Saturday July 9 - Sunday July 10, 2011
Crossing to Newfoundland on the North Sea
North Sydney, Nova Scotia Canada
North Sydney, NS to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland
10pm North Sydney docks, waiting to board Marine Vessel- MV Highlander
It's grey overcast, rainy... coming down in sheets at times, windy.... that's putting it lightly. Wind is 30 to 40 & gusts at times are near 50. Been driving in fog / rain all day.
Waiting on the N. Sydney docks here at dusk / now dark is something else. each band / layer of storm gets more intense. The rain is sideways. My feet have been wet all day.
7 hours earlier at the harbor warf watched the MV Highlander pull into port and start unloading; as soon as we're finished loading... will head to Port aux Basques, NFLD ... will cross the North Sea to Newfoundland at night.
The dock is busy. About 100+ 18 wheelers have loaded so far... and there's 100 more. looks like about 500 passenger vehicles waiting in numbered rows.
Earlier in the afternoon walking around N. Sydney... checked email at the town library. Town museum next door. Interesting.
The Canadian veterans I've met & talked w/ on this journey; these guys were really squared away, A #1 solid veterans that would do anything --die-- for Queen and Country; very honorable men & women. What I found out was North Sydney was a crucial place in WWII.
The ship convoys, hundreds of ships grouped together and sailed to fend off the German submarine wolfpacks. The liberty ship convoys that crossed the North Sea to supply England and the allies... The convoys formed up here.
*** Dad was one of the Iceland Marines. England and Germany had been at war since 1938. Churchill met with Roosevelt, spoke that he was afraid Hitler would attack the British garrison and capture the Island of Iceland.... the main stopping point - sea lane- refueling point through the North Sea to England / Europe. ... and cut off this main supply route.
They agreed that British troops would leave Iceland,... and Roosevelt would put American troops on Iceland--- the rational that Hitler would not attack Iceland and give the US a reason to declare war w/ the allies of Europe. Rossevelt sent a regiment of Marines to Iceland; Dad was one of the Iceland duty Marines. i remember him talking about being on ship in the North Sea. Now I get to see it. ***
North Sydney in a storm is a dreary place. Waiting on the docks here is endless; the sheets of rain and wind are the entertainment.
At 12;30am -- now Sunday-- begin moving to board, drive onto the 1st level deck, center line about # 10 from the bow. This is gonna be LIFO; Last In, First Out when we dock in NFLD. To the center stantion and stairs up to the # 7 deck. It's a zoo. 1;15+ now. 500 people. park in a spot and I go scout out the ship.
Go up on deck and they're still loading the last vehicles. back down I see # 8 deck has some more room, not as crowded/ quiet... & get T-bone up here.
1;30+ I go up topside to see pulling out of dock & put to sea. About 2;30 to 3am get t-bone settled down enough to sleep some; exhausted and wrapped up in the Marine blanket on the floor. It's impossible to sleep; the snoring is like a Marine barracks. I go scout out the galley / mess hall... most people call this the resturaunt which is closed. ... & other parts of the ship. It's been 30+ years since I was on a ship. -- a lot nicer than military / navy ships were. Think of waiting in a greyhound bus station.
About 3am go up topside. The North Sea in a squall is NOT a nice place. Rain in sheets. Sideways rain stings like bbs. Wind is 40 to 50... gusts to 60+... some 70. I tuck behind the superstructure to get glimpses of the sea. Waves are 8 to 12'... that's a 25' top to bottom swell. I can feel the ship jostle around at times. The only word I can come up w/ to describe the North sea; Wicked. ... and you instantly realize,.... you go down in the North Sea; you die.
At dawn, the squall breaks and the weather gets milder. Making port in Port aux Basques, NFLD.... gray, overcast... a spooky looking place. Looks like sinister WWII gray port w/ nazi submarines waiting off the coast waiting for you... and this is the port of refuge. Dark gray, even darker gray rock. this place has eroded over millenia and this is whats left.... that can't be beaten back. There are no trees; wind and erosion will not allow in this harsh enviornment The town is just a cobbled together huddel to endure the weather. A very powerful place to see!
Now I know now what Dad and all those guys experienced seeing the North Sea. I wish I could talk w/ him now about it. I do not see how the vikings and explorers did it in those small ships.
All around the Canadian Maritimes -- throughout-- I saw maps w/ shipwrecks, towns w/ monuments of men that did NOT come back from the sea. .... and now I know why.
Welcome to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland ; bring your rain gear. I've been up 25 hours now & head out north on TransCanada Hwy 1 to Gros Morne.
