Our Day Of Departure from St John's Newfoundland

Breakfast at Cora's before our departure, with Randy, Karin, Steve senior and Steve Junior



















On deck for departure pictures







































Just leaving the dock, as we have turned and are heading out to the Narrows.



















Just entering the Narrows leaving the Harbour



















Also just entering the Narrows looking back into the Harbour

















Just now coming out of the Narrows and heading on over for Cape Spear, seas were not to bad here but we could see some waves ahead and they were breaking.

















In the Narrows also just entering the sea




















This is looking again back as we are leaving the Narrows and St John's Harbour.




The trip on an average sail would have taken us about 9 to 10 hours, but on this day with seas at about 9 to 10 feet on our Port side and breaking with also a 15 to 20 knot wind gusting at times to 30 plus knots we made our first leg of the trip in just 6 and a half hours. This was a good start although we realize we have to store things a little better as there was a bit of a mess inside the boat. So with that we decided we would spend a day of rest and get better organized in Fermeuse.

Some of our Many Friends From Newfoundland

Cake which Karin's place of employment had for us on her last day at work.

Cutting the cake

Wayne and Karin

Karin, Jerry, John, Dianna, Pat and Mike

Maurice, must say we our greatly indebted to this chap, a real true friend beyond measure.

Buds of mine Wayne and Dwayne, great guys

Tom from speedy, I'm still keeping count Tom, at least every day.

Dave Pike, great golfer and real good friend, he said we would never leave.

Moose, again another great person I worked with

Darrell, best fellow I've worked with and best sales guy at Speedy, good on you Darrell.

Quidi Vidi Office crew

Mike

Kim

Frankey, real great guy always trying to help you

Chris on the brewery line

Dave , would like to thank you for having us for 3 and half years

Barbara, we would also like to mention Ed Soper and Roy the Brew Master of Quidi Vidi Brewery, wasn't able to get pictures of them.

There are many more people but going forward in following posts will speak of them with respect to our times in Newfoundland.

Thanks to you all

Patric and Karin

On our Way

At the dock in St John's

Leaving St John's

Oil Rig Marrystown

Well its been about two weeks since we have been able to post anything here, as we have been sailing the east and southern shore of Newfoundland. Today we are at the Hotel Port Aux Basques where we have finally found some internet. Its been a hard two weeks inching along, having the weather controlling what we do. We are hoping that late Tuesday or Wednesday morning to push off over to Cape Breton. Once we get to a better spot for internet will upload some pics of what we have been seeing.

Cheers

Patric, Karin and Butch

Quidi Vidi

Well we've pushed off over to the main harbour in St John's, leaving Quidi Vidi harbour with the tide at 7:51 this morning. There was a 2 to 3 meter sea from the south east, winds at 12 knots. The wind is to build later in the day to 30 knots. The trip was a bit rough, as we just motored over not using any sails, took us about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Now tided off of another vessel, will get the remaining little things done and secure the interior of the vessel for Saturday morning departure. All is well.

Patric, Karin and Butch

It's Time

Well what can we say it's now almost time to loose the dock lines and head on. We've got about 56 hour's left weather permitting, as we will not be tempting fate, we will move as the weather permits. It seems that 5:00 am on the 15th of May has a good window to get on our way. We've been able to get all of our to do lists done as well today sold the car. We will be able to use it up until Friday evening when Karin will be all done. I must say we are excited about heading on but sad as well as we have made so many great friends, with whom we will certainly miss yet keep in contact with.

For a couple who was to be here at best 2 years it has stretched into 3 and half years. When I think back to when we pushed off from Kingston back in August 2005, we sure were new to sailing then, as we have come along way since then and found our sea legs as well many things which we could only have learned out sailing and living aboard. So it is with that, that I think of the phrase, " somethings just happen in their own good time and one will know when they are ready". We are there now, but still so many things yet to get better at.

The Days are in the teens until we leave

This picture was taken from Signal Hill showing St John’s Harbour

With the weather improving with every day we are getting the last things done before we push off. We have about 12 days left, with the hope the weather will be with us, we will leave from the St John’s Harbour, as the tide from the Quidi Vidi harbour will not permit us a 5:oo am departure the tides will be to low. So it’s hoped that a couple days before departure we will move over to St John’s harbour and for the long waited moment to finally leave after being here for three and a half years. That was four winters the last two being real good. We will be leaving with some real good memories and some real great friends of which I will introduce some of them in the following posts. Not all of our time has been good though but time usually takes care of that.
We have sent out a general email to some people who have showed interest in our trip and given them the opportunity to be placed on our SSB email list, they need only get back to us and let us know. If you didn’t get an email and wish to be included, just forward an email to the email shown on our blog and we will be glad to put you on the list. With being on the list there must be no attachments, only text files.

This site is the calm sea just outside of Quidi Vidi Harbour, home for Artful for 3 and ½ years.

I haven’t figured out how to post to the blog from our SSB or if we even can so whenever we do get some internet will post an update. On the blog in the left top you will see The ArtFul Dodger sailing position, by clinking on that you should be directed to a page which will show where we are and then by clicking on the little balloon and you should see some comments as well our lat and long position.

Will be back here shortly with some more info and updates on departure

Patric, Karin and Butch

We are getting Close

I must say that the passed few weeks have been full of many chores, and some things are finally starting to get cleared up. We now have our SSB working and are listening to Herb talking to other vessels in the south, so that we can get familiar how things are done. We have also been able to listen to people from Russia, France, some where in the eastern part of Europe, southern parts of the United States, Quebec and South America. Our next task is to get the pactor modem working so we can send and receive emails and down load grib files for weather, certainly a new area for us both. So I've been deep into painting, cleaning anchor lockers remarking our chains with length distances, and sorting through all the containers and sorting out and reorganizing.
Between all those chores we take time to go for walks.

Here is Karin on one of our walks taking a rest.














This is the view she is looking at, the fog, as we find ourselves above it. Those two peaks are the harbour entrance to Quidi Vidi and the ocean as well.









from our boat in the morning we have two neighbour's bald eagles. If you click on the picture it will enlarge and you will be able to see them better.













Now this fellow is Butch our buddy, you will find him here in this position in the morning around 6:00 am and same at 6:00 pm or 1800 as we are now using the 24 hour theme. Its treat time and he knows when it is.







I could go on about a lot more but think will save it for the next post as have some exciting information to pass along, but still in the finishing stages.

Cheers all Patric, Karin and Butch