"Cape Spear-The End"

Well I have to finish the Cape Spear posts this evening. We did a 26km paddle today almost around Bell Island but not quite. So soon there will be actually kayaking pictures. The weather in St. John's today and for this weekend is supposed to be super. Paddling weather by any other name.

At anyrate I'd just like to finish up my Cape Spear exploit by saying it is about a 20 min ride from St. John's if you seek it out by land. If you paddle to it from Quidi Vidi I guess it would be closer to 3-4 hours there and back depending on conditions. It is always gnarly around the Cape, something it shares with most Capes I guess. We like to throw around that it is the most easterly location in North America, not the end of the world, but I suppose at times, the Cantwells' felt they could see it from there. The shores around the Cape are rugged and steep in most parts but it always amazes me that we loose one or two tourists a year as they get too close to waters' edge for photos and get caught by a rogue wave. It seems to me that the "rogues" are more common than "rogue". Tourist beware, signs are now posted, no matter they still get claimed by the sea. The odd jumper as well. There are also boardwalks that take you close enough to feel the salt water spray from waves hitting the rocks of the cliffs as they seek to loose their energy on something, it might as well be you matey!

There is also a trail that is part of the spectacular East Coast trail that meanders around the shores of the Avalon Peninsula and passes by the Old Cape Spear lighthouse, ya might as well drop in, that my friends is another story. The trail is awesome and not for the faint of heart. Very beautiful though. I love this light it reminds me of my home town in Canso Nova Scotia which is the most easterly location "on" the North American Continent. I was destined to live in the "far" east I guess. The header post this evening was one of a few trips made to the Cape by kayak. Tony and I, after all this is a kayaking blog! *lol*

"And So It Goes......."

With Emmanuel Warre's death in 1845, James Cantwell took over as the second light keeper since the light was first lit on September 1st, 1836. He brought with him his wife and ten children from Trepessay NL to live in the cramped quarters and on the wind-swept cliffs. Right away the Cantwells had misgivings about the strength of the structure and ten years of powerful winter storms had loosened the joints however they hunkered down and made do their peaceful routine.

Their peace would be shattered within a year after they moved in. In Sept.of 1846 a tremendous hurricane struck the east coast of Newfoundland. It would effectively demolish the frail lighthouse at Cape Spear. In the height of the storm with his family huddled together in the kitchen they watched as the house lifted several inches of its' foundation. Every pane of glass was cracked and shattered and the fright that family received on that night at the edge of the cliffs can barely be imagined. The House of Assembly decided it had to be fixed and contracted the original builders of Croake and Parker to do the job and that they did adding chains and cable to anchor the lightouse on the cliff at a cost that far exceeded the original construction.

The lighthouse suffered repeatedly in the decade that followed from the storms that would be known to pound The Cape.

"Modern Cape Light"

In the first session of the House of Assembly in Newfoundland in 1834 the small colony of St. John's took out its' first loan of 1000 pounds to build the first lighthouse at Cape Spear (Header Image). Governor Thomas Cochrane at the time choose the site at the very top and precipice edge of the sandstone cliffs some 240 vertical feet above sea level. Construction began in 1834. The firm of Croake and Parker were contracted to build the light at a cost of 440 pounds. The design was based on similar plans developed by The Northern Lighthouse Board in Scotland.

The wood frame house was built fairly lightly and would have disastrous results a decade later. It was regency style architecture popular in Britian at the time.

"The Modern Cape Spear Light"

Still using the Dioptric lens from Inchkeith Scotland in 1955 the lighthouse above was built at Cape Spear to replace the the old one. It was built of concrete when it was constructed and stands 75 meters I believe above sea level and after consulting the Iceberg finder data, from that elevation you could see out to the horizon at 31.2249...kms. Not a bad vantage point for looking at icebergs. If only you were allowed up in the new light. During the war years from 1941-1945 there were big guns implanted into the red sandstone cliffs. Two to be exact that fired 600 lb shells and could reach 6 miles out to sea. They were part of a defense system to protect against German U-boats that patrolled the area lurking for convoys heading over to Europe. No guns were fired in defense of the bay it was protecting, but three soldiers died here during the period. Two in swimming accidents and one on board a military ship that ran smuck into the cliffs right below the lighthouse during a cold black night. The 103rd Coastal Defense Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery were stationed at Cape Spear during this period.

"Old Cape Lighthouse"

Since the mid 1800's the light at Cape Spear has vigilantly guarded the eastern Avalon Peninsula. As one of two lights at that time, the other at Fort Amherst, at the entrance to St. John's harbour strangely enough were the only two lights considering the Island had been populated for two centuries.

