(thumbnail photos - click on images to enlarge)
At 11:30 am on August 31, 2002, Richard Chisholm, Jim Warren and I began a 9-day journey to visit some of the islands that Placentia Bay has to offer. This trip was actually conceived about a year ago when the three of us were on an overnight trip to the Ragged Islands of Placentia Bay from Davis Cove. While nursing a small drink, and a large hole in the foot (that’s another story!) at camp on King Island, we conceived a plan for a new paddling journey. And now we were on our way.
Approximate route
Jim was paddling a Nigel Dennis Explorer, Richard a poly P&H Cappella, while I was in my new P&H Quest. We had the usual camping gear including tents, stoves, fuel, thermarests, tarps, sleeping bags, bucksaw, etc. and enough grub for 11 full days. In terms of paddling wear, we chose our three mil wetsuits given the relatively “warm” waters of Placentia Bay this time of year (14 C or so), paddling jackets, and PFDs of course. Other gear included a full set of topos and charts, two marine radios, two cell phones, compasses, flares (pencil, parachute and hand held), first aid kits, repair kits, emergency blankets, safety shoes (remember the large hole in the foot I mentioned earlier) and lots of other odds and ends that we have built up in our standard emergency kits over the past few years.
The night before our departure, a system was forecasted to produce gale force northwesterlies. While it was unseasonably cold on the morning of our departure (about 12 degrees), it was partially sunny and the offshore northerly flow had abated.
A short ways out of Parker’s Cove we spotted our first eagle and for the next nine days we would continue to have regular and frequent encounters with these magnificent birds. In fact, eagles in Placentia Bay are almost as numerous as seagulls. Prior to our first stop on Cape Roger Island we had also encountered a few seals, and a porpoise.
After a short break on Cape Roger Island we decided to take advantage of the fair winds to round Cape Roger (see photo 1) and cross Paradise Sound to Great Paradise. Jim and Richard had some experience in this area before and noted that a southerly swell can make things interesting at Cape Roger. Indeed “Where the Winds Blow: A Guide to Marine Weather In Atlantic Canada” notes the presence of a southerly tidal current out of Paradise Sound, shoals south of the sound and a fetch all the way to South America causing rough waters. Armed with this knowledge, and with the knowledge gained from a short chat with a fisherman in Parker’s Cove, we decided to take advantage of the northwesterlies and make tracks all the way to at least Great Paradise. There are several resettled communities along the route that would also likely be decent campsites including St. Joseph’s (west of Cape Roger) and Port Anne (East of Cape Roger). We chose to leave these for another day.
Photo1
We arrived in Great Paradise around 3:30 pm. It is typical of many former fishing villages along the coast. Few trees and lots of rock! Back around ’99 there was a reunion in the area. As part of that celebration former residents brought an old brass bell from the original church, which had been kept in a community on the Burin Peninsula, back to the village. It now sits proudly on the left of the harbour as you paddle in.
About 1 km from Great Paradise we found a great campground in Little Paradise. To the left of the harbour as you paddle in, there is a small cove consisting of a beach and field, hemmed in by a semi-circular cliff forming a sort of a natural amphitheatre. It is quite sheltered in all directions except from the South East. Water is a short climb and walk away in Little Paradise, where raspberries were also in ample supply.
The following day dawned clear and cool but with a stiff southwesterly breeze of up to 70 kph. I climbed a rock at the edge of the cove and watched a few ducks fly over. We then took a hike over to Great Paradise to seek some local knowledge re the sea conditions to confirm the obvious. The advise was unanimous...stay put!! We were told that the southwesterly swells meet an outgoing current around eastern head creating steep rough seas on days like this. Once again, this concurred with “Where the Wind Blows”. The White Sail Bank, Bennett Bank, and Merasheen Bank south of the area tend to create large seas from the south especially when they run against the south going ebb tide. That was enough for us to decide to make this a hike day.
The hike into South East Bight takes about 3 hours return and is quite pleasant. The trail, which is partially an old road and partially an ATV trail, was relatively dry, at least at this time of the year. In fact, taking the ferry from Petit Fort to South East Bight and hiking the trail to Great Paradise/Little Paradise would be a great trip in itself. It would even make a reasonable mountain bike trail by my standards.
