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From Baffin Island, along the Labrador coast, to Nova Scotia.
- christinerex7
- Oct 16
- 7 min read
16.10.2025
We still have nearly 2000 nautical miles to go. After leaving Clyde River, we initially sail south with a strong headwind. Darkness falls again as the sun sets. At the moment, though, daybreak is at 2:00 a.m. again. This is good news for us, as there are icebergs along the coast. We approach the next anchorage. It is called Arctic Harbour. We spot some humpback whales. But we cannot see them up close. We are venturing into uncharted waters. According to the charts, the anchorage is on land. It is also described like this in the sailing guide. Thank goodness we are navigating towards land in the sunshine! Upon reaching the shore, we encounter four graves dating back to the 19th century. The inscriptions on the crosses are barely legible. The burial sites are those of whalers.
We benefit from spending a lazy day on board. In the evening, we observe three adult polar foxes hunting for prey. Their unique cries are something you have to experience for yourself. As night fell, we embarked on the next leg of our voyage, the sea calm and tranquil. We want to carry on, as the first autumn storms are forecast for next week. The weather forecast is still very changeable, but there are a few places to drop anchor and shelter from strong winds. The following day, we are greeted by calm seas. The atmosphere is wonderful. In the grey light, the icebergs look like plastic sculptures, their surfaces devoid of any natural texture or colouration. Three gray whales swim through the water, and the fog alternates with sunshine. In front of Tanner Bay Anchorage, the fog lifts and we can sail in relaxed. Here, the charts are accurate again, which is good news. We drop anchor at 15 m and see a polar bear standing on the beach. What a sight! He takes a deep breath and leisurely strolls along the seafront. He lies down. He closes his eyes. He lifts his head and looks. He smells. Then a small motorboat arrives. We fear that hunters are about to kill the polar bear. Fortunately, they just say hello and leave the bay again. He would have been at a distinct disadvantage. He doesn't try to escape when the motorboat gets closer, because there is no natural enemy for him to worry about. On the contrary, he positions himself on the beach. He looks around. He sniffs. Lucky us! Later, he trots over to a grassy slope and starts eating. Once more, we observe a "vegetarian" with curiosity. Instead, we opt to stay on board and take in the distant view of the bear.
In the morning, the polar bear is nowhere to be seen. But a seal greets us right by the boat. An uneventful journey is taken to Kivitoo. Fog envelops us as we approach the anchorage, but then it dissipates. A beautiful panoramic view in the evening sun is something we are treated to. The following day, we make the decision to start getting ready to head back to Labrador, which means that we don't go ashore and carry on to Qikiqtakuluq instead. We drop anchor right in front of the little harbour. In comparison to Clyde River, the place appears to be more tidy and tranquil. We are offered handicrafts on the street. Following a few acquisitions and a successful refuelling manoeuvre – 400 litres, to be precise – we prepare the ship and embark on a journey towards Labrador.
We would have relished the opportunity to visit a greater number of locations on Baffin Island; however, the prevailing meteorological conditions are at present extremely capricious and, in conjunction with the prevailing currents, extremely challenging to plan for. We take advantage of the north wind to set sail and bid farewell to Baffin Island. The crossing of 560 nautical miles, which takes almost four days, is very strenuous to begin with. The wind, waves and current are fierce. We can sometimes reach speeds of over 9 knots when shooting along the waves, although we generally keep to a maximum of 40 knots. The night doesn't make it any more relaxing. There are a few icebergs on the way. After Cape Dyer, it becomes calmer. We crossed the Arctic Circle and left the Arctic (for this year). At night, we see the starry sky with shooting stars and the Northern Lights for the first time in a long time, which is a truly breathtaking experience. So, with good wind, half wind and flat waves, we're just carrying on. However, as the current increases, the sea becomes rougher again, but we are making good progress. After Cumberland Sound, the number of icebergs decreases significantly. The wind is still on the beam (up to 28 knots) and we are dealing with strong currents and the resulting cross waves from Hudson Strait.
