We had not intended to be in this part of Labrador, and are not prepared chart-wise. So, we’ve been making do with the Canadian Sailing Directions, and the Cruising Club of America Cruising Guide. In addition, we are printing charts off of our chart programs. We started with Coastal Explorer and are now using Nobeltec’s latest version, with their C-Map vector charts.

We print out small and large scale, and tape the sections together (we’d prefer proper paper charts but have not been able to acquire them in this part of the world).

While we are into gunkholing mode, poking our nose into and out of various small harbors, the iceberg above lurking a few miles offshore drew our attention.

There was a bit of swell running, maybe six to ten footers (1.8 to 3m), and they were making an impressive display on the perimeter of the ice.

This berg was aground, about a mile offshore. The end piece with the crack is probably 65 feet (20m) high. Bet it will make some waves when it breaks off!

The humpbacks are around. This one decided to come by and check us out…

…And then wave good-bye as he or she continued feeding.

Hawk Harbour was once a busy whaling port, which only stopped operation in the 1950s. The remains of the factory are still ashore.

As are these two whaling ships.

The shore is also dotted with homes, some of which look to have been used within the past decade or two.

Perhaps these were in use until the cod fishery ended?

We are seeing stone cairns on many of the promontories of the coast. They are Inuit navigational beacons called “Inuk shuk” and are said to be thousands of years old. Some have arms pointing to specific locations – or holes through which you sight to see something important like a crossing point for caribou.