Mysti-Cal Adventures

On an adventure

14 August 2017
13 August 2017 | Baddeck NS
13 August 2017 | Baddeck NS
20 August 2015
16 August 2015 | Indian Cove Washbuck river
16 August 2015 | Coulette Cove
15 August 2015 | Ramea Island Newfoundland and Labrador
14 August 2015 | Grey River
13 August 2015 | Aviron Newfoundland and Labrador
12 August 2015 | Fransois Newfoundand and Labrador Canada
11 August 2015 | Fransois Newfoundand and Labrador Canada
10 August 2015 | Hare Bay
09 August 2015 | Bay D'Espoir, McCallum Newfoundland and Labrador
07 August 2015 | Balden's Cove, Newfoundland & Labrador
06 August 2015 | Sagona Island, Newfoundland & Labrador
05 August 2015 | Fortune, Newfoundland & Labrador

Burgeo, Cinq Cerf, Couette Cove

16 August 2015 | Coulette Cove
Sunday August 16th
The next morning we left Ramea around 11 after waiting to see if the fog would lift. It didn't, so we wound our way back out, using the handy track we had on the ipad from coming in, Dave sounding the foghorn out our front window as we came around bends in the thick fog. It is a strange feeling to be moving along when you can't see anything, but can hear crashing waves and foghorns around you. You have to trust your equipment and your instincts!

Just out of Ramea we heard a MayDay on the VHS. Now there are levels of alerts, 'Seccurite' which is used if there is a problem like a log obstruction, a cargo ship moored or coming through, something you need to be aware of that may pose a danger. The comes Pan-Pan which means someone is in trouble but not urgent or life threatening. Like anchored but out of gas, or disabled and drifting, in need of a tow but not in danger. Then there is Mayday which is imminent threat, a medical emergency, a sinking ship, a fire aboard, or in threat of crashing on the shore.

This was a sailboat 'Not a Pipe Dream' calling from the entrance to Grey River in danger of running aground. We could hear them talking to the coast guard telling them their engine had quit right at the opening, which we had come through and knew to be not a good place to lose your engine at all! They were in danger of being dashed against those rocks and that would be the end of any boat.

After the coast guard got the details, they put out a Mayday. You are under obligation to offer assistance to any mayday, and we were getting our co-ordinates ready to call in to the coast guard in case we were the closest vessel to them, when we noticed the powerboat Alizanne on our AIS unit. They were closer and it looked like they were heading there, although we had heard nothing on the VHS as far as a response. Dave was just ready to call when we heard 'Not A Pipe Dream' call in that they got their motor started and were moving away from the rocks. They wisely decided to head to Burgeo rather than go into Grey River. We agreed! Not a place to go into if you cannot trust your boat!

Tragedy averted we put our speed back up and headed to our next destination. We wanted to do a fly-by of Bergeo just because Farley and Clair lived there for a while and wrote quite a bit about it. It was not all flattering and apparently their names are not welcomed there, but we wanted to see it anyway.

Along the way, in the thick fog we kept hearing the coast guard checking in periodically with 'Not A Pipe Dream', making sure all was good. They had 'Search and Rescue' on stand-by until they knew the boat was well on their way to Bergeo, asking them to check in once they were secured there. It is good to know that they are so thorough. Pipe Dream estimated they would be there in 3.5 hours, we would be there before an hour so would miss them.

We nipped in past the town proper, just making out the islands and rocks we needed to wind through, sounding our hand held fog horn as we went along and into the little bay we were going to anchor in for a couple of hours. We took a few turns until we found a spot to drop the hook, beside an abandoned fishing plant, closed Kato up in the boat and dingied through the maze of tiny islands to the government dock. It was a little harbour, and we noted two sailboats and a few assorted little fishing boats filling up the sparse dockage. We tied our dingy to a low stationary dock and went ashore.

There were boats up on the hard, we noticed one from Kingston there with a trailer beside it, no one home though. Dave was walking ahead and I heard him say, " You won't believe who's here!" I rounded the corner and there was 'Beamy' from Picton, all hauled out.

We called a greeting and out came Bernie, just as surprised to see us. We caught up on his news and told him that we would get places to hear about 'another Ontario guy, single handing, poor guy, his wife broke her ribs and had to go home! Just left this morning before you came in!' We thanked him for getting the green marker put in at St. Brides for us. He told us that story of hitting unmarked shoals, but as he had a swing keel he could lift it and not get grounded. "Ridiculous" he said."Those shoals should have been marked, sure I called the coast guard and complained". We're glad he did or we may have hit them too!

He had decided to pull out there and come back to spend another year on this coast, and they let him dig a hole in the pavement to put his keel in and helped him do it as well as helped him build a wooden cradle to hold Beamy through the winter. 'It's the most secure spot I've had to keep the boat in!' and it was a little sheltered nook with a small hill on either side of the boat. She was in no danger here no matter what the winter brought. 'And you know the lady that runs the place did my laundry! I think she felt sorry for me, a man on his own, losing my wife, and I act like I can't use a washing machine.' LOL

We hiked around a bit and saw a drug store that did not yield any supplies we needed, so decided to walk the 'Oh just five minutes up the road' to a grocery store. Twenty minutes later, still no grocery store, (it was much further up) we came to a convenience store that had potatoes, fresh broccoli and soda water! Yea! They also had Black Horse, a local NFLD beer so we stocked up, and laden with a back pack and a shopping bag full of supplies we headed back to the docks.

