DAY THREE
Day 3 was to see us all the way up and around Western Head - one of the most exposed passages of the trip - and over to Wild Bight if possible. A stiff north wind had sprung up overnight, the worst possible for this passage. The fetch of the ocean swell was unobstructed all the way from Greenland. As we neared Western Head, the swell began to make itself felt, rebounding off the rocky cliffs. This is a no-landing zone, isolated, in cold water. I was nervous.
Lorrie headed toward Western Head. (photo by Phil)
On the outside, the swell was 3-4', with occasional larger waves, and a general washing-machine rebound effect off the cliffs. I tried out my happy song - Zippety Do Dah - which helped a little. Phil and Lorrie were obnoxiously comfortable in these conditions.
By the time we reached the first little cove I was happy to stop in and take a break on the sunny rocks shown below. I changed into a drysuit to warm up.
When we returned to the water, the wind was beginning to drop and the waves were less chaotic. The paddling began to be fun.
Finally we reached Wild Bight, and saw many fine beaches to choose from for camping. We set up on the farthest beach, a huge stretch of black cobble.
John set about preparing a kitchen area, wisely planning to lighten HIS boat tonight. I went hiking up the nearby bluffs:
I had a grand view of the whole Bight, with Twillingate Island's cliffs on the far horizon. Our campsite is in the grey oval beach on the right center.
I could see the headlands we'd just crossed (above) as well as the bluffs in our harbor (below).
When I returned to camp, Lorrie had found a perfectly shaped rock for her needs.
Phil had probably been into the wine stash, looking quite happy...
and John was preparing a killer Thai stir-fry. This was shaping up to be a trip where I would gain weight instead of losing it....
Sunset was a spectacle of orange and pink. Our black cobble beach began to blaze.
We called it a day.
mileage = 12.5 miles
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