8/11/04   Dublin Cove/Harbor Le Cou    <South Shore Images>

Position:
47 37.700 N
58 39.220 W

We are anchored in Dublin Cove just north and around the corner from Harbour Le Cou.  Beautiful day on the south coast of Newfoundland today.  Stopped in at several of the small outports and then went to Harbor Le Cou.  As advertised, the bay at Harbor Le Cou was an industrial strength aqua-culture operation with rows and rows of impassable drums.  There were marked channels into the inner bays between rows of red and green drums.  Still, it was a little crowded so I tried around the corner in Dublin Cove.  Only a little aqua-culture.  Anchored at the head of the bay completely sheltered from SW winds, but a bit exposed to the northeast.  Used my spare anchor rode to stick an extra line off my stern around a huge boulder about 100 feet way.  Great ride with no swinging and plenty of security. 

Rowed Polarlys to shore tonight, as the dinghy gas tank is dry (using it more than ever this year).  I will fill it in Port Au Basque -- only about a 20 mile trip now.  The only bug is that in the evenings when we dinghy to shore we always get mobbed by black flies (I do use repellent).  They swarm us even as we return by dinghy.  Usually I open the throttle wide and the dog and I go zooming around the bay a little in order to ditch our dense cloud of pests.  I can't row fast enough though, so now we have to hide inside (I have screens up) for a while when we first return.

Had incredibly fresh cod last night (carefully not overcooked), and Polarlys got a good share (didn't tell that to the guys who filleted it).  For lunch today, I just about finished a nice Stilton blue cheese that I got in St. Johns in the cheese and pate store.  I was in awe when I saw a really good Stilton there, and I told the girl just to wrap up the whole thing and put it on the scale.  (90% of the cheese out there labeled "Stilton" is crap by comparison.)  She looked at me like I had just emerged from the ice age, but did as asked -- I think she was used to people buying stingy little slices that crumble when you try to cut them.  It is a far cry from my alternate fare of extra crispy Cheetos and root beer.  Stilton is quite sharp, and I once made the mistake of digging into some of the "extra cheesy" Cheetos a little while after eating some of it.  They tasted like salted cardboard by comparison -- extra cheesy my foot..  Anyway, you generally don't eat Stilton rind and since it is organic I tend to toss it in to the sea as I go.  I can just envision some fish nibbling away at this tidbit and getting his taste buds and mind blown out.  Probably spend the rest of his fish life on a Nemo quest searching the oceans far and wide for fine Stilton.

Probably off to Port Au Basque with a couple side trips tomorrow - completing our loop of Newfoundland.  Blasting the boat's stereo throughout our completely deserted cove tonight (we had music when we dinghied ashore -- and yes I do also turn off the music and enjoy the quiet, it's just that the wildlife can use a little rock and roll.)