Bernie was hoisting a plastic owl, said to keep seagulls from pooping on the boats, but I am pretty sure they know the difference between a toy and a real threat. "I lost my pussy-cat as she went home, but I still have my owl!' He told us from his perch aboard Beamy. We waved a goodbye and said we would see him back in Ontario and brought our stores back to Mysti-Cal. Raising the anchor and out, the fog had lifted a bit as we wound through the islands following the Ferry track through. The Ferry was just coming in from Ramea, so I slowed down to let her pass and dock before continuing through.

As we meandered through the very tight channels between shoals and islands, Dave was out taking pictures and I was on helm. The ipad chart was needing attention and I accidentally kept touching something that kept loosing the tracks. As I was trying to figure out what was going on, I was not paying attention to the fact that I was OFF auto pilot and on standby. When I looked up, maybe 30 seconds later we were pointed right into some rocks. YIKES! Dave jumped, "What the hell!" Oh boy, inattentiveness is deadly. You really need to be focused. I got her turned and out of danger within seconds, but yikes, that was sooo not good. Texting and driving, looking at charts and driving, No. No. No. Not when in tight quarters with strong currents especially!

Once out into the clear we headed over to Cinq Cerf and Dave got a lunch of cheeses from St. Pierre with crackers and bakeapples, and leftover coleslaw. Later around 4:45 we saw a humpback whale waving it's tail, and just before five a Fin whale surfaced three times before with a final blow he/she dove below.

We came into the easier entrance and headed up Cinq Cerf through the fog past Betty's cove. We knew we had to go past woody Island and over a sandbar between two shores to our chosen anchorage, but it was confusing in the fog to orient ourselves and we almost missed a turn, doing a turn around in the fog to get straight. It appeared on the chart as one thing, but in the dim light through the fog as another! The charts were way off here, making it look like we were almost on the starboard shore, rather than in the centre of the channel on entering Culotte Bay.

The guidebook mentioned a sandbar and to favour the port side, so we kept Dave in the bow as lookout and entered into Culotte Bay. We could see big rocks sticking out on one side and a high cliff on the other, but not much else in the fog. We set anchor and relaxed a bit on the aft deck and as the fog began to lift we realized we were in another very beautiful anchorage! Private, no sign of humans, the green hills and what looked like a sandy shore ahead was very inviting.

After a late supper of leftover lasagna we sat out in the beginning twilight and Dave noticed a huge bird off out starboard side, a young eagle flew past us within yards. Wow. A few minutes later I watched Kato go on high alert and race to the bow. I followed his gaze as Dave said, 'There's a huge animal on the shore.' Over on our port side we could make out a caribou grazing along the shore. Very cool! Kato was right up on the bow and as I went up to join him he would glance at me and then back at the caribou as if to say 'WTF?'
Comments
Vessel Name: Mysti-Cal
Vessel Make/Model: Cal 2-46
Hailing Port: North Sydney Yacht Club, Nova Scotia Canada
Crew: Dave Curtis (RIP) , Krow Fischer, Kato Cat
About:
Dave Curtis fulfilled his lifelong dream of being a sailor, when he found a first mate willing to adventure. Krow has never sailed, and, pelican like, dove head first in. They took navigation, seamanship, radio operator, diesel mechanic, diving, and getting as much hands on as they could cram in. [...]
Extra:
Mysti-Cal is a good solid boat that we both loved. So much room inside, great live aboard with amazing storage and the view from the raised salon makes anchoring a beautiful thing! ! She feels like home no matter where she is. We had a big project getting her back into the shape she should be, [...]
Home Page: www.hereonearth.ca
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Mysti-Cal's Photos - Main
July 14 and 15, 2015
No Photos
Created 15 July 2015
launching from Lewisporte Newfoundland and out through Notredame Bay
5 Photos
Created 10 July 2015
No Photos
Created 14 July 2014
Our travels through the Gros Morne area.
21 Photos
Created 14 July 2014
Our journey onwards to the point of crossing to Newfoundland.
32 Photos
Created 10 July 2014
From Tadussac ocross the river and onwards.
6 Photos
Created 7 July 2014
An experiment with gardening aboard..
3 Photos
Created 6 July 2014
Our stay over at Marina du Port de Quebec
13 Photos
Created 4 July 2014
Our journey through the locks and onward up the St. Lawrence.
20 Photos
Created 4 July 2014
Saturday June 28th was a great send off party from Waupoos Marina Folks. They will all forever be part of our journeys as we carry their well wishes and joyful souls with us! Thank you!
18 Photos
Created 4 July 2014