove and Church Cove the scenery changed with more rocks offshore.

Another fine beach at Church Cove.

Paddling up the shore some more the cove opened up to the open ocean and a bit of swell poured through some rocks which, of course, we had to get through.  Clyde went first in calm water, Dean went next with a little bit of action.  My turn and things went south.  I waited for the wave set to clear before committing.  I should have waited a bit longer because as soon as I got behind the rock there were two more to come.  I rode over the first, dropped as the water sucked out followed by another large wave that pushed me against the cliff.  With no room to put my paddle I stuck my hand out to ride the back of the wave out.  Thanks Dean for the photo.

Just past Church Cove we entered Cathedral Cave.  Its the biggest in Cape Broyle.  I've never measured it but it must be at least 100 feet deep.  The last time it was here there was light shining into the cave at the bottom end where it was open though not passable.  Since then a rock slide has blocked off most of the light so it was completely dark.

Done with caving we went to Church Cove for lunch.  Clyde found a ball he called "Wilson" and kicked it around some with Dean.  While that was happening I tied a large bouy to my rear deck which ...

... Dean took a picture of after we got back on the water.  I thought it would make an interesting attraction in my flower garden.  It made the paddle back rather interesting as it affected the center of gravity.

At Lance Cove I captured the guys after they passed by the stack in the cove.

Clyde paddling on greenish waters with a waterfall tumbling over the cliffs.

On the way back we came through the same tunnel we passed through on or outward paddle.  This time there was a bit more water as the tide had risen carrying Dean safely through the entrance.

The day started in fog an it stayed foggy most of the day.  Near the end of our paddle the sun came out.  It didn't diminish the pleasure of the day.

The bouy also made it safely back and provided for a few good laughs and chuckles.

Cape Broyle is, what, some 75 kms from the city but its well worth the drive out.  There are waterfalls, caves, a tunnel and expansive sandy beaches.  We should go there more often and I will return for this year's Fathers' Day club paddle.

The crown jewel of the Southern Shore - Part I

We left the city which was bathed in sunshine to drive to Cape Broyle for a Saturday paddle.  As we drove down the Southern Shore highway the fog settled in.  It was foggy too at Cape Broyle.  Undaunted, we assumed the sun would eventually burn through the fog and we'd be in sunshine too.

They were processing fish at the plant which attracted hundreds of gulls.  As I approached they took to wing.

The first normal stop in Cape Broyle is Horsechops River Falls today much subdued.

We crossed at the usual place where level I clubs crossings take place and made our way east on the south side of Cape Broyle.

Dean paddles under an overhang in crystal clear waters.

Every opportunity to paddle between the shore and offshore rocks was taken.

Dean takes a shower and got a good ...

... drenching.

One of the draws in Cape Broyle are the numerous caves which of course we explored.

Dean making an entrance.

We arrived at Lance Cove to paddle along the sandy beach right where the water meets the land.

Lance Cove is the usual stopping point for Level I club trips.  It is where we stop for a break and/or lunch before returning for the day.  However, we were having such a good day we decided to carry on up to Church Cove and check out Cathedral Cave a monster among caves.

Taking control of my GoPro

I've been thinking of a way to manually operate the camera when its out on the foredeck and out of arm's reach.  I jury rigged an extension to the QuickCapture button of my GoPro.  I was anxious to try it out at Wednesday evening practice at St Philips.  Here are a few stills from the video I captured.

Dean and Nevile were there in their new fun boats.  The rest of us were in the ...

... long boats so we went for a paddle while Dean and Neville played.

Gene in his new Torngat.

Tina, I think.  She and her husband were first time attendees and, well, my memory may not be as good as it once was.  If I got it wrong I apologize.

We cruised through rocks undisturbed by waves.  We only had to concern ourselves that there was enough water to float the kayaks through.  On the way back I ...

... turned the camera around to video the captain. *lol*  While we went for a paddle there were lots of opportunities to practice paddle strokes like the cross-bow rudder.  I like it most because it feels like it has more of a powerful turn.

