We left 6/15th for St. John's, Newfoundland arriving on 6/18th (360 miles). It was a great passage - especially with George & Jan onboard as Jay and I are used to 3 hour watches throughout the evening, but with 4 of us we did 2 hour watches and had 6 hours between shifts ... HEAVEN!
We had wonderful weather (no rain, no fog) and a variety of wind conditions from none to 25+ knots.
We had a pilot whale escort us out of the Louisberg harbor, followed by a couple of pods of dolphins - all of which we took as a good sign. Sailors are SO superstitious!
Two days out, we spotted our first iceberg. So exciting! It was Jan's shift (approximately 5:00am) and at first she thought it was a cruise ship. Whenever you see a big, white vessel in the distance you automatically assume cruise ship, but not this time! After looking with the binoculars she saw that it was an iceberg. George came down to wake Jay & I up. We had previously given permission for anyone to wake us up if they needed anything &/or if there's something exciting to see - this definitely qualified as something exciting to see!
By the time we reached St. John's our iceberg count had reached 5, as well as several sightings of bergie bits (small chunks of iceberg that break away and float around). It's actually the bergie bits that are more of a threat to us than the big icebergs as the big ones are quite easy to spot and do appear on radar whereas the little ones are neither. Fortunately none were a threat, but it was a dash of reality of what we're going to have to face as we work our way up to Greenland.
We stopped 45 miles before St. John's and dropped the hook for the night in Aqua Forte. What a beautiful location! We were in a fjord, surrounded by cliffs approximately 200 feet high, and a beautiful, strong waterfall about 100 feet from where we landed. To top it all off, the water was filled with playful, baby harbor seals. They were adorable and so fun to watch as they frolicked around like the children they are.
It was a very peaceful night and a great way to finish off a very successful passage!
The next afternoon we arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland. The first time for all of us.
St. John's is considered the world's best naturally protected harbor. A narrow entrance surrounded by cliffs led us into a harbor that's about 1.25 miles long by .50 miles wide. And it is definitely a commercial harbor. The Coast Guard, shipping containers, tankers, oil field supply ships, and tons of fishing boats fill every possible location where Alkahest could moor (and there's no anchoring in the harbor). But everyone from the Traffic Controller to the Harbor Master to the tour boat Operator were very helpful and helped direct us to a large schooner to raft up next to (we're 3rd out as the schooner is rafted up to a fishing vessel).
St. John's has steep, winding roads and I wonder how they maneuver in the heart of winter! The homes are well maintained and all painted a variety of colors from reds to blues to purples to greens. It reminds us of Mexico and the bright colors they use.
The first day in St. John's was spent getting our bearings by just walking around and everyone picked up some gifts and souvenirs. The weather was absolutely fabulous - 75 degrees Fahrenheit, 24 degrees Celsius. We were laughing at George and Jan who constantly seeked out shelter in the shade as we wandered around town. Bet you didn't think you'd need your sweat towel on this trip, did you George??
The next day after picking up our rental vehicle, we headed toward Signal Hill to hike the East Coast Trail (which consists of 26 wilderness paths along 300 KM of coastline) and to visit the Geo Center (they had a great exhibit on the Titanic that we all wanted to see).
We hiked about 3-4 kilometers, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it was challenging as we maneuvered up and down the 500 foot rocky mountain. The view from the top was astonishing and we later learned that Signal Hill rocks are 450 million years older than the first formation of the Rocky Mountains!
Although tired and everyone so wishing for a hot tub (hey, we would have been happy with a hot shower) we all went out for a delicious 'last' meal as George & Jan were heading out early the next day.
After taking George & Jan to the airport and saying our goodbyes, Jay & I headed back to Alkahest to start on the repair and must-do lists (a boat ALWAYS has these 2 lists!).
We were expecting Ray to arrive the next day (Thursday) but as a result of an issue with his 1st flight, all subsequent flights had to be rebooked and his arrival is now early Saturday morning.
We are very thankful to all of our friends who are joining us at various points on this trip. Although Jay & I are used to being alone on the boat this is a trip where extra eyes and arms are required - especially if something should go wrong.
After working for 2 solid days, Jay & I decided that tomorrow will be spent touring around since we still have the rental. That should be interesting and create many new memories & stories.

Medical report:
Jay and I are both feeling great!

Repair list:
All repairs have been made and we're ready for the next list!

All is well on Alkahest
xo