MARNE 20 / 21 # 62
Saturday July 9 - Sunday July 10, 2011
Crossing to Newfoundland on the North Sea
North Sydney, Nova Scotia Canada
North Sydney, NS to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland
10pm North Sydney docks, waiting to board Marine Vessel- MV Highlander
It's grey overcast, rainy... coming down in sheets at times, windy.... that's putting it lightly. Wind is 30 to 40 & gusts at times are near 50. Been driving in fog / rain all day.
Waiting on the N. Sydney docks here at dusk / now dark is something else. each band / layer of storm gets more intense. The rain is sideways. My feet have been wet all day.
7 hours earlier at the harbor warf watched the MV Highlander pull into port and start unloading; as soon as we're finished loading... will head to Port aux Basques, NFLD ... will cross the North Sea to Newfoundland at night.
The dock is busy. About 100+ 18 wheelers have loaded so far... and there's 100 more. looks like about 500 passenger vehicles waiting in numbered rows.
Earlier in the afternoon walking around N. Sydney... checked email at the town library. Town museum next door. Interesting.
The Canadian veterans I've met & talked w/ on this journey; these guys were really squared away, A #1 solid veterans that would do anything --die-- for Queen and Country; very honorable men & women. What I found out was North Sydney was a crucial place in WWII.
The ship convoys, hundreds of ships grouped together and sailed to fend off the German submarine wolfpacks. The liberty ship convoys that crossed the North Sea to supply England and the allies... The convoys formed up here.
*** Dad was one of the Iceland Marines. England and Germany had been at war since 1938. Churchill met with Roosevelt, spoke that he was afraid Hitler would attack the British garrison and capture the Island of Iceland.... the main stopping point - sea lane- refueling point through the North Sea to England / Europe. ... and cut off this main supply route.
They agreed that British troops would leave Iceland,... and Roosevelt would put American troops on Iceland--- the rational that Hitler would not attack Iceland and give the US a reason to declare war w/ the allies of Europe. Rossevelt sent a regiment of Marines to Iceland; Dad was one of the Iceland duty Marines. i remember him talking about being on ship in the North Sea. Now I get to see it. ***
North Sydney in a storm is a dreary place. Waiting on the docks here is endless; the sheets of rain and wind are the entertainment.
At 12;30am -- now Sunday-- begin moving to board, drive onto the 1st level deck, center line about # 10 from the bow. This is gonna be LIFO; Last In, First Out when we dock in NFLD. To the center stantion and stairs up to the # 7 deck. It's a zoo. 1;15+ now. 500 people. park in a spot and I go scout out the ship.
Go up on deck and they're still loading the last vehicles. back down I see # 8 deck has some more room, not as crowded/ quiet... & get T-bone up here.
1;30+ I go up topside to see pulling out of dock & put to sea. About 2;30 to 3am get t-bone settled down enough to sleep some; exhausted and wrapped up in the Marine blanket on the floor. It's impossible to sleep; the snoring is like a Marine barracks. I go scout out the galley / mess hall... most people call this the resturaunt which is closed. ... & other parts of the ship. It's been 30+ years since I was on a ship. -- a lot nicer than military / navy ships were. Think of waiting in a greyhound bus station.
About 3am go up topside. The North Sea in a squall is NOT a nice place. Rain in sheets. Sideways rain stings like bbs. Wind is 40 to 50... gusts to 60+... some 70. I tuck behind the superstructure to get glimpses of the sea. Waves are 8 to 12'... that's a 25' top to bottom swell. I can feel the ship jostle around at times. The only word I can come up w/ to describe the North sea; Wicked. ... and you instantly realize,.... you go down in the North Sea; you die.
At dawn, the squall breaks and the weather gets milder. Making port in Port aux Basques, NFLD.... gray, overcast... a spooky looking place. Looks like sinister WWII gray port w/ nazi submarines waiting off the coast waiting for you... and this is the port of refuge. Dark gray, even darker gray rock. this place has eroded over millenia and this is whats left.... that can't be beaten back. There are no trees; wind and erosion will not allow in this harsh enviornment The town is just a cobbled together huddel to endure the weather. A very powerful place to see!
Now I know now what Dad and all those guys experienced seeing the North Sea. I wish I could talk w/ him now about it. I do not see how the vikings and explorers did it in those small ships.
All around the Canadian Maritimes -- throughout-- I saw maps w/ shipwrecks, towns w/ monuments of men that did NOT come back from the sea. .... and now I know why.
Welcome to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland ; bring your rain gear. I've been up 25 hours now & head out north on TransCanada Hwy 1 to Gros Morne.
