Abandoned places in stunning Labrador

Crossing the Belle Isle Straits should always be well planned as the current can reach 4-5 knots. This could create a terrible sea state if the wind is against the current or you can make very slow progress if the tide is against you. Luckily, at the time we wanted to cross (after the wind we had been sheltering from had eased) the current would be building to go East, so in our favour.

It was set to be a foggy and windless day, so we so motored across in calm seas taking advantage of 1-2 knots of helpful current aiming for Red Bay.

Historic Red Bay

We had been told by experienced Newfoundland and Labrador sailor, Jayne, that Red Bay was a must, so expectations were high. As we entered the harbour the fog magically cleared and we were in a beautiful little sunlit bay, where there are a lot of no anchoring zones because several historic wrecks rest peacefully on the bottom.

Part of the old public wharf is well maintained and the friendly people in the recently opened museum that was once a fish factory, helped us get power to the boat. It was also possible to refill water here.

Red Bay is on the UNESCO’s worlds heritage list because of its history as a 16th century whaling area. Basque whalers of France and Spain enjoyed at least 50 years of prosperity off the Labrador coast hunting right whales and bowhead whales every season. Several shipwrecks lie at the bottom of the bay.

The town has a new museum displaying archeological artefacts and information about the whaling times. Here you can also sign up for a boat trip and guided tour on the Saddle Island, where you will hear about the wrecks and the remains of the blubber stations. As an ironic touch it seems some minke whales have decided to live in the bay. These fantastic creatures were luckily oblivious to the tragic ending of their ancestors in this place. They were busy feeding on mackrell shoals so photographing one was quite a challenge, but we were luckily to see frequent quick glimpses of them throughout our stay.

We moved onto a mooring buoy further in the bay for a night as a strong south westerly wind would have pushed us uncomfortably onto the exposed dock.

Abandoned fortress and town in Henley Harbour

We moved further up the coast to Henley Harbour for a night. What a special place! We anchored in the bay close to Fort York ruins, which Steve found when he put up the drone. The following day we walked up to see the remains and it is amazing how you wouldn’t notice that you are walking on a ruin, because it has been swallowed up by nature. It was hard to find a place to land the dinghy here as the shore line is very rocky, so we ended up parking a little away from the ruins and taking a short walk.

Then we moved the boat to Henley Harbour and carefully anchored on a windless day. The old dock is no longer usable and the harbour is narrow and shallow, with plenty of rocks and ledges, we would certainly not be comfortable anchoring here on a windy day.

This is such a strange place too! The houses are colapsing, but inside you can see interior furnishings left behind. Shirts are hanging on hooks and spices left on shelves and the old boat workshop still has all the old tools. Even stranger is the graveyard. The white graves looks almost new but most are pre 1950’s.

The scenery is breathtaking and we could easily have spend more time here, but we had more important stops in Labrador, so we had to move.

The landscape here is rich with wild flowers, lichen and mosses and you don’t have to look too far to find plenty of edible fruits and Labrador tea.

A night at anchor and a quick stop at Saint Lewis

We headed for a night in Saint Lewis to pick up some provisions but decided to anchor for another night at anchor by Assizes Island as we had left Henley Harbour in the afternoon.

This was another beautiful sheltered spot to spend the night and another chance for some paddle boarding.

As we crossed the bay to Saint Lewis we started to see a few icebergs again.

The public dock in Saint Lewis is not easy to use as the ladders have collapsed and it is one of those high industrial dock you have to climb onto. Luckily someone was here to help with the lines and then we found a lower section, where we could step onto the boat’s rail and then onto the dock.

We had planned to get petrol and diesel here, but the gas station is quite far away, so we settled with fresh bread and vegetables from the local shop. The local fishermen found our mosquito head nets hilarious as it is apparently not that bad with the black flies and mosquitos just now, but we had been bitten quite a bit over the previous days.

The abandoned whale factory in Hawke Harbour

We continued along the coast to the abandoned whale factory in Hawke Harbour which was in operation until 1959, when the need for whale oil had disappeared along with a significant population of whales. Whaling in Labrador was small scale compared to countries like the UK and USA but it was still significant and this is only one of several whale factories along the coast. The location is beautiful and the rusty orange factory is in stark contrast to the rich green landscape.

At first we tried to anchor in front of the factory, but as we kept dragging, we pulled up the anchor and found a piece old industrial fabric attach to it. As we had assumed, this area was fouled with factory parts dragged onto the bottom over time.

So we went into a small inlet around the corner in front of the abandoned whaling boats. Also here we could not stop dragging and when we pulled up the anchor it had a lot of very soft smelly mud on it. We could probably have made it work here with another few attempts, but some serious looking clouds were gathering. So we went to a spot on the north side and as soon as the anchor had set, the sky opened with hail, thunder, lightening and a beautiful double rainbow. 30 minutes later it was all gone and the sky was clear, so Sarah once again jumped on her paddle board.

This place is absolutely surreal and it is interesting how picturesque decaying stuff can be. It is possible to take the dinghy all the way to the factory and around the whale boats.

An abandoned fish factory in Punchbowl

We had some fantastic nights at a wharf of an abandoned cod fish factory in a little bay called Punchbowl. Rumours were that there had been some black bears the week before we came, but unfortunately they were long gone when we arrived. But we were very happy to meet some lovely local people who showed us the sea snails (whelks) they capture, sell and eat, and they even offered us some to try. But we were way uncertain about how to cook them, so we thought it would be better if they sold them.

The dock is still in good condition and it felt like a quite safe and protected place to hide out if some bad weather should it arrive. One of the local fisherman even kept his fishing boat moored here.

It was interesting paddling in the bay and looking at the abandoned houses. It was also somewhat easy to walk around and look at the old structures, but there were quite a few nails lying around and also some swampy like grass, so it is a good idea to wear some good boots.

Picking up crew in Cartwright

We ended up motoring towards Cartwright as Daniel our friend and crew had arrived into Happy Valley Goose Bay and had planned on getting to the boat the day after. So we motorsailed along on a calm day and anchored in an open anchorage across from Hare Island – two hours away from Cartwright. Again we experienced solid mud and the anchor set as soon as it touched the bottom.

The next day we arrived in Cartwright a little after noon and had a happy Daniel waiting for us on the dock. He had already experienced the Canadian friendliness and had no problem getting a lift to the boat.

Cartwright is unbelievably friendly and the local people a going above and beyond to help us. The water in the pipes is not drinkable, but there is a local well where drinking water is available. The local harbour master Wendy happily went back and forth to fill up our Jerrycans, while Tony and Herb stayed by the boat to help loading it. Daniel and Sarah got a chance to try Herbs quadbike, so they could pick up laundry, which can be done for free at the local fish factory. Here you can also get a hot shower. Herb also arranged for a tour around town, where we tried to catch a glimpse of a black bear, but once again they were nowhere to be found. Just when we thought that he had done way too much for us, he pulled out some cute coffee mugs and gave them to us as a gift.

We have now gone through a big engine service, checked the rig, refilled diesel, water and gasoline and all the other practical stuff that needs to be done prior to crossing to Greenland.

The weather for our 4 day crossing was for once almost exactly as per the forecast with periods of light winds, two nights with almost no wind at all and then some perfect 15-25 knot reaching with seas on the beam.

As we left the coast of Labrador there were occasional icebergs in the distance, and this was repeated in the last 20NM of our approach to a sunny Qaqortoq.