Into the starlit night still motoring.  Through the Straight of Belle Isle, the narrow (9 nm) stretch of water between Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Newfoundland side surprisingly well lit and Labrador side more sparsely so. At 0300 we meet a gang of whales, four on the starboard side, 20 m from the boat. Calmly rising up and blowing time and time again.  Majestic! Magic!  Another two soon shows up on the port side.

Around the corner and turning right, eh….sorry, starboard.  We almost make landfall at Anse au Meadows, the only known Viking settlement in North America and now turned into a tourist attraction.  That is that the floating wharf is not yet out due to the hard spring so instead we anchor up and use the dinghy.  The exhibition is worth every penny (Can$9.20 for 60+).  Longhouse, black smith’s shop, church (!), boat house for the recently built Viking ship “Snorre”, which sailed from Greenland to Anse au Meadows in 87 days (!) 1993. Lunch at a very decent restaurant, swim upon return to the ship (13 degrees….viking temperature!).

We aim for a short cut but chicken out in front of power lines that hang 68 feet above the sea.  We draw 75 feet, nominally…..eh..they looked awfully low!

Out and around a small island and….we have our first iceberg encounter.  A whipped cream wonder that gleamed in the sunshine.  Wow !

Finally we motor into St.Anthony harbour.  We are almost out of diesel and we need provisions for at least a week, until Greenland.