What the Walrus said . . .

Today was just purely frustrating!!

All night, as I laid in bed trying to sleep, all I could hear was the wind blowing outside my room at the Motel. It seems like every building in Newfoundland has vinyl siding, and in high winds it seems to shake and rattle which is not condusive to a good nights rest. The wind was definately not a really good sign of what was to come with the sunrise at 4:01 AM!

Car ferries are notoriously not built with a very deep draft, and they are relatively flat bottomed, which means they can carry broad loads in shallow waters, but they do not work well in wind and heavy seas. I am not sure about the ferries you find operating here in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland/Labrador though. These ferries periodically work in and around sea ice in winter and spring, so maybe their hulls are a bit different. Whatever the design issues, the ferry today, coming from Blanc Sablon in Quebec Province, was not able to safely make the transit across Belle Strait to ST, Barbe, Newfoundland. In retrospect, maybe NOT sailing was a good thing. I would hate for the ferry to start rolling and pitching in heavy seas while my car, and everyone else’s cars and trucks, slammed around in the hold, like HotWheels cars in a box shaken by a child!!

I was in line to get my boarding number at 8:30 AM, then at 10:30 AM, again at 1:30 PM, hoping that there was a break in the weather. Yet, finally the terminal operators announced the sailing cancellation at 3:55 PM. Over and done for the day!! CARP! The only good news was that I was not going to lose my deposit for today at the B&B in Forteneu, Labrador since the ferry was the isse, not me!

However, the bad news just keeps coming . . . the Dockside Motel, where I was at last night, was now completely booked with folks arriving for the sailing to Labrador tomorrow. There was no room left at the Inn for poor me! And the gale was still blowing through the parking lot!! LOL

Luckily, the very nice motel desk clerk has a list of B&B’s locally just for such occasions, and apparently this wind issue happens regularly thanks to some strange collision and mixing of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream somewhere over the ocean north of northern Newfoundland.

So I am now at my comfy landing pad about 17 km south of St. Barbe, at the small fishing village of Plum Point. This is a wonderful little location, operated by Ms. Majorie Dempster. It is known as the Pebble Beach Loft and it is perfect for my, hopefully, one-night stay, but I can see that, if the weather was accomodating, the beach directly across the road would make this a great little spot to crash for a longer stay! Think about it . . . when you decide to head north!!

Not much more on my end now except maybe switch to relaxing and streaming “Stranger Things Season 4” while the wind and rain continue to howl outside. Please keep your fingers crossed for better weather, a cool wind and following seas would be nice for a change!!

See you next in Labrador (POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!!)