The original light, the one above, is a square two storey structure. The light for the tower was not new when it was constructed. It came from Scotland and had been in use there since 1815 at the east coast lighthouse of Inchkeith. Curved reflectors concentrated and intensified the light rays from seven Argand burners, named for their Swiss inventor. The movement of the light was controlled by a clock work mechanism. The last of the lights in the old lighthouse above was a glass dioptric system installed in 1912. First lit by oil, acetylene was adopted in 1916, and electricity in 1930. In 1955 the dioptric system was removed from the old to the new tower not far from the original light(in the header).

The old light has been restored to its' original appearance and is well worth a tour if you visit. I thought them quite inviting and quaint living accommodations considering the time and location of dwelling. I often thought of how cozy it must have been nestled in the inner chambers of its warmth during a treacherous and snowy nor-east er bearing down on you like a buzzard on a carcass. Probably not as romantic a thought when you had to escape to the tower to do maintenance or check on the light at such a time. This light is directly at cliffs edge and I can also imagine that one would be hoping the foundation would hold, anchoring during any storm.

"Skinning A Cat"

You must have heard the expression, "How many ways can ya skin a cat?" Well I'm gonna skin a LightHouse. POst a new image of the Cape Spear Light in my header for the next week and then archive the previous days' in a post. Yeah, I'll be kayaking soon. Kinda related ain't it?

"I Loves Me Water"

My previous header image for archiving.

"Wings In The Wind""

I've been kind of sick for two weeks. Cold in the head and in the lungs. I was once diagnosed with emphysema. Apparently I don't have that but whatever I have when I now get a cold it lingers hard. Nothing to do with kayaking other than I haven't been getting out there. I just don't feel that well and even getting to the gym, when I do is a chore. Really tired. Blah, Blah, Blah....lol. So I haven't been posting. But I do love my water and I miss it I guess.

The pictures I took of these swans inspired me to post. I was thinking, where do they go when they get sick? Do they leave the water? Do they just cuddle and float? They probably would like that. I studied these birds for a few hours one day. They are so graceful, intelligent I think, and very beautiful. What intrigued me in one instance, I photographed in the header, as a small breeze sprang up the swans reacted by opening their wings enough to catch the wind to propel them along the water. They did this numerous times and to me appeared to be using their wings like sails. It was captivating and intriguing at the same time. It was also very effortless and it helped them maneuver against the current of the stream. I was likening their responses to efficient paddling strokes. Ones executed that from practise have become instinct and unnoticed to the average Joe I guess, unless you were a paddler of course. Much like the efficiency of the moving swans, if one didn't take the time to notice you would probably miss what they were doing with their wings in the wind. Taking time to, "stop and smell the Rhino poo", a friend of mine use to say. Being sick has a tendency to make you reflect.

I've decided also that these birds could maintain composure when the world around them became chaotic. Well of course I likened this to maintaining your cool in a rough kayaking situation. While everyone is in a frenzy around you, you do not have to opt for that group mentality of thrashing about. Maintaining your cool will help get what you want, whether it is to safety in a kayak or to your feeding ground as was the case in the picture above and below the header photo, as the park attendant was feeding all the birds and the ducks were thrashing ravenously. The experience on a whole was and excellent two hours spent watching and photogrpahing the birds. But like some kayakers, they are shy and challenging to keep up with, as they do not stay in one place for very long.

Maybe this weekend will bring water time for me as well. Of course I'll still shower, not the same!!! Being on it like the swans seems to be most enjoyable. I'll keep that in mind. I may get a chance to use my Greenland paddle(only tried it once) again but now my thoughts may be drifting to avian propulsion......the winged blade...or maybe I am just deliriously sick again. I do loves me water though!

"Within The Darkness"

Even in darkness there is adventure to be discovered. This is how it is with sea caves. There are many areas along the Avalon Peninsula that offer opportunities to paddle in and around these interesting structures.

"Diminishing Return"

Though the size of the kayakers is diminished next to the cliff, the return for being on the water, is what most of our trips tend to be about.

"Cape Broyle"

Tony heading out of Cape Broyle Habour on Sunday past. Clyde, Tony, Sean, Dean, Gerard and myself went for an excellent paddle from Cape Broyle to Brigus South and back, about 22km I guess.

"Salt Ice"

Heading out of Cape Broyle we met with a bit of surface ice on the way to some falls on the northside of the harbour.

"Good To Be There"

Not hard to tell Clyde was happy to be on the water on Sunday Mach 14th, 2010 in Cape Broyle.

"NorthSide FAlls"

Northside falls at Cape Broye were inviting in the late morning sun.

"Northside Cape Broyle"

Cape Broye is normally KNL's father's day paddle. It is always an interesting paddle when ever you go there. Just something that can offer alot to a diverse group. This is a little cove where the north side falls pound fresh water into the sea.

