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By LES ARMSTRONG -- Flotilla Correspondent
* NOTE: Technical difficulties have hampered the flotilla's ability to send daily reports. This log is a
compilation relating the events of July 2nd through July 6th.)
JULY 2:
A 7 a.m. departure found the fleet at sea again, in overcast and foggy conditions. As the day progressed the weather cleared to allow some sunshine as we made our way up the coast to Baie de Coacoaclou.
The buoy marking the entrance to the bay is some six miles out to sea and, thanks to the skill of the flotilla's navigator, each and every vessel found and rounded the mark. The leading marks into the bay take you through a very narrow channel several miles into Coacoaclou Bay, which is completely surrounded by starkly beautiful hills. The rock hills are covered by lichen and scrub growth, giving us our first real taste of what we expect to see in Labrador.
Newfoundland Flotilla 2000 flag ship 'Burin Star' flying full colours en route for Newfoundland
photo gallery
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The anchorage is very remote but also the best protected that some of the skippers have ever seen.
It wasn't long before most of the crews had dinghies in the water and were exploring the nearby wonders. The intrepid skipper and mate of 'Lap Cat' took a tent ashore and spent the night sleeping on a beautifully soft bed of lichen. Another skipper found a bed of mussels and within an hour had seven people feasting on a delicious, steaming appetizer.
After a full day of enjoying the natural beauty of this marvelous spot we bedded down for a good nights rest in anticipation of the next day's scheduled crossing of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence - and our first landfall in Newfoundland.
JULY 3:
The flashlight beam pierced the darkened Corner Brook NF movie theatre until it found three members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Bob O'Brien, Co-chair of Flotilla 2000. Soon they were on board the 38-foot power boat 'Summer Wind' heading at maximum speed down the 26 miles of the Humber Arm and then northwest into the Gulf of St Lawrence.
Some hours earlier, a call had gone out from the 'Patient Nancy' (see profile) en route across the Gulf of St Lawrence on an overnight passage from Baie de Coacoachou, QC to Corner Brook, NF.
Conditions on the passage were severe through confused seas, with waves of two to three metres and occasionally some to five metres. Winds were 20 to 30 knots from the southwest. Son Corey radioed that his father Jerry Coulson was not well, with chest pains and numbness in his left hand, and provided location coordinates from his hand-held GPS.
The Coast Guard at Riviere au Renard, QC was contacted. After many exchanges, and as the destination port was Corner Brook, the matter was passed to the Coast Guard in Port aux Basques, NF for action. They contacted a fishing boat in the area, the “Reef Rat”. It was soon on the scene and put a tow line aboard 'Patient Nancy'. This relieved Corey and Marvin, crew on Patient Nancy, of the need to navigate, reduced their anxiety level, and moved them more rapidly towards Corner Brook.
Time passes slowly whenever you are awaiting assistance, but even more slowly when you are waiting on the water. Finally, after many requests from Corey for an updated arrival time, the 'Summer Wind' appeared on the scene.
A line was used to get a Zodiac from 'Summer Wind' alongside 'Patient Nancy'. A Coast Guard Auxiliary Rescue Paramedic checked Jerry out on board 'Patient Nancy' and then with great skill and daring, moved him off through the still confused seas and high winds to 'Summer Wind'.
On board, an intravenous line was started for the patient and warm blankets reversed the chill that even a survival suit canit stay when you are in a boat open to wind and waves.
Once out of the Gulf of St Lawrence and in the Bay of Islands, the 'Summer Wind' made land at Lark Harbour and transferred Jerry to ambulance for the trip to hospital. There, the diagnosis was dehydration and fatigue. He was treated and released later the same day and is now fully recuperated and back on board the 'Patient Nancy.'
Back in Corner Brook, midnight approached, the show finished and the movie-goers headed for home. What was the movie? It was 'Perfect Storm,' of course!
JULY 4:
The Newfoundland Flotilla 2000 has arrived. Landfall on the Newfoundland coast was made after dawn at the Bay Islands. After a stormy passage the waters were calm in the lee of the land as we approached our destination.
Inside the bay the flotilla dropped anchor and waited until all the boats had arrived and then with all colours flying sailed in line the twenty some miles to the Bay of Islands Yacht Club in Corner Brook.
The club was expecting the flotilla and had made arrangements for us to help in celebration of the opening of their new facilities. Although the club has been here for twenty years they have just completed the building of a new harbour facility.
With the boats secured it was time to make arrangements for fuel, laundry shopping etc. The members of the club are more than willing and helpful in any way to meet the needs of visiting sailors.
JULY 5:
The first day of our two-day stop at Corner Brook was a day of celebration for the Bay of Island Yacht Club.
An official opening ceremony was held, with dignitaries from the federal and provincial governments on hand to help cut the ribbon to officially declare the facilities open.
An aerial display by a water bomber helped enliven the event. Entertainment and a reception fallowed to which the flotilla was invited. All in all it was a most enjoyable afternoon and evening.
JULY 6:
A quiet day in the Bay of Islands Yacht Club Marina, with the flotilla crews enjoying the sights and facilities of Cornerbrook before departing for Grose Morne tomorrow morning.
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