Monday August 7th – Red Bay Labrador
The Plan:
Since this a Tender port, we will cue up as soon as possible, after we are ashore, we will make our way to the landing for the small boat to Saddle Island – the cost is supposed to be two US dollars per person to go over, not sure if that is a round trip or if the cost will double for the return
.
The reality:
I really did not plan to go ashore in Red Bay, but Barbara shamed me into it. So after a scrumptious breakfast we bundled up in our best rain gear and boarded the tender. Leaving the ship by water is always exciting for me, as we get to view this beautiful vessel as we motor ashore. She stands like a city at sea wishing us good times and promising to welcome us back to her warm confines upon our return. Her size dwarfs our little “lifeboat”.
The weather was very close to what we encounter at home on an overcast, misty day in the winter. After landing we made our way up a paved road to the shore side area of the small settlement. Our first stop was a very “World Class” interpretative center where we said hello to an authentic mannequin of a Basque Whaler, as this was a whaling station in times past.
Barbara had set her sails for a small offshore location know as “Saddle Island”. While I decided to see if I could find a place to have a beer and a snack. A local fisherman had established a small ferry service taking folks to the island and back. Barbara wanted to film headstones in the cemetery there. So as soon as she was off, I headed up the slope too a small cafe and souvenir shop, found my beer and some Ketchup Potato chips, yes you read that right – Ketchup Potato Chips, its a Northeast thing.
The locals tell stories of the insects that are as large as small birds, however I only encountered one or two black flies. Possible the mist and rain kept them indoors. After my snack, I took the next tender back to the ship.
While Barbara was ashore, the weather took a turn for the worse as the winds freshened and rain increased, so the ship had to suspend tender operations except for those who were already ashore.
As I waited for the final tenders to return I was amused as I watched them pitching and rolling in the rough waters of the unsheltered bay. The woman that I greeted on the tender deck upon her return looked like she had forgotten to use her umbrella, as she was soaked from head to toe, and she had left her tote bag sitting on a bench in the pouring rain and it’s contents were waterlogged , so our stateroom looked like the preverbal “Chinese laundry”, during the evening hours. I would have loved to seen the look on our room stewards face as he turned it down for the night.
Tomorrow is thankfully a day at sea, so we can recharge our batteries and just enjoy some of the many activities that the ship staff offers.
Jack W Cummings VOV 2017 – Red Bay Labrador, Canada
Cummings Family Adventures 