"Superior and Greenland"

Greenland paddles are well much more than I could have thought. Got a Superior Greenland PAddle last week and tried it in the pool on Saturday and then at Cape Broyle on Sunday. I guess I am hooked you might say. Thoroughly enjoyed its' feel and the lightness of carbon fiber. I was using an Ikelos Werner carbon fiber paddle because I like the power it affords me, not necessarily the effort, but the power. With the Superior GP I may be a bit slow out of the shoot but certainly can maintain a powerful stroke with....ease. I really, really like that. The Nordkapp a Greenland modelled boat and now my GP, I do feel that they really fit together and I can only look forward to exploiting their union in the comng paddling days. For a two piece paddle it is rock solid. I still have much to learn for sure but I am so looking forward to it. Gordon Brown do you do instruction on Greenland Techniques? lol

"Caves, Arches and Things..."

Waterfalls, frozen waterfalls, sea caves, arches, sandy beaches and lots of sunshine. Good ingredients for a paddle. Both sides of Cape Broyle Harbour has much to offer but the south side has more caves for exploring but the tide needs to be low and the wather calm for getting in and out...safely and if you haven't been, it will be a treat.

"Winter After All"

Well it is still winter here in Newfoundland but certainly unlike most for paddling conditions and spring like weather. At least around here. Bonavista on the western edge was suffereing power outages and massive silver thaw damage as iced power lines were down and snapping power poles like tooth picks. On the southern shore of the Avalon Peninsula it was 4 degrees celsius and a good day to be sharing the water with friends.

"Through The Rough"

Gerard pokes through an interesting rock section where timing was everything.

"Golden Cove"

OUr Scenic Lunch Stop on Sunday.

"Falls Of Light"

Sean enjoying a moment of Zen while listening to the falls cascade to the ocean below their long perch. The south side of Cape Broyle.

"To Cape Broyle"

After returning from a lunch brake at South Brigus we head back to our put-in site at Cape Broyle. Neville here is looking ahead at the distant community.

"Red, Right, Return"

I bet all who use some form of nautical navigation will recognise what this means. Taking the Red buoy on the starboardside returning from ocean. Of course red buoys being taken normally on the Port, Port, left, Red(short words). Starboard, right, green(long words).

Today some KNL members, Dan and Pete gave an interesting talk on basic navigation and GPS navigation. No matter how often you attend these sessions you always seem to take something away and I guess that is what it is all about. So this year it will be emphasis of fog navigation and nighttime navigation. Always soemthing to hone in on in paddlin. In the above shot Pete is demonstarting the use of the parallel ruler in assisting with plotting a course as Ralph andDean look on.

"Common Guts"

Sometimes "Guts" are innocuous, that is, you can get through them without too much difficulty. A "gut" is a narrow passage or waterway. On the Southern Shore of the Avalon Peninsula about 30 mins from St. John's Newfoundland you will find the Tors Cove "Gut" between mainland Tors Cove and Fox Island. In St. John's itself you will find Quidi Vidi "Gut" which exits the small community of Quidi Vidi to St. John's Bay. Two "Guts" and sometimes, 'no guts, no glory', for different reasons.

The Quidi Vidi Gut is a send off rendezvous for trips to Freshwater Bay, St. John's Harbour and The Cape Spear Light. It opens to the open ocean and the waters sometimes there are treacherous and not without some thrill getting in and out, even on seemingly calm days. This is where we also have our annual January 1st New Year's Day paddle. You can see a video of one of those on YouTube under XM64842. Tony in the bottom image is looking from the ocean into The Gut at Quidi Vidi.

The Gut in Tors Cove is there if you want to go through it. Unlike Quidi Vidi you do not have to go through it to get to open ocean. Tors' Gut is variable depending on tide levels and ocean conditions of course. More exposed and jagged rocks during ebb tides. The waves that can flow through here in various conditions can make for some fun kayak surfing. Can also make for some interesting rescues. I lost a digital camera to the salt here. Pete is looking in from the ocean throught The Gut at Tors Cove in the Top Image.Tors Cove can also be a launch site to Ship Island, Pee Pee Island, Great Island and points beyond but it is always fun on a return paddle or trip to play in The Gut at Tors Cove. Also a nice spot when the Icebergs are Floating down Ice Berg Alley.

"Reflection"

It is miserable weather here in St. John's Newfoundland. A time I figure for reflection, to break the Hoo Humm and monotony of a stretch of cold rain, fog ,drizzle with some strong winds. You might as well be inside which I am but thinking on other days past and resorting to my pictures for restitution of thoughts on finer days and basically just passing the time. I'm actually thinking too about chicken wings, I do that some times, but I don't have pictures of those.

Tony and I enjoy paddling near icebergs and it is getting close to that time of year again when they begin to make their sojourn from distant blocks and ice sheets to the waters off Newfoundland. Carried in the cold current of The Labrador they stealthily saunter in the night and day. One night you can go to bed with no sighting and the next, there they are, like out of no where. Realizing though, probably just "out of the fog".

