Yesterday, Sunday, was a splendid day. Hot (30 degrees), occasional white cloud, and a nice cooling breeze from the west. Ideal sailing weather if you want to go east (like me). But I had to wait till Monday morning to get the ferrites, and also a new remote control for the autopilot (which had also fried during the lightning). Although not really essential, I have found during the trip from New Bedford to here that it makes life so much more easy, that I wanted to have another one before I set off for the actual crossing. So I played around all day, filling up with fuel and water, and calibrating the different autopilots (again...). Then I bought some fresh tortelini and a big tenderloin steak, and cooked myself an easy but delicious meal, with a mushroom&pepper cream sauce to go with the steak, the tortelini being filled with spinach and fresh herbs.

After dinner I invited my neighbor (on the next mooring) for a glass of wine, as I had heard that he was an inhabitant of St Pierre. St. Pierre has always been on my list of places to go, as it seems so weird that two tiny little islands, only 10 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, are an official French colony. Not only speaks everyone French (and French only!), the boulangerie has fresh croissants every morning, which people eat with brie and a decent glass of wine. And all that on a piece of rugged, barren rock out in the North Atlantic.

It appeared that Bernard, my neighbor, was the son of the lighthouse keeper on a remote outcrop of this desolated place! He was born in the lighthouse and lived there till his 15th, when the light was automated. Amazing! What a solitude that must have been, although he said there were 4 families together manning the lighthouse, living in cottages nearby. Anyway, we had a nice evening and Bernard gave some useful tips on the navigation in these waters and places to go (and not to go).

This morning at 7 I went to the boat of the Becker family, who had borrowed me their dinghy. They had offered to drive me to the different places I wanted to go to. I was a bit early as I saw them struggling with their furling genoa. They had just bought this boat, a 42 foot double ender of 13 tons displacement, and this was their first 'big' boat. So I helped them to fit their genoa and explain how it worked. Then their son Adam drove me to Radio Holland, who gave me a handful of ferrites for free. Then back to the local boat store, where we were at exactly 0900h, opening time. The shopkeeper made a phonecall, I payed him and off we went to the main Raymarine distribution center. At 10.30 I was back on board, and at noon I slipped my mooring.

It is yet another brilliant day. Clear blue skies, Southwest 4 and pleasantly warm. I hope I keep this weather until Ireland! One hour after me, all the Tall Ships left Halifax. For the past 2 hours I am sailing just ahead of Pride of Baltimore, flying all her sails. We are both doing 7 knots, in a very comfortable manner.

Bart

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