Who’d a thunk it? Just off the Newfoundland coast sits a piece of France. Not French Canada, but actually France, with EU license plates, euros, 220 volt electricity, boulangeries, patisseries, metropolitan atmosphere, and Frenchmen (& women) everywhere. Quite a contrast with … Continue reading →
Moving east, one fjord at a time, a pattern emerged. Motor up a fjord, anchor, dinghy to the mouth of the stream at the head of the fjord, hike high up the stream, find a large flat rock from which … Continue reading →
Wild. Unspoiled. Beyond beyond. Stunningly beautiful. These are words that come to mind upon seeing Newfoundland, at least the part of Newfoundland we’re in. Our 85-nautical-mile overnight crossing from Cape Breton Island was smooth. Winds were lighter than forecast, so … Continue reading →
Newfoundland is unlike any place the Windleblo has been before. Rather than attempt first impressions in prose and pictures, this video teaser should do: Newfoundland Sailing Preview from Andrew W on Vimeo. Come back soon for more. … Continue reading →
For those who are interested, here’s the passage plan Andrew generated for the Cabot Strait crossing as part of his introduction to the cruising life: Objective To safely deliver Windleblo and her crew from Ingonish Harbor, Nova Scotia, to Isle aux Morts, … Continue reading →
“Man overboard!” cried Andrew at the start of his first ever MOB drill. Still in the confines of Sydney harbor, we were going through some safety basics before the 30-nautical-mile day sail to Ingonish, our final New Scotland port of … Continue reading →
We left the Bras D’Or Lake through the Great Bras D’Or channel, two knots of current on our tail, and sailed 25 nm to North Sydney and the Newfoundland ferry. Here, we tied up to the wharf at the Northern … Continue reading →
I guess it’s human nature to think of one’s homeland in terms of superlatives. The more places we go, the more it becomes apparent that each locality prides itself on something, claiming to be the biggest, the brightest, the oldest, … Continue reading →
In your dream, you’re heeled over under full sail, 20-knots of wind crossing the port beam. A sister ship, another Hallberg-Rassy, shadows you 200 meters to the lee. Your bow slices through the waves, spray occasionally crossing the deck. The … Continue reading →
More friendly faces, even in the city! Or what passes for a city in these parts. We found Halifax to be delightful, on a manageable scale with everything close at hand. Once settled on a mooring ball at the head … Continue reading →