"Mussel Pond Cove to Colinet Passage"

Sharing in the kayaking experience 5 of us set out today on a grand paddle. 22 km in length it proved to be a muscle tightener for the first long paddle of our kayaking season but we are coming to realize that all year here in Newfoundland is kayaking season. You just got to pick your day and your spot. Iwas actually hoping to paddle up Salmonier river and get some wnter shots but the river was frozen in many spots. Should have expected this really. So we made the best of it and headed for O'Donnell's and on to Admiral's Beach.

"Setting Off"

Heading out of O'Donnell's in St. Mary's Bay, myself, Tony, Sean, Dean and Gerrad seen here leaving the cove were headed on a kayking paddle that would take us to Admiral's Beach and Great Colinet Island and beack again for an approx. 22km paddle in stellar conditions. Sweet way to spend a Staurday.

"One with Shore"

Tony finding Zen I believe.

"More Times Than Not"

More times than not I am extolling the virtues of kayaking. The beauty of the scenery and mans harmony with ocean, land, and sky. Well more times than not when I kayak that is how it is for me. But trust me, if something is going to be rotted on land, sea or sky, you can be rest assured that it will be man that will do it. Not sure if any other creature would treat earth this way. So there it is in stark contrast to the natural environment and the aesthetics of kayaking........a seaside dump. Would be a good area for a kayak clean up one day I think.

"Coming Along"

Heading for Admiral's Beach community and Great Colinet Island. Staurday Feb.20th, 2010.

"Hugging Coastline"

It is where the outdoor sounds are sharp, where sea meets land and where that extra little ummph can push you along and where time can be spent zig-zagging amongst rocks. A gentle passtime today.

"I Love Kayaks"

You should too!

"Lunch"

Why do we take blasted images of kayakers eating on a beach? It is the one time when you can take a picture when you are not moving in all directions out kayaking. I figure! Besides I bet we were the only people having lunch on the beach at about 1330h on a Saturday in February in St. Mary's Bay, maybe in Newfoundland. Heh. Heh.

"Rock Chafe"

Well I think Tony got a little stern chaffing here as he loves to ride the shore sometimes with the surfs edge. Tony and I both hugged the shoreline quite a bit today and I slid over more than one rock this day as I cringed at the sound on the hull. Gotts do what ya gotta do. Scrapping my hull absolutely would not stop me from playing near rocks or shore. Just don't want too big of a gash. Dean in the foreground looking on.

"Gerrard"

If kayaking were a religion, Gerrard would be a priest. He is such an advocate as well as an awesome ambassador of the sport of kayaking and when you paddle with him you are kept in the moment and the excitement that is there no matter the conditions. He is fun to photograph because he always seems to be smiling and having fun, kayaking just does that to a person, eh Gerrard? Amen brother!

"Mulling Around In Boats"

We like doing this!! In the distance is Great Colinet Island in St. MAry's Bay on the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland. On the other side of Great Colinet you could cross the rest of St. Mary's Bay to Acommunity called Branch. I did a awesome paddle out of there a few years back and the sea life there was amazing as was the scenery. I didn't quite make it to Cape St. Mary's Ecological Bird Sanctuary but I did have stops at Lance Cove and Gull Cove along the way.

"Admiral's Beach"

Good fishing grounds and a sheltered Cove first attracted people to this area. Some resettled from Great Colinet Island across Colinet PAssage. In 1864 there were three families and by 1911 there were 39. Population cebsus 2006 stood at 185.

"Great Colinet Island"

Dean rounding the head land at Great Colinet Island for Regina's Cove.

"Regina Cove"

Gerrard looking into Regina Cove on Great Colinet Island in St. Mary's Bay Newfoundland. After an uneventful cross of the Colinet Passage we took a break in the sheltered waters of the cove. The crossing was only 15 minutes but winds were starting to pick up along the way. They died down once we crossed back again to Admiral's Beach.

"Only 4 hrs"

Seemed longer on the water today but there were not many land breaks. One for lunch on a beach across from little Colinet Island which you can see in the distance on my header image of the blog. Sean, Dean and Gerrard heading for home.

"Whirlpool?"

Not really, just a bit of suction that results from the effects of a wave washing in then out creating a vaccum. When a succeeding wave comes in again it gets sucked in the vaccum, looking like a whirlpool. Usually created near rock outcrops so if you see them they are good to avoid unless your timing is good and you can ride over top.

"Working BacK"

With the sun in our back we headed NE for O'Donnell's from Admiral's Beach. Lots of close shoreline paddling for a little wave action in the otherwise flat calm waters.

"Days' End"

Well it was another nice paddle on Saturday. This was our put-in and take-out at O'Donnell's in St. Mary's Bay. We guesstimated about a 22km jaunt. Certainly enough to work out the kinks and to really stretch the muscles.