S/V Andante: Bergs to the left . . .

Labrador Coast

We've been seeing a LOT of bergs. Small chunks, big chunks. The Petermann ice shelf calved a big chunk off last fall. Called the Petermann Ice Island, it was the size of Rhode Island when it started. If all the freshwater in it was melted it would give every man woman and child on the planet 2 litres of drinking water, every day for 2 years. We were hoping to see it but it's too far out now. Everyone's waiting to see if it'll go over the top of Newfoundland and threaten the oil rigs or through the Straits of Belle Isle and block it.

Here are some of the bergs we've seen:

S/V Andante

Andante is a Gale Force built by John Kaiser in Delaware and launched in 1977. She's a heavy, ocean going cruiser with a full keel and stern hung rudder. We're her second owners and have owned her since 1991. Andante is her original name and is a musical term that we like to interpret as a steady pace. It's officially "slow and steady" but hey . . . she's not that slow. . .

A full keel, traditional, capable off-shore boat she is hull #9 of 34 made.

Visit our:

Refit Album

Iceberg Album 2009

Hard Dodger

Newfoundland/Labrador Books

We stocked our shelves with all sorts of books about Newfoundland. Here’s a rundown and reviews as we read them.

Traveller’s Guide to the Geology of Newfoundland and Labrador Edited by S. Colman-Saad and S.A. Scott – Geologic map of Newfoundland/Labrador and an accompanying booklet describing the areas highlighted. It’s geared more for car traveller’s, but we’ve found it very informative to get an overall sense of the geology. We're no geologist but it's interesting for laypeople and geologists! There are a lot of areas that are coastal where we’ve hiked. Order on line at: http://gac.esd.mun.ca/nl/roadmap.htm

Sails Over Ice: Northern Adventures by the SS Morrissey by Captiain Robert A. Bartlett – Newfoundland’s native son, Bob Bartlett captained the ship that delivered Robert Peary to the ice for his arctic dash to the North Pole. 2009 is the 100^thanniversary of that trip and numerous celebrations are planned around Newfoundland. Bartlett went on to dedicate his life to arctic exploration. Good read!

Riddle of the Ice by Myron “Mike” Arms – Mike is from the Chesapeake and has spent many years sailing in Newfoundland & Labrador. His first book about the area chronicles a trip in the 1990’s where the Straits of Belle Isle were choked with ice.

Servants of the Fish by Myron “Mike” Arms – Researched through interviews with residents met during a circumnavigation of Newfoundland in . Mike explores the collapse of the fishing industry. Good read and very interesting to read as you follow along the coast.

Bay of Spirits by Farley Mowat – Farley recounts his time exploring the southern coast of Newfoundland when outport communities were still thriving. It’s a beautiful look at this way of life and we always enjoy his writing. Great companion if you’re sailing along that coast.

The Boat That Wouldn’t Float by Farley Mowat – Simply a hilarious read!

The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson – funny, fascinating look at these critters.

Random Passages by Bernice Morgan – A family from Scotland immigrates to Newfoundland in the 1700’s to begin a new life. Enjoyed it.

Haven't read yet:

A Short History of Newfoundland and Labrador by the Newfoundland Historical Society – Looks like a fairly scholarly text but we were interested in some hard historical info.

Cod by Mark Kurlansky

Lament for an Ocean by Michael Harris

Standing into Danger by Cassie Brown

Northern Seas, Hardy Sailors by George Whiteley

Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston

An Innocent in Newfoundland by David W. McFadden

A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz – unravels the early explorers to this continent

Waiting for Time by Bernice Morgan – a sequel to Random passages. Haven’t read it yet.

The Outport People by Claire Mowat – a fictionalized account of the year she and husband, Farley Mowat spent on the southwest coast.

S/V Andante

Bergs to the left . . .

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