Northern waters.

[nortonscove]

Late June this year we embarked upon a trip to what had originally been Battle Harbour in southern Labrador. Due to time constraints and a 6 day wait for reasonable weather in Griquet on the Northern Peninsula we decided to head back to face the humdrum once again...reluctantly I might add. The two things that emerged during this voyage was exactly how poorly our electronic charts performed once we had gotten three days out and that most insurance companies do not cover you above a given imaginary line on those charts. We had found out after deciding to turn back that we were in fact a mere 7 nms from this point. A word of warning for those with ambitions of seeing the big land. All told though despite the cold easterly winds we suffered it was a very fun trip and I would encourage any with those designs to go.

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[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, nortonscove.

[OceansFive]

Sorry to hear you did not make Battle Harbour - one of the most interesting museums in North America.
I've just completed four summers single handed sailing in Labrador and would recommend visiting to anyone with the right boat, some skills, mental stamina and open to adventure. The people are wonderful, the coast amazing and the weather can be sublime and wicked in the same hour. Not a place for the faint hearted.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

Late June this year we embarked upon a trip to what had originally been Battle Harbour in southern Labrador. Due to time constraints and a 6 day wait for reasonable weather in Griquet on the Northern Peninsula we decided to head back to face the humdrum once again...reluctantly I might add. The two things that emerged during this voyage was exactly how poorly our electronic charts performed once we had gotten three days out and that most insurance companies do not cover you above a given imaginary line on those charts. We had found out after deciding to turn back that we were in fact a mere 7 nms from this point. A word of warning for those with ambitions of seeing the big land. All told though despite the cold easterly winds we suffered it was a very fun trip and I would encourage any with those designs to go.

What kind of e-charts were you using? I had a combination of C-Map in my plotter, and Navionics on an iPad, and I found them to be pretty decent, all things considered... Other than the odd 'blank spot' in C-Map likely due to 'stitching' between different charts, I can't recall any real problems, or glaring errors...

Labrador is certainly one place where I would not want to be without paper charts, however... ;-) As costly as an inventory of CHS charts will be, they are superb, and from my perspective the best form of "insurance" one can have when heading up that coast...






Better luck next time, hope you plan to give it another go... In southern Labrador, I'd also suggest a stop in Henley Harbor... I got weathered in there for a couple of days on my way north, turned out to be one of my favorites. A beautiful, haunting place...

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Kuan Yin

Sorry to hear you did not make Battle Harbour - one of the most interesting museums in North America.
I've just completed four summers single handed sailing in Labrador and would recommend visiting to anyone with the right boat, some skills, mental stamina and open to adventure. The people are wonderful, the coast amazing and the weather can be sublime and wicked in the same hour. Not a place for the faint hearted.

Hi Dennison,

I was up there the summer before last, you may recall we chatted briefly one day on the VHF a bit N of Battle Harbor, and again on my return south when I made a quick pit stop in Hopedale for some fuel...






Agree completely with all you say, Labrador is a very special place... And, it only gets better, the further north you go...

;-)

[AiniA]

We are going to Newfoundland and possibly Labrador next summer. Our insurance (Jackline policy with IMIS) offers us a Labrador rider for $365 for the month of August.

[OceansFive]

Jon,
Yes I do remember. Your photos are wonderful. I git up to Saglek last year and returned to Hopedale this summer. Next year going to Panama via Canaries. Where are you most?

[nortonscove]

The charts were Navionics in the cockpit and Garmin at the nav station. Of course we carry a full compliment of paper as we own a tug and barge company and have probably done Labrador as often as any other location in the companies 45 year history. The reason we turned back early was time constraints in peak season. Would have been nice to get to Battle Harbour as it is the birthplace of my grandmother and great grandmother who lived in Trap Cove on Great Caribou Island. Sadly we had chosen the worse July on recond to go. Fun trip despite the weather and my wife is considering the artist in residency there next year.

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[Seymore]

I have in mind that it's the law in Canada that you must have current paper charts on board for the waters that you're sailing in.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by Seymore

I have in mind that it's the law in Canada that you must have current paper charts on board for the waters that you're sailing in.

That law has slowly slipped into obscurity. It isnt the case anymore as long as you have an approved backup. ..at least on commercial vessels.

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