Over Land and Sea: The Final Passage of the Year from Codroy to the Bay of Islands

Welcome back to Newfoundland aboard Arabella! This week, we’re traveling by land and by sea, making our final passage before winter settles in for the season. While Robin took the ferry back to Nova Scotia to shuttle the truck, I single-handed Arabella from Isle aux Morts to Codroy. Robin met me there. We had a few days to kill in Codroy while waiting for a weather window for the passage up to Bay of Islands, so we decided to check out the local Starlite trail. The views were incredible! The landscape in Newfoundland is unlike any we’ve seen before. Even Akiva seems to be quite at home here! We also walked down to the Cape Anguille Lighthouse, which was perfectly picturesque and idyllic. The last thing we had to do before making our final passage is shuttle the truck one last time. Robin drove to Corner Brook and rode her bike back to Codroy via the Trans-Canada Highway. The ride was about 90 miles long, but a strong headwind added a layer of challenge to the effort. By the time Robin pedaled into the marina at Codroy, she was very ready for a hot cup of coffee! We wasted no time setting sail—as soon as Robin got back from her ride, we dropped the dock lines and took off. The sail was smooth and uneventful, minus a needle nose fish jumping on deck in the middle of the night. We sailed past the MSC Baltic III shipwreck, and into the Bay of Islands with its steep, dramatic cliffs. Our plan was to drop anchor at Woods Island, but we needed to enter the harbor carefully—there are some uncharted rocks at the harbor entrance. Fortunately, locals had installed range markers on the hillside to help boats like us line up our approaches safely. Woods Island has a healthy moose population—we followed moose tracks through the island’s lovely network of hiking and ATV trails. We also treasure hunted along the beaches, finding sea glass and remnants from shipwrecks. After Woods Island, we head to the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, which will be home for the winter. We have not stayed in any one place for more than three weeks since last November, and Corner Brook seems like the perfect place to put down roots for a while. I break out the winter dock lines and our extra fenders, and Arabella is safe and sound for the season. In Corner Brook, we start hunting down the new Newfoundland rock climbing guidebook. We are eager to get out climbing while the weather allows! Tune in next week and join us on a backpacking trip through Gros Morne National Park. -------------------------- Episode #364 Sign up for our email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hn3Qyv Acorn to Arabella started as a wooden boat building project in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve began the journey as an amateur wooden boat builder crafting a 38' wooden sailboat in his backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and now sailing the boat—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that traditional wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project continues beyond the boat shop, as Steve and crew travel and learn to cruise aboard the handmade wooden boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva. -------------------------- If you are interested in supporting/helping here are a few ways: https://www.acorntoarabella.com/how-to-help Acorn to Arabella's wishlist: https://www.acorntoarabella.com/wishlistpriority TotalBoat supports A2A! Please consider using our Total Boat referral code. Click here, then shop: https://www.totalboat.com/acorntoarabella They'll kick 10% our way! To offer recurring support via Patreon, CLICK BELOW. Just $5 a month gets you an invite to our monthly patron-only livestream Q&A sessions! https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com FOLLOW US: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acorntoarabella/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acorntoarabella Website: http://www.acorntoarabella.com