Sailing Karma

Woweeeeeeeeeeee That there are many things here in Newfoundland that are not in Pacific Mexico. Pacific Mexico has many a spikey plant. Newfoundland? Not evidently on day 1. That lack alone would have filled us with joy while meandering in the hills today, let alone other lovely things and animals encountered. With its similar landscape, in a cousin sort of way, Cape Breton was left astern yesterday before noon after some coffee and casual projects in the morning. Twas a 100 ish nmile passage to get us to the highly anticipated Southern Coast of Newfoundland.

I had the pleasure of taking watch 6-12 and it was juuuust so. Little to no sea to talk of but plenty of wind to rip 7 knots no dramas. Time to enjoy leftovers (a spicy black bean medley thanks to Liam (thanks to the Bean Bible he is reading (thanks to the rec in the Annie Hill book he has been reading (Voyaging on a Small Income (thanks to the recommendation from mr solo Scottish sailor Robert on Silver Harmony)))), time to get back into sketching and practice before dark (via an urban sketching book thanks to a gift from my Dani (my sister)), time to finish my book (the 2nd Farley Mowat book of the week called And No Birds Sang (thanks to a book/chocolate Christmas gifting tradition adopted by Grant & Kate (Liam's folk))), time to zone out enjoying the motion of the boat and sails in an anthropromorphized deeply giddy state, make a decent charcouterie, have a cuppa tea. Just a joyous lil sail. A quick overlap of watches when I crawled into bed with Liam to give up the sit rep as he slowly awakened. It was contagious - while I was dead asleep for the next 6 hours, he had a similar experience of just awesome watchness until morning.

6 am does arrive despite my head being dense with slumber and I am on watch to take us into harbor, Le Cou was the choice. Sounds cool is all it takes for both of us to agree on a temporary home. The coast of Newfoundland is clear and rumors be true, there is cloudage abound. Rocks and a few scatter buildings are clear. Stone church looking doodad. Also a wide white stick that I binoc and confirm is a waterfall. I tack a bit in the mellowed out wind, make coffee, play chicken with a small ferry boat probably hustling people off to prepare for their famous Newfie kitchen parties or other delightful things the wonderful people here are rumored to do. Dolphins, three or four, surface as soon as I clicked the engine on, and promptly redirect their important course by 30* to SB to head straight for me. Playing in bow waves of motoring boats has to be less fun than in those of sailing ships but I didn't recognize these with their pointier dorsel fins so who really knows the kind of stuff they are into. They surfaced a few more times then must have realized it wasn't music from the club but rather a good ole tractor engine gone to sea. Although they were headed the opposite direction to myself and Karma, I'll put this on record as one of our many classic greetings via porpoise/dolphins to new found lands.

Rounding the corner we saw steep granite cliffs melting with visibly thin topsoil layers that only sometimes choose to produce scraggly short wind swept trees en masse. A fisherman inches from the shore setting a trap. Liam striked the mainsail as we rounded another corner which revealed a small village of a few dozen buildlings, the cutest lil breakwater not 3 boat lengths long, and a small wharf down the way. Through a narrowed passage we enter what feels like a larger alpine lake - one in which you can hear the punchlines from the campers across it. We see an eagle do its thing, soar, in front of a grand cliff. Work our way into the corner to another "ribbon" of water and work our way between rocks to sus out a spot at the base of a waterfall. We see many many rocks in the tannin filled, but thin water. Not necessarily close to shore. Having very little information on this spot to console our 1m draft home, we carefully reverse out in what was juuuuuust enough room to maneuver ye ole mothership and all her steely bulk. We stern tie back around the corner utilizing a new flat rope spindley doo dad from one of the neatest people we met this winter in Newport, Trisha.

We set off to hike the hills after Liam fueled us up in form of a pesto based pasta, utilizing our prized jar of pesto which we don't usually splurge on. Rocks and moss and new plants and tiny pink flowers and vicious views of interconnected lakes and of course the water falling all about filled the day. The childish and endlessly magical feeling had me thinking of time spent exploring around Crested Butte, CO with just golden friends. I saw what I think was a caribou jogging away from a spot close to where Liam was scoping the various views, sometimes through his well used camera lens. I hiked to a small lake and enjoyed a putz around the freshwater before dehydrating in the sun. Most certainly a Colorado kind of happiness. Liam eventually meandered over and made it to the water's edge to do the same JUST as I saw 1st a brave, then a pressured 2nd little black cub bounding down a not so distant ridge. One that feeds our cozy small lake. Already having decided to jump in back at the boat, Liam got dressed as I made some nice comments to let the little ones know we were leaving their play pen. As we strolled casually back, we hoped to see if indeed the bear babes decided to explore and try us out as new friends but alas we did not see them and were a tad disappointed. Liam spotted a small frog, afterwards noting it's highly ability to blend in. We bush wacked and fell our way back down to the dinghy. Rowing back, now low tide, confirmed some surfaced sinister central rocks that would have been easy to hit at anything but high tide, had we approached the inner harbor. Absolutely doable though and we are a bit tempted to yet.

In proper Karma fashion we still have some basic projects to get done, even in this idyllic spot. We started immediately on a half finished but important one. The impetus to make it happen starts like this: This last month we spent hoping for wind to push us to Saint Pierre. With the whole check in to another country thing that will be happening a lot in the near future, we figured we should finally put some identifiers on our stealthy 'no names no numbers' boat. In case we ever do get that wind. Plus it is, after all, very much required by all people everywhere. Just never got around to it during the refit, or the after refit, or the winter spent dormant, or the preparation to head north. Simply didn't make the list. But now, spray paint obtained (a nice "Kubota Orange" alluding to our trusty block) and stencils made after a quick photoshop sesh, we managed to get K and M on the stern before taking off. We taped up the R and the second A however just in case we would have to elicit sympathy to ward off a random fine from the powers that be (who be? (who cares? (Kate do you know?))). Sailing Vessel KRMA. As the bugs mounted in the evening we managed to get the final A on. Next up to do is our hailing port but we are feeling almost too formal after revealing our name on the hull so in all likelihood it will be a minute (not a year).

Between coats we read our books and now, as I write, Liam is making our newly discovered but growing in popoularity meal - hot dogs. It's just tasty what can we say. Home made buns a little bit of dijon and siracha some banana peppers cream cheese and sauteed onions? It's just easy and hits every time. We won't apologize! In other news, here in Newfoundland, I am looking forward to having some moose that people report is widely shared. Curious if people eat the caribou as well? Time shall (and will) tell.