Thursday, October 30, 2014

Grey River, Newfoundland

Grey river entrance
The Grey River entrance is the narrowest that I entered in Newfoundland. The entrance is marked by a small lighthouse and is all but invisible until you are right in front of the opening.Steering downwind in a following sea towards a rockbound coast looking for the entrance and a shoal between between the entrance and open water was a bit unnerving! Once inside, the swell disappeared  and I motored past the tiny outport of Jert's Cove and continued upriver. Grey river has several channels to explore once inside, all of them with very few places shallow enough to anchor except at the far ends. Deciding that the NW arm looked best for the forecast weather conditions,  I anchored below some cliffs where the water became shallow enough. Later, as the wind picked up to 35 knots and the boat was caught in a tug of war between the current and the wind I could see by the wind rips on the water that I should have anchored closer to the head of the arm. The cliffs on either side created an acceleration zone that I could have avoided by anchoring beyond them. It was here I experienced some of the coldest weather of my voyage north,I had noted 35F at sunrise outside, but nice inside with the heater on all night. Being reminded of the approaching winter season, I began  planning the voyage south with its various possibilities dependent on the weather.
Heading up through the narrow waterway
Steep shoreline and deep water
Junction of NE and NW arms
At anchor in the NW arm
Early morning exit from Grey River