Canada - Newfoundland to Nova Scotia

We wanted to end up in Labrador, but the wind had other plans. In Lewisport, Newfoundland, we begin our Canadian journey. It soon becomes clear to us that we are no longer travelling in the Schengen area. Entry and customs become more complicated. You can't just arrive somewhere and check in. You have to follow the 'Port of Entry' information for private ships. Lewisport is just the place for us.

We reach Canada after a five-day crossing. After two rough days, we enjoy the pleasant temperatures - the heating has finally taken a summer break. And for the first time in a long time, we see the stars in the sky. The wind dies down and we motor. On the fifth day, dolphins accompany us again and again, showing us impressive jumps. Humpback whales also pass close to the boat. What beautiful companionship.

Full of anticipation, we set off for our last night at sea. With light winds and no waves, we sail calmly towards Canada.

Warm temperatures in the morning are unusual. We sail through the wooded islands of Notre Dame Bay. The scent of the trees fills the boat. Lewisporte is a small Canadian town with very friendly and helpful people. Two officers from the Canada Border Services Agency take care of the customs clearance on board. It is a very positive and relaxed experience for us. The quiet harbour is just the right place for us to arrive and get used to the warmer weather.

However, the first problem for us on the new continent is the power supply with 110V and 60 Hertz. With our isolating transformer, we can convert the local 110V voltage to 220V. And we could also set the inverter to the new 60 hertz. Unfortunately, we left the programming device in the Netherlands. We are having it sent to Nova Scotia and will set the system to the required frequency there. We are also sufficiently supplied with generator and solar power.

Sailing to the Samson Islands, we enjoy our time at anchor. The landscape of the islands is impressive. The coniferous forest is so dense that it's almost impossible to get through. Here we meet some nice people on another yacht and are promptly invited for a drink. Our next stop takes us to the ‘Exploit Islands’. A former fishing village has been revitalised with holiday homes. The end of the season can be felt, but there are still a few boats out and about in the fine weekend weather.

Many people are interested in Ægir and us and we receive friendly invitations. Unfortunately, we have a new problem. Oil is leaking from the steering wheel. The seal on the oil pump of the steering system is defective. This problem makes it difficult to continue sailing because we have to keep topping up the oil and the autopilot no longer works. However, although we have an emergency tiller, we want to fix the problem as quickly as possible. The ‘locals’ support us and put us in touch with a hydraulics specialist for fishing boats. We want to return to Lewisporte the next day. The return trip to the harbour goes smoothly. Then it is clear that we will receive a new pump from the USA in just under a week. We are relieved, as this means we can set off for Nova Scotia in good time. We spend a few days at anchor and enjoy a few more days of sunshine. Now it really feels like a holiday. Let's forget our boat plans and not tinker with anything.

Ashore, we follow moose tracks, have a chat or two and are once again overwhelmed by the friendliness and helpfulness of the people here. We are repeatedly asked if we need anything or are simply given freshly fried mackerel as a gift. Such a peaceful place! It is almost too peaceful, as it is not possible to do much exploring on the island due to the dense tree cover. So we read a lot and plan the next stages and next year.

And then comes the good news that our pump has arrived. We put some more oil in the pump and head off to Lewisporte. The next day, the hydraulics professional arrives and the new pump is installed.

After almost three weeks, we say goodbye to Lewisporte and its many friendly people. In addition to car offers for errands, a driving service after the shopping, nice chats on board, we receive a vegetable gift from the garden and homemade jam as a farewell gift - what impressive hospitality.

Nevertheless, we are drawn onwards. We set our sights on a bay 50 NM away. We reach Snooks Arm in the rain and moor at the jetty. There appear to be a few inhabited houses. But it looks pretty deserted. The settlement was abandoned by the government in 2018. We see a few men coming to the jetty in their cars. An interested man comes to the boat and we talk about the hunt that starts the next day. Now we have to be careful and wear high-visibility waistcoats on the hikes. Bear and moose hunting are very popular here. The crashing waves on the pier motivate us to continue our journey. We drive along the lonely east coast of Newfoundland in the hope of spotting bears or moose.

We moor at the wooden jetty in Pacquet. Once again, we receive a warm welcome. Once again we are offered a lift to the supermarket. A man brings freshly prepared stuffed calamari to the jetty. One fisherman gives us a dozen squid the next morning. There would have been so many. The ‘squid jigging’ fishing method is very special. No wonder there are also large schools of tuna here. We are very touched by the unconditional hospitality and openness of the people. A lovely walk along the coast and a chilled afternoon on board in glorious sunshine round off another late summer's day.

We spend the next few days sailing along the north-east coast. Taking advantage of the current wind forecast, we head for Belle Isle Strait. Very good sailing weather brings us around Cape Bauld and in sunny autumn weather we go for a nice hike at Cape Onion. The landscape has changed again. It all grows as flat as possible. With no wind and a good current, we head for Red Bay with the historic Basque whaling station in Labrador. Then we head back to Newfoundland. In Port au Choix, we are also at a historic site where various population groups were involved in seal fishing for thousands of years: The ‘Maretime Archaic People’, the ‘Paleoinuits’, the ‘Dorset Inuits’, the ‘Beothuks’ and finally the ‘European People’. Obviously the moose hunt is successful. We notice this from the moose heads and antlers lying by the roadside.

We only stay at Rocky Harbour for the night as the weather will force us to continue our journey over the next few days. It's a shame, because the landscape is hilly and would be ideal for a hike or two. We reach Port aux Basque, our last stop in Newfoundland.

Our last stage before a longer break begins. We take a night trip to Nova Scotia, more precisely to Cape Breton Island. We leave Newfoundland alongside signal buoys with bell signals and are greeted in Nova Scotia in the same way. A strong current takes us through the narrow channel to Baddeck. The difference between the two provinces is obvious. In Nova Scotia there is more civilisation, more lush vegetation and here in Cape Breton there is also some tourism.

Let ourselves drift a little, visit the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, enjoy the first autumn colours on the trees and go to a summer concert. The crew of SY Tantalus meet us and give us good information about sailing in Labrador. Unfortunately, our generator is not running smoothly and despite the fine weather, we hole up in the engine compartment. We cross Bras d'Or Lake without any further stops and reach St Peters Marina. Now we have to take care of our power supply and the shore power connection a little more intensively until we leave Aegir for six weeks in a fortnight' time.

We are celebrating an intermediate highlight of our journey. We have been travelling with the Aegir for exactly two years on 21 September. The northern regions of the world with their rugged and diverse nature appeal to us very much. With the Aegir, we have a very solid partner for exploring different places around the world. For us, Aegir is a cosy home and a stable sailing ship that is fun to sail as a couple or with friends and family. The journey continues for us at the end of November!