Within an hour, the outport of Rencontre East materialized before us and the engines wound down as we gently bumped alongside the wharf. Families waited for loved ones and goods to arrive, eyes searching for familiar faces on board. The passengers were given 30 minutes to explore the outport with most choosing to get a bite to eat at the only spot "Salty Dog Eat-In/Take-Out". There are no cars or trucks in the village with residents relying upon ATV's in the fair months and Ski-Doo's in winter. The roads are narrow and the houses clustered on flat spots of land and heeding no conventions of orientation with one another. The many colorful fishing stages look well used and functional while their small crafts are tied to buoys in a row out front. After a few quick photos and a stroll around the streets, I return to the ship for the last segment of the journey. The captain steers the ship closer to the coast than the usual route offering a great view of the barren rocky cliffs and short shrubs that struggle in the face of Belle Bay's winter winds.
It isn't everyday that one has their motorcycle loaded onto a ship via crane...I have Dave Murphy's advice to thank for this excellent episode of travel along the southern shore. The MV Northern Seal completes a daily trip from Bay L'Argent to the isolated outport of Rencontre East (French for 'Meeting') and terminating at Poole's Cove. This ferry ride negates the hundreds of miles of TCH all the way to Gander and Grand Falls as well as offering an opportunity to see the epic coastline of the south. I was awake at 6AM and scooting around town, mistaken that the ferry arrived at 7AM when it actually showed at 9:15AM. I sipped cup after cup of coffee at an RV Campground nearby while the fog collected into droplets on my beard. By 9AM, I heard the hollow blow of the ship's whistle break the fog as the silhouette materialized like a pirate ship in a film. The vessel slowed and the crew tossed the mooring lines to the dock and began loading the freight headed to Rencontre East. The crane operator lowered a small metal basket which I pushed the scooter on to. A box of boxed furniture joined the bike and was swiftly but skillfully hoisted into the air and lowered onto the deck. I climbed aboard the ship and situated myself on the aft deck for the crossing. The water was silky smooth and the wind nearly nonexistent as the fog burned off to reveal a spectacular day on the water. The fog shrouded coastline disappeared behind me as porpoise, jellyfish and a whale dotted the bay's surface. Fisherman raced past our wake heading out to catch their daily quota of 15 cod/boat. I enjoyed the conversations on board with some friendly locals and watched the coastline pass by a mile off the starboard side. Within an hour, the outport of Rencontre East materialized before us and the engines wound down as we gently bumped alongside the wharf. Families waited for loved ones and goods to arrive, eyes searching for familiar faces on board. The passengers were given 30 minutes to explore the outport with most choosing to get a bite to eat at the only spot "Salty Dog Eat-In/Take-Out". There are no cars or trucks in the village with residents relying upon ATV's in the fair months and Ski-Doo's in winter. The roads are narrow and the houses clustered on flat spots of land and heeding no conventions of orientation with one another. The many colorful fishing stages look well used and functional while their small crafts are tied to buoys in a row out front. After a few quick photos and a stroll around the streets, I return to the ship for the last segment of the journey. The captain steers the ship closer to the coast than the usual route offering a great view of the barren rocky cliffs and short shrubs that struggle in the face of Belle Bay's winter winds.
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Mike SaundersIn May 2014 I quit my job to ride a Honda Ruckus over 69'000 mi and counting. Wild camping most nights and cooking most of my own meals, I keep the costs low and the landscape changing. Archives
April 2018
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