Sailing Karma

Overall it was a pretty easy trip. We had Trish with us at this point so it was a good shake down to see how the three of us worked as a crew, and it wasn't looking to be too tough of a trip. We did 3 on 6 off for the watches which was nice with the extra rest having a third person. We did a bit of motoring in the middle and a lot of sailing at 4kts with minimal swell. It never got too cold overnight really which was nice and we also had minimal fog!

Crossing the Straight of Belle Isle the wind pipped up as we approached the island Belle Isle, then on the other side it really got going. We were down to half the genoa and 2 reefs, that second reef was essentially me swimming on the foredeck but it was a smooth process. Karma likes the big wind so with this sail plan we had no dramas heading across the rest of the straight and into the nooks and crannies that make up the Labrador coast. Once in amongst the land the waves died but it was still just as windy surprisingly. We had a few rather heeled over moments over flat calm water with the double reefed main only as we started the motor to go through some channels before reaching the town. The coast was looking more and more 'nothern' as in very rocky and no trees really at this point. Just low down shubs and the like. We came around the corner into a rather quaint looking little bay surrounded by a wee town! We anchored just in the middle having passed the fishing wharf to starboard as we entered. We were expecting to wait out quite a blow the next day or two and the spot seemed pretty protected being as we were almost entirely surrounded by land.

A small fishing port on the southern Labrador Coast, Mary's harbor definitely feels like we are way out there now. At some point Heather and I walked out of town down the road which junctions with the highway and at that point it really sank in how far away from, well, anything, we were.

The town was mainly houses with a few little trails that weaved amongst them, of which we walked all of them if I'm not mistaken. Our first time ashore we discovered the famous black flies famous in Labrador. Essentially huge mosquitoes in quantites that could almost pick you up and carry you away. We sought shelter in a tiny house turned cafe which was surprisingly opened and had some tasty treats from a sweet lady who said "love" after everything. At this point we heard news of SY Esel planning to arrive in the harbour as well in hopes of making the same Greenland crossing! We had met Onya briefly in Shelburne just as we were getting fuel and leaving and hadn't heard of him sense so we were excited to have some fellow cruisers in the bay.

We then walked some of the trails and took in the sights and the silence. One of them went back out of town a little ways to a waterfall which was supremely entertaining as there were salmons trying their darndest to make it up what seemed like a probably impossible gap as they flung themselves out of the tannin filled water to great heights.

Having run into the crew of Esel during our wanderings we met the rest of Onya's current group consiting of Cassandre, Sky, and Robert. After some quick catching up it was decided we'd have a joint dinner aboard Karma later.

Esel was tied originally to a small boat dock but they moved to anchor behind us and rowed over. We had a lovely evening catching up over rice and steamed cod, a tasty salad, and a cake which they had bought just after we'd seen them at the same house turned bakery, probably having been called "love" a number of times in the process.

It was decided, after the wind the following day we'd both depart at the crack of dawn for Qaqortoq, Greenland effectively making it yet another cruisers race of the century. As Esel isn't equiped with radar we'd stay in contact with the Garmin throughout to talk about ice bergs and the like as we were now well within the territory of where we were going to start seeing them.