After a “lazy” day of hiking, we packed up the next morning for the trip around to Presque Harbour. We hit the water about 8:50 am hoping to beat the afternoon southwesterly breezes. As we approached eastern head we could see a group of porpoises or “jumpers”, crossing our path and headed out to sea. We could also notice the sea conditions getting rougher. By the time we rounded Eastern Head we were in confused seas up to about 2 m. Conflicting wave systems and clapotis from the swells of the previous southerwesterly blow kept things interesting despite the relatively calm winds. We kept close together, being careful not to surf into one another, and rounded without incident or going beyond our comfort levels. We had practiced, and surfed, in rough conditions in Sandy Cove and Shoal Cove on the Burin Peninsula (for fun as well as skills practice) and fully expected to encounter such conditions at one time or another on this trip.
Our first stop on day 3 was Toslo. Toslo is a neat little harbour with great shelter from the sea. We had a quick bite and moved on into Presque Harbour. We stopped at St. Anne’s and found a beautiful beach and meadow on which to camp. The fine pebbly beach, one of the cleanest I’ve seen, also had a flat meadow perfect for pitching tents several feet above the high tide line.
Having set up camp we took a swim in the sea and had a much needed wash. We then left for a hike to St. Kyran’s and to find some water. The Topos showed an old road going over to St. Kyran’s that skirted a pond. Once we reached the pond however, we found the road completely overgrown. So we grabbed a couple of five litre drybags of water and headed back to camp. The view of Presque Harbour on the way back from this elevated location is worth the trip even if you bring your own water.
After dinner, we geared up with glow sticks and flashlights (just in case) and did a short paddle to St. Kyran’s at the head of Presque Harbour. There is huge church (see photo 2), the shell and roof of which are still standing, that can be seen as soon as you shove off from St. Anne’s. It was no doubt a magnificent structure in its day.
Photo 2
After hauling the boats up on the beach we took a 2 km walk across the neck to St. Leonard’s, actually on the Western Channel of Placentia Bay. A second old stone church, the remnants of which are still standing, is about 2/3 of the ways along the trail from St. Kyran’s on your left, and is pretty much totally grown in with forest. None-the-less, it is an interesting sight, and also rare to find such a stone structure in resettled outport Newfoundland. Photo 3 shows the chimney and part of the wall. Along the trail there were numerous droppings of bear scat, something to keep in mind when touring this area.
Photo 3
We got back to St. Anne’s around dusk, not having needed the night paddle gear we brought along. This area still stands out as the highlight of the trip in many ways. We did not see another soul, or cabins or noisy generators, but did take in some excellent pieces of Newfoundland’s history. Just visiting this forgotten lonely place, obviously once a thriving community, brings Al Pittman’s “West Moon” to mind.
The following morning we packed up camp and headed around to Isle Valen, just off of St. Leonard’s in the Western Channel. We traveled to the head of Valen Harbour for a lunch and discussed our next move. Given that campsites in Valen Harbour looked to be less than ideal, and the presence of brisk, though favourable southwesterlies, we decided to get on with the crossing to the Ragged Islands today. We took a reading off of our chart, rounded Isle Valen and headed straight for Green Island, just south of Jean de Gaunt Island in the southern end of the Ragged Island chain. Photo 4 shows the view of the crossing ahead with Merasheen in the background and some whitecaps building on the channel.
Photo 4
The crossing went well, and with brisk southwesterlies helping us along we made great time as we threaded our way through the Ragged Island’s. Along the route, we checked for possible camping options on Jean de Gaunt Island. While camping there was feasible, we had been to the Best’s Harbour/Tack’s Beach area the year before, and knew of its great campsites, and so decided to move on.
Best’s Harbour and Tack’s Beach on King Island, are two idyllic places to camp. There is loads of level dry ground close to either beach, plenty of wells with great fresh water, well kept graveyards, and even mowed paths connecting Best’s Harbour, Tack’s Beach and Broad Cove. As an added bonus, on the North side of Best’s Harbour there is a Fisheries Shack with a very clean outhouse (it’s even painted white inside!). Now we wouldn’t normally use someone else’s facilities, but this is a “government outhouse” after all, and we do pay a lot of taxes.
The following day (Day 5) we did a little “bushwhack” style hiking in search of a cave that we had heard about from Jim’s father who had once lived at Best’s Harbour. After several hours of climbing around cliffs and through dense jungle like undergrowth, a former residence of Tack’s beach, staying in the only occupied cabin during our visit, called out “over here boys”. We followed his voice and the kind gentlemen showed us the cave, which was difficult to get into, as well as find. He came inside as well, recalling memories of childhood activities, and shared a few stories of gold and spirits on Jean De Guaunt Island and one very amusing story about a headless spirit at Tack’s Beach that turned out to be a goat in a red sweater. We then headed off in search of fresh water for a wash, but having missed the right trail, wound up in Baker’s Cove where we chose a dip in the salt water instead.
