Last Day in Newfoundland
20 August 2015
Thursday August 20th
We elected to stay in Squid Hole and do some clean up and departure prep, but over breakfast we looked at charts. I was using the calipers to decide which course to take over to Sydney when I saw a little island St. Paul's Island up a ways. 'What if we went there and anchored overnight, would that give us better sail direction and better wave maneuverability I wondered. We could take the 8 hour trip there, anchor and explore and then go to Sydney from there on a 9 hour trip, rather than an all nighter.
The problem with no internet is that we could not look up the island to determine the viability of that plan, except... we thought we might have some book somewhere and sure enough after searching Dave found a guide with postings from 1952 to 1977, all with advisories of terrible anchorage. One suggested sailors bring spikes and grappling hooks to secure their boats to a cliff in one of the spots! No thanks! We would stick to our original plan and head right over Cabot Straight in the late afternoon, for a morning arrival.
I was actually happy to clean out the wheelhouse which had really gotten bad. It is amazing to me how dirty a boat can get, I mean we are on water, how does it get so dirty? I took everything out, even the floorboards and gave it a good scrub down while Dave dealt with bagging the garbage and recycling and tending to engine room details. I left it to dry and sprayed lemon essential oil over everything so we could have a nice fresh place to hang out in for 15 hours.
Dave made soup and cheese and bread for a late lunch as we puttered and took it easy for the cool, foggy afternoon. Some warmed Brie topped with some of the red wine and cranberry sauce finished lunch off perfectly.
Dear Dave, he ran the generator and vacuumed the boat. Well, cat hair does accumulate on the cushions and such, it is nicer.... I did dishes and a final secure of galley stuff.
Preparations for an overnight crossing, Mysti-Cal style.
Place survival suits out in salon, along with foul weather gear and flares.
Put rescue remedy, homeopathic cocculine (anti motion sickness) gravol ginger in wheelhouse box along with a bucket.
(These first items are not expected to be needed, but we will have them there anyway.)
Go through emergency drill. Life raft deployment, emergency beacons, EPIRB, Mayday and MOB procedures.
Life jackets, throwing devices and lines are already always at hand as are jack lines and tethers.
Pillows and blankets out in salon.
Warm jacket and poncho's out and ready.
Dinner and snack preparations easily accessible in fridge and all other fridge items secured. Ukuleles and chord charts in nice clean wheel house along with whatever books and entertainment and writing materials one may wish for in the wee hours.
Fill water bottles and have on hand. (It is amazing how dehydrated one can become on water). Have all appropriate charts and calipers ready at navigation centre.
Make sure everything is secured below and above.
Do a 360 below deck and above deck to be sure everything is secured and all walkways are easily navigable.
Take a moment at the bow to ask for assistance from wind, water, land and all seen and unseen helpers, and thank them for the amazing support so far. Connect with each other and with Mysti-Cal and Kato too so that we are all one unit; wind, water, humans, animals, boat, and all earth and celestial beings. (The moon has a huge role in the act of sailing!)
Pull anchor up and head out to sea.
We did that and began our journey around 5 PM, leaving Squid Hole and Newfoundland behind us.