St John's to Lewisporte

September 4th, 2021:

Wes:

We took some time to stop in a natural foods store "Food For Thought" before setting off to Lewisporte. Judith will fill you in on this amazing place. What is really nice about this store is its proximity to the waterfront in St John's. We will be tying up here in the not too distant future and it is nice to know we will be able to walk to this little gem for provisions! St John's waterfront has a storied history as well as its proximity to the famous "Signal Hill". I have seen so many pictures, read so many stories of this fabled nautical destination - I fully embraced the experience.

Lewisporte is about 4 hours by car from St John's - and well, I just couldn't stay any longer, despite my desire, in this little haven. The route to Lewisporte was punctuated with clouds, rain, and some seriously insane scenery. This place, I concluded, is a cross between the Scottish highlands, Ireland, Oregon, and Washington state. Its an every changing landscape from rolling green hills, lake strewn horizons, bear claw bays and estuaries, mountains, and dense forests. I am hooked Newfoundland!

We arrived at the Lewisporte Marina at about 4:30pm in a light rain, and there she is... Our boat. My first expression was - she is real! Arctic Tern I (as she is formally known) was purchased, sight unseen, in March 2021 - at just about the height of the pandemic and travel restrictions. I joked with friends, "I think I bought a boat anyways...". I have been drooling over this boat since I discovered her in 2014, but her price tag, not to mention location, were too far from reach. I am humbly ever grateful Geoff Greene (the former proprietor of Arctic Tern I) came down to a price that made the project tractable. But, hovering over my shoulder, just within earshot, there was always this little whisper telling me I got hoodwinked, and she was only an illusion purchased on paper and not a physical cold hard steel beautiful sailing hulk sitting on the hard in a fairy tale land. Today was proof positive - we own her. She is ours. She is real. And she is freaking beautiful!

Ok - a little rough around the edges. Agreed. But those imperfections are like wrinkles - this boat has seen more on this planet than most could ever dream about. From the EuroNav expedition to Antarctica circa 2008 to several sojourns to the polar north arctic and many points in-between and beyond - she deserves some battle scars. I happen to like them. Its like getting the dent in your brand new dent-less car - once you burst that bubble its all part of owning something with a shell to protect its occupants. Future dents or scuffs are alright. I don't want to fret over my pristine fiberglass - I want to get to places without fretting over what those places "might" do to the hull. I actually expected worse - and was happy with what I ultimately found.