On the return we met Dean and Neville.  They took their time to play all along the way.

Some places were a tight squeeze.

Back in the cove and sufficiently warmed up from earlier rolls I did a few more.  The water is still barely above zero so it wasn't a long rolling practice.

I was pleased with the evening for its kayak activities and also for the improvised improvements to my GoPro waterproof case.  I did decide to modify what I had done and will post pics from that when I complete a final product.  A hit: it allows me to turn on QuickCapture with my paddle.

Looking for the monks of Iona - Chapter 5

Monday morning, day 3 of our Victoria Day long weekend trip, dawned sunny and bright.  The forecast was for wind out of the northeast which would be in our faces for the return to civilization.

We exited the sheltered Trinny Cove and headed north into the wind.  The wind whistled in my ears and the kayak ...

... slammed down as it climbed over the waves.

As we approached Red Cove Head we knew there would be an opportunity to find shelter and ...

... catch our breath.

We hopped up the coastline sheltering out of the wind where we could until we caught sight of Fairhaven Island at the entrance to Fairhaven.

Our takeout was over two kms into the distance with no protection from the wind.  It became a process of looking ahead for coastal features, paddle to it and then the next objective.

My strategy is to just paddle without concentrating on the destination.  I took one final picture because every time I took out the camera I fell off the back of the group and had to paddle hard to catch up.  By concentrating on just paddling we eventually arrived back at the ...

... slipway in Fairhaven.  It was a bit of work for sure but we were well positioned for the forecast only 6 kms from Fairhaven.  Checking my GPS afterwards showed we made a respectable average of 5 kms/hr into the wind.

We didn't find any traces of monks at Iona.  Maybe we were in the wrong Iona Islands?  Maybe we would have had better luck paddling in Scotland?  No matter, it was an excellent three day trip and there's no harm in a bit of fantasy to make a trip interesting.

Looking for the monks of Iona - Chapter 4

After stopping for lunch and a look around Harbour Island we made a short 2.5 km crossing to the Brine Islands.

Passing Woody Island, the largest of the Brine Islands the next group of islands on our way back to the mainland were the Grassy Islands which were ...

... more rock than grassy.  Maybe there was a bit of sarcasm in the naming?

Even so, they were picturesque.

The wind came up making it a bit of work to cover the six kms to Trinny Cove where we set up the tents for our second night.  We arrived at Trinny Cove just after 2:30 an with lots of time I decided to go for a hike to the top of the 50 meter high hill which dominated the cove.  On the way I passed ...

... evidence of the previous occupation of the location.  At the base of the hill the outlines of vegetable beds could still be seen.

Trinny Cove is one of the hundreds of Newfoundland communities that were abandoned and resettled to larger centers where better services could be provided.  Records do not indicate when Trinny Cove was settled but the census in 1836 recorded 19 persons.  Between 1845 and 1884 the place was abandoned and reoccupied from about 1884 until 1921 when it was permanently abandoned.

In all those years the maximum population never exceeded 30.

At the top of the hill I had a great view looking northwest at the Trinny Cove Islands and the top of Long Island n the farthest distance and a grand overview of ...

... our campsite.  We were camped in the middle ground.  Access to the lagoon behind the barasway was denied by the low tide and, besides, the camping ground there was too exposed to the wind.

By the time I got back it was time to get supper on the go.  Where we had pitched the tents was moderately protected from the wind but wind protection for cooking was required.  I used this washed up fish tub to place the stove.

As the sun began to set the chill from the northeast wind became noticeable.  There was plenty of wood right at hand which made a campfire easy work.  Once we had the fire going we opened the bar.

Darkness fell, it got colder, we crept closer to the fire for warmth.  The fire got bigger.  With all our wood on the fire we let it burn down until all that was left were ...

... glowing embers that looked like so many stars scattered in the night sky.

I picked up the rock I warmed near the fire, carried it to my tent to put it in the bottom of my sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep with, at least, warm feet.

It was a most enjoyable second day out.