Eric: 50 Shades of grey…
Sailing in the fog gives
you a deeper understanding of this underrated color. A patch of darker gray in
the North? Get your outer jacket and get ready for rain. Lighter tint on the
horizon? The visibility might increase to more than 100 yards. We need a
new name for the fluffy, cottony gray that tells us that yes, it is possible
for the fog to get thicker. The dirty white above is a nostalgic reminder that
the sky once was blue. And what is this almost black blob on the horizon? The
coast that we are expecting? No, it's just a trick of the all powerful God of
the Mist. Among all this gray, the black and white flight of a penguin brings a
welcome contrast, and the red beak of a puffin is an extravaganza of color.
A short sail today from Saint Pierre to Fortune to clear
customs. Two tacks, broad reach, wind 10 knots, sea calm. A comfortable ride so
far. We are leaving France, so today's sandwich is jambon de Pays et
Ossau-Iraty basque cheese.
Francois:
Fortune is a mandatory call after St Pierre, as we have to
clear our entry into Canada, and this can only be done in some designated
places, like Fortune. Originally we were planning to do this passage overnight,
but during our final dinner in StPierre (very nice, thank you) we figure out
that it is best to travel to Fortune
early next day, and leave Fortune as soon as we get our clearance for an
overnight leg to IsleAux Mortds. So, we leave StPierre at daybreak. Another
navigation in thick fog – I will probably leave Newfoundland without ever
seeing Miquelon, although we spent the whole morning alongside its coasts.
Fortune turns out to be a rather nice stop (and the fog
lifts in the afternoon). Eric has a nice walk up the creek and 3 billions year
back (the cliff just next to the harbor is one of the few places on earth where
pre-Cambrian and Cambrian are visible). Dinner at the ferry ticket office
(where else ?), and we are off at 19:00 for our next leg.
About those overnight passages: we find that travelling at
night is a good way to visit multiple places, while keeping our pace. Of course
it requires the effort to sacrifice some of sleep, it leaves us a bit confused the day after, but
it is worth it.
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