2030 Sunday August 14
We awoke at anchor in Brigus Sunday morning. There was a brief hard rain before we went on deck; but, that was the last of the rain for the day. Skies were grey and heavily overcast as we headed out of Brigus and turned toward Conception Bay. At times the lighting on the rugged coast was most dramatic as we spied cascades of small waterfalls along the coastline.
It would be about a 40 mile run to our destination, Bay De Verde. This small but busy outport is the very last harbor in Conception Bay as one heads further north up this coast. The passage was easy. At times the winds were light and on the nose, causing us to power. At other times the wind clocked around more on the beam and we could roll along using the jib with winds sometimes gusting to 20 knots.
At 1500 we motored in through the narrow channel between two hefty government breakwaters into the enclosed harbor. When I was sailing here in 1977, and even in 1987, the shores here were lined with small fishing stages (sheds for mending nets and trawls). Times have changed. The collapse of the cod fishery a few decades ago brought an end to many fisherman's stages. Now Bay De Verde has a large and relatively new fish processing plant on one side of the harbor. We watched as cod was unloaded from one boat. Many were bringing in crab. Much of the crab is processed and sold to aquariums around the globe to feed their animals; some of it also goes to Russia and elsewhere to feed people.
With most of the dock space in the harbor filled with fishing boats, we passed by the wharf at the fish plant to inquire about a berth for the night. In friendly Newfoundland fashion they gestured for us to tie up in the very corner of their wharf. It is a fairly peaceful spot, even beside the plant. In the photo above you see the harbor of Bay De Verde viewed from shore looking out. The blue building on the left is the fish plant. Tazzarin appears as no more than a white dot in the back left corner of the photo, tied to the fish plant wharf.
Ashore we enjoyed a couple of small parks with benches overlooking the harbor. We also discovered a charming house museum that gives a historical look at life in this outport. Our tour guide was born and bred here. She pointed out images of her husband, father mother and grandfather in the exhibits.
In closing, I am thinking back to Brigus, where we spent last night. The famed artist Rockwell Kent briefly resided in Brigus and strived to create an art school in that seaside community. Sadly he became unwelcome when there was misplaced conjecture about his political views. Nonetheless, Kent created beautiful art while here. He would later create a charming woodcut of his beloved Brigus at night with a a moon overhead and schooners in the harbor. Kent would also go on to cruise this rugged coast in a small boat, visiting Labrador and then crossing to Greenland where the small sailboat was wrecked and Kent survived.
On to Trinity Bay tomorrow.
Bill