While at Tack’s Beach we also met a former resident who offered us a kayak paddle. A few years back, the gentleman picked up a 220cm, 1 piece, plastic bladed Aquaterra kayak paddle. We considered it for a few minutes but decided to leave it with him, thinking there may be more needy kayakers on the island at some time in the future.
The next day (day 6), we broke camp in pouring rain (the first precipitation we’d seen to that point), and headed south through the Ragged Islands to Dog Harbour. Dog Harbour is a bit of a bay within Merasheen itself. Years ago, the short land bridge or neck between the Western Channel and Central Channel provided a great opportunity for a shortcut. Fisherman would haul their dories across the neck saving hours of rowing. We planned to do the same. Photo 5 is a shot of Hollett’s Island in the Ragged Islands.
The portage turned out to be relatively easy. After a hundred yards of grass with a little bog, we were in the Central Channel. Photo 6 shows the portage at Dog Harbour Neck. Camping opportunities in this area looked to be a little sparse unless you chose to camp in the area of a great log cabin on the Central Channel side. We had other plans as a cousin of Jim’s owned a fishing shack in Merchant Cove, just north of Dog Harbour, that we intended to avail of that for a night or two of relative comfort.
Photos 5 & 6
A couple of hours later and the sun was out once again. After having unloaded our gear, we decided to do a little “day” trip south to Rose au Rue, an old whaling station on Merasheen Island. Waterfalls, from the morning’s torrential rains, could be seen pouring out of the high hills and cliffs along this picturesque part of Merasheen. This was actually our first up-wind paddle for the trip, having to finally go against the prevailing southwesterly flow. We enjoyed a short walk around Rose Au Rue. Old pressure vessels, with riveted construction, probably the remnants of boilers, could be seen scattered amongst green fields which offered some good camping opportunities, apart from some stinging bushes which you would have to watch out for. There is also an old underwater wreck along the shoreline, which we couldn’t locate on this trip, due to the murky brackish waters from the morning’s rain.
On the way back, to Merchant Cove we stopped to catch a few cod. We rafted up in the choppy waters and in a matter of minutes had three for the frying pan. That night, and the following morning, we enjoyed a tasty treat of fresh pan-fried cod and Lipton mashed potatoes with gravy.
The following morning, day 7, dawned clear and sunny again. We decided to stay in the comfort of the cabin, hang our gear to dry and do a day paddle across the Central Channel to Long Island. There we visited Port Royal (see photo 7), another picturesque resettled community that now has a number of well cared for cabins, complete with roaming cows, sheep and a horse. As we paddled into the harbour we met one cabin resident who came to the head of his wharf to remark, “Lost already are you?” He then explained that there was to be a Coast Guard Search and Rescue (SAR) exercise beginning that evening involving kayakers, a very strange coincidence.
Photo 7
We then returned to the cabin for a bite to eat. Richard stayed behind to relax, while Jim and I shoved off again. We planned to climb one of the high hills just north of Rose Au Point for a look around. The view was certainly worth the climb as were the raspberries and blueberries. Photo 8 and 9 are both southward views out the Central Channel. Long Island can be seen to the left of Photo 9. Photo 10 is the view directly across the Central Channel towards Long Island. Port Royal is roughly in the centre of the shot. Photo 11 is the view in the Central Channel with Long Island on the right. Photo 12 is the view of the Western Channel.
Photos 8-12
Upon getting back to our boats, we decided to take advantage of the warm afternoon temperatures for a wash in the ocean. The sea, though it felt cooler than at St. Anne’s or Baker’s Cove, was bearable and refreshing.
The next morning, day 8, was sunny and cool. We packed up and headed north along Merasheen Island stopping at Butler Island for a break. A quick recci showed some camping opportunities in the woods here, but we chose to move on. This paddle, though not the longest, turned out to be strenuous given that our previously faithful prevailing southwesterlies had given way to a northerly headwind. We made decent progress despite the wind, and eventually touched down in Cooper Cove, just south of Great Brule.
There is one cabin in Cooper Cove, and its owner, who was not there at the time, appears to take great pride in his/her little piece of Merasheen Island. He/she had a large area of field mowed, with trees pruned creating a park like setting. We chose to camp on the extreme east of the cove, well away from his/her cabin or belongings, but still benefiting from his/her meticulous grooming of the cove. A brook on the other side of the cove offered ample fresh water.
