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2010, Sunday, July 2, 2023
Today we slipped our docklines at about 0715 in Bay De Verde and headed out into thick, damp fog and a southwest breeze. We were headed through Baccalieu Tickle and across the entrance of Trinity Bay and around Cape Bonavista and into Bonavista Harbour. The daily "Iceberg Analysis" from the North American Ice Service suggested that we may start seeing more ice after rounding the cape.
As we began our sail in dense fog, we passed numerous humpback whales. Often we could hear their deep, gushing breath before we saw them. They seemed to be everywhere, surfacing all around us with their blows, flukes and dorsal fins emerging from the fog, close aboard. These cold, nutrient rich waters, combined with huge phytoplankton blooms from long hours of daylight form the basis of the food chain that draws these whales to these waters each summer.
The day's run would be about 45 nautical miles. Halfway across Trinity Bay the fog lifted while the breeze held for some good sailing, sometimes surfing down waves with the knot meter touching 8 knots. Ahead we spotted a first glimpse of white and iridescent blue, low in the water. It was the first of several "growlers" we would encounter as we rounded Cape Bonavista. Growlers are essentially mini icebergs of less than 15 feet in diameter. They can be more difficult to spot because they only stick up a foot or two above the sea surface. However, a 15 foot block of ice is nothing to mess with. One of the photos below shows Mory at the helm as we sailed past a growler
As we rounded the cape, a larger berg loomed into view, as seen in the top photo above. We are staying on our toes as we continue our voyage northward through what are now technically termed "Bergy Waters."
Tonight we are tied to a dock in Bonavista Harbour. Behind us are the handsome white buildings of the old Ryan Premises, a now historic site that gives a sense of the shore based mercantile and business in larger fishing outports. You can see the Ryan Premises behind Tazzarin in the second photo below.
Do keep in mind that you can use the "Find Tazzarin" link at the bottom of these emails to see where we are. you can zoom in or out for more detail of our surroundings.
Bill
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