The Big Down East Adventure: The Final Chapter

We left St. John’s with one goal – outrun a hurricane.  Thanks to technology, we knew Hurricane Larry was on its way, taking aim directly at the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, our exact location.  We had already experienced the dregs of two other Atlantic storms, Henri and Ida, and since they made landfall well south of Newfoundland, they gave us big seas and big wind that we safely waited-out in a couple lovely ports. However, Larry was on a different trajectory – he blew over Bermuda as a Category 3 and then turned east, skipping the coast, making Newfoundland his first landfall. With Larry we could not just wait a few days tied to a dock as we did with the other two, we needed a whole new level of safe harbour to weather a full hurricane.   We had a small weather window on September 8 to sail to Conception Bay, the other side of St. John’s.  It’s only a half hour drive across land, but by sailboat it’s closer to 6 hours.  We left St. John’s on a sunny Wednesday morning and sailed into an unsettled Atlantic for our final destination, the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club.  There was a sadness as we sailed past the soaring cliffs, crashing waves and lighthouses, knowing it was our last sail of the season, yet there was an enormous feeling of accomplishment, and at the same time, trepidation about a hurricane on our heels.

We were met with the usual Newfoundland hospitality as we arrived at RNYC – sailors greeting us, ready to catch our lines and helping us settle into our slip at the dock.  The club is guarded by a massive rock breakwall, protecting it from the bay, and we were nestled deep inside the docks.  We learned the last storm a couple years ago wiped out their old breakwall, so this new one was bigger and stronger and better at holding off the Atlantic.  We felt safe and welcomed by our new RNYC community. 

Larry was forecasted to arrive around midnight on Friday, September 10 and the next two days buzzed with activity at the club.  Allen and I made a list and got to work: remove and stow everything that is not bolted down and tie-up the boat to every dock and pile any which way it can be tied-down.  Down came the sails, the boom, the canvas enclosure, even the solar panels. We could hardly turn around downstairs as we filled every open space with cushions, canvas, boat hooks and sails.  We appreciated every word of advice offered by other RNYC members because unlike us, this was not their first hurricane.  We were lent more fenders, offered more lines and even car keys were offered in case we needed to pick-up anything in town.  By the time we were finished, Meshuggana was secured by 14 lines attached to piles, docks, an anchor in the harbour and 10 fenders with boards separated her from the dock. 

As a bonus, we got our 15 minutes (more like 1 minute) of fame when the CBC interviewed us, the hurricane newbies with a cute cat.

Our original plan was to remain on the boat during the storm because we (foolishly) thought there may be something we could do to protect her if something happened during the storm; however, we were quickly talked out of this idea.  Again, Newfoundland hospitality found us as Cathy and Fabian, a couple we met while in St. John’s, upon hearing our plans to remain on-board, insisted we come stay in their home.  We gratefully accepted their offer and packed-up Cat Stevens, a change of clothes and a few other valuables – hope for the best, but plan for the worst.  

Our gracious hosts opened their home and welcomed us with such warmth that we immediately felt like family – it was not lost on us that on the eve of the 20^th anniversary of 9/11, Newfoundlanders came to our rescue with kindness and generosity.  Their beautiful home felt safe and solid as we watched the storm move toward us.  Cathy and I opened the patio door to peek outside every hour starting at 8pm.  It started as a light drizzle, at 9pm it became steady rain with a strong breeze, at 10pm the rain was pouring and wind was gusting and at 11pm the trees were bent over and wind was howling and by 2am the rain was banging against the windows like a fire hose. Eventually we managed to get some sleep and the morning displayed minimal damage to Cathy and Fabian’s home – a few smaller trees snapped and handrails were pulled off the deck railings. 

On Saturday, September 11, just after midnight, Hurricane Larry made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 km/hour and gusts topping 180 km/hour.  By 5am, he was gone.

The 20-minute drive to RNYC revealed many felled trees and branches and downed power lines closed most businesses in town.  We anxiously approached Meshuggana, fortunately still tied to the dock, but unfortunately, she had sustained some damage.  All 14 lines held, but stretched, the anchor dragged letting her lay down far enough to catch the stanchions in the dock, bending them.  Our rudder also sustained damage as water left the harbour, dropping well below low tide levels, causing the boat to rock back and crushing part of the rudder. While a bit disheartened, we know the damage can be repaired and Meshuggana will be ship-shape by next season.  We are also so incredibly grateful we were not on-board during the storm.

The hurricane cut our travel plans short by only a few days.  Our plan had always been to haul-out the boat at RNYC on September 14 and this happened as scheduled.  Preparing Meshuggana for the hurricane gave us a head start on necessary winterizing work, so we were rewarded with a full day to take a road-trip and see some more Newfoundland.

It’s hard to imagine that after 14 weeks, 1800 nautical miles, 3 provinces, the mighty St Lawrence River, the stunning Saguenay River, the daunting Gulf of St. Lawrence, the immense Atlantic Ocean and of course, a hurricane, our Down East Adventure, Part 1 is over.  Allen and I are often asked what our favourite part was, but it’s simply not a question that can be answered.  The diversity of this trip, from the city of Montreal to the remote outport villages, from Belugas riding our wake to navigating with enormous freighters, made every day, every adventure special. 

And just like that, a mere 3-hour plane ride later, we are back in Toronto, already dreaming and planning the Great Down East Adventure, Part 2.