After having set-up our tents, Jim and Richard stayed behind to relax, while I took advantage of the great conditions to do a short 2 km paddle to Great Brule and Little Brule. Camping opportunities there looked a little sparse. While in Little Brule, I watched a stag caribou from the kayak (see photo 13), no more than 40’ away, eat leisurely at the growth. The caribou population on Merasheen appears to be in great shape. Everywhere we went we saw fresh evidence, with sightings in Merchant’s Cove and at our camp in Cooper Cove as well. I also chatted with 2 friendly fishermen in Little Brule who told us to drop up to their cabin if we needed food or anything else.
Photo 13
Overnight the winds abated completely. We got an early start in the morning (Day 9) cooking hot porridge and tea in the dark at 5:30 am and breaking camp. As we paddled off at 6:30 am we watched a beautiful, though red, sunrise over Long Island (see photo 14). It was dead calm, the first such conditions we’d experienced.
Photo 14
We paddled south stopping at a small beach on Cheese Island. Photo 15 shows an up close view of the Bread and Cheese while photo 16 shows our break on The Cheese. With the tide higher and a little wind, it would make a difficult rest break, but in the conditions we experienced it was fine. Bread Island appeared to offer a similar option with favourable conditions.
Photo 15
Having past Bread Island we turned on an 80-degree course straight for Bordeaux Island off Arnold’s Cove. There were a number of boats on the bay enjoying a Sunday morning of cod fishing, three tankers at the jetties in Come by Chance and Whiffen Head and one Tanker at anchor off Woody Island. It was clear, calm, and cool; a perfect morning for crossing this potentially busy shipping lane. At 9:20 am we pulled into the small beach on the Arnold’s Cove side of Southern Harbour where my lovely wife, Lisa, was waiting to transport three paddlers and their gear, clad in very smelly neoprene, back to Clarenville. Our trip had come to an end.
Trip Summary:
The approximate paddling route of our trip is shown in black on the attached map labeled “approximate route”.
Day 1: Departed Parker’s Cove, Approximately 24 km paddle, great campsite at Little Paradise, includes 10 km crossing of Caper Roger to Great Paradise
Day 2: Hike Day, Approximately 18 kms hiked, camped at Little Paradise a second night
Day 3: Approximately 21 km paddle, great campsite at St. Anne’s, rough water from southwesterly swells in Eastern Head area.
Day 4: Approximately 34 km paddle, few good camping options en route, great campsite at Best’s Harbour, includes 6 km crossing
Day 5: “Bushwhack Cave Search Day”, several kilometers bushwhacked and climbed, Camped at Best’s Harbour a second night.
Day 6: Approximately 22 km paddle including Rose Au Rue, first rain drizzle and fog day, portage across Dog Harbour Neck, stayed at cabin in Merchant Cove
Day 7: Approximately 15 km day paddle to Long Island, includes 4 km crossing, hiked for a view from Merasheen.
Day 8: Approximately 18 km paddle to Cooper Cove (distance includes day paddle to Brule/Little Brule)
Day 9: Approximately 17 km paddle, includes 5 km crossing, dead calm for first time on trip
Total Paddling Distance: Approximately 151 km over 7 days of paddling on a 9-day trip
General Notes:
Like most of Newfoundland’s Coast that I’ve seen, the best wilderness camping options are where people once lived. Otherwise trees and scrub generally go right to the beach rocks.
Waters in Placentia Bay can get quite rough. The fetch extends all the way to Brazil from the south, and the prevailing southerly swells can get quite steep and confused due to numerous shoals south of and among the islands. Channeling and funneling wind effects are common among the islands as well. Fog, is prevalent especially in spring and early summer.
The main waters of caution, apart from the usual long crossings of the main channels of the bay, appear to be the crossing of Paradise Sound from Cape Roger to Great Paradise and the area From Eastern Head to Isle Valen. Both of these stretches, based on our own observations, cautions from locals, and “Where the Wind Blows: A Guide to Marine Weather in Atlantic Canada” appear to offer some of the greatest risks in terms of paddling conditions.
A late summer trip to the area offers several advantages. Berries were plentiful and ripe for the picking. The water is relatively warm. On one sunny warm day I actually swam in the ocean for over 30 minutes with no wetsuit. The food fishery also allowed us to partake in some fresh fish. Fog is less plentiful this time of the year and fair weather more likely. The only downside is that wind conditions are a little more unpredictable. The tail end of a hurricane can nail this area at this time of the year, and winds tend to generally blow with a little more forcefulness.