Fortunately, after a long time, dolphins accompany us. They go with us for a short distance. The approach to the anchorage is through a charted "channel", which we stick to because of the shallow waters. Torngat National Park is now being entered. However, the park crew is taking down their tents for the weekend as the season is over for them, and we are not given permission to go ashore. The possible presence of bears, especially polar and black bears, means that a rifle is required. Nevertheless, it is exclusively Inuit guides who are permitted to carry a rifle in the park. So, for now, we content ourselves with observing from the ship. The presence of polar bears on the beach and climbing the rocks at Seaplane Cove is something we have observed on more than one occasion. We have also seen a black bear at Bears Gut.
The weather drives us further south. We head for the next place, Hebron Harbor, in gusts of 40 knots and are glad that the wind finally subsides at the end of the bay. Later, we "enjoy" the summer wind. It is 34 knots. The outside temperature is 16 degrees Celsius. This temperature feels surreal and very pleasant to us. The following morning, we go ashore in the dinghy and visit the old mission site with its mission church from 1831, which we feel doesn't fit in with the natural surroundings at all. The mud houses of the Inuit can be seen; they were forcibly relocated in the 1960s. In rainy weather, we sail through an island landscape reminiscent of the Norwegian archipelago to Nain.
As the anchorage off the coast is too uncomfortable in a north-easterly wind, we sail 4 NM further to a quiet bay framed by wooded headlands. It's great to see the fir trees again. We stay here for two days. In addition to a few boat repairs, we enjoy going ashore and exploring the area. However, bear poo that looks fresh does not allow for a longer excursion. In Hopedale, we are able to visit a restaurant quite unexpectedly, which is a great way to spend an afternoon. The German missionaries were very present here too. They built a large church complex. In Makkovik, we moored at a jetty for the first time in a while and refuelled with water and diesel. We walk through the village and along the two signposted hiking trails in wonderfully warm weather – just in time before the rain. Some interested residents visit us at the jetty. We have become used to the ever-changing conditions of the region, with its shifting winds and variable weather patterns between the islands. We arrived at our final anchorage in Labrador, at Jeanette Bay, where we enjoyed a wonderful sunny evening. We plan to sail directly to St. John's. This will be a multi-day stage. This is because of a sad family event. Gregor's father Alfred has passed away. We weather a storm just past Fogo Island and continue sailing with the rest of the front, which is generating huge waves. St. John's is reached on time and Gregor's flight to Germany is caught.
Christine organises herself on board for 10 days. There's always something going on: work on the boat, chatting at the jetty, hiking, city tours and cultural activities. An invitation to dinner from a Cuxhaven resident living here rounds off the day. Regrettably, Christine observes a vehicle burglary in plain sight of our berth. It has been confirmed to us that St. John's is definitely not a port for wintering. After Gregor returns, we continue our journey. We had a difficult start, with big waves against us, and we had to sail close to the wind for a short time, which made us a bit less excited about continuing. We both take a seasickness tablet. We haven't done that for a long time. After Trepassey, we sail on calm seas and wait out strong winds at the jetty for two days.
We arrive in St. Lawrence, our final stop in Newfoundland, with favourable sailing conditions. Two days are spent there and the wonderful late summer weather is enjoyed. On a beautiful hike through autumnal vegetation on the Cape Chapeau Trail, we reach a small mountain with a sea view. There was not a ship in sight! For us, the view of the water from this perspective is impressive every time, even though we are constantly moving on this ocean.
With an eye on the hurricanes off the east coast, we seized the first weather window to sail the 218 nautical miles to Nova Scotia in 32 hours. The Aegir glides effortlessly through the water. We spend a few relaxing days on Bras D'Or Lake. We do various activities. These include kayaking, barbecuing, swimming, enjoying the Indian summer, meeting friends, and sitting on deck until late in the evening. Then we embark on the final leg of our journey to Halifax. There we have a berth for the next few months.
We are gradually anticipating "arriving". Before winter sets in, there are a few tasks that need to be completed. The approach we always take is to "After one trip comes the next trip." Preparations for 2026 are already in progress. Our next blog post will be in spring 2026.
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