#52 Running from Hurricane Dorian
September 6, 2019
We knew traveling
down the Eastern Coast of the United States in the Fall created a need to watch
for hurricanes. Running from one out of
Newfoundland went beyond our expectations!
The ferry only runs a
few times a week, so we were somewhat locked into our departure date of
September 5th. We drove to
Argentia . We only had an overflow lot
in which to park. Our rig does not do
well boondocking. We ran the generator
but discovered it could not provide enough power for extended days to keep the
batteries charged enough for the all-electric refrigerator . We knew when we got on the ferry we would
have to shut the inverter and go without power to the refrigerator, or change
draining the starting batteries. Oh
well!
Argentia was a bit of
a surprise. There is the ferry dock,
only operational on days the boat comes in, and not much else. The area includes old vacant warehouses and
some working warehouses. A large project
sits out at the end, where they are building a huge off shore oil rig. It did have a grocery store, and some fast
food and a few stores.
The tiny town of Placentia sits just over a bridge from Argentia.
The tiny town of Placentia sits just over a bridge from Argentia.
This quaint little
church sat near downtown .
It also had this interesting metal barrier along the water way. Every so often a ladder appears so boats docked below the wall have access to getting off.
Across the waterway we saw this cave in the cliff.
On Thursday
afternoon, September 5th we boarded the Atlantic Vision ferry at
3:30. The official sailing time was
scheduled for 5 PM. Just before boarding Derrille went into the terminal to retrieve his hat. We apparently lost it on the ferry to Newfoundland. The crew found it, and the office shipped it to Argentia to be picked up. We had a good laugh over its packaging. Nice to get it back in perfect shape!
Sad note: The wind at the Wright Brothers Memorial Kitty Hawk NC on the outer banks blew his favorite hat off his head and disappeared somewhere down the hill in brier bushes.
Sad note: The wind at the Wright Brothers Memorial Kitty Hawk NC on the outer banks blew his favorite hat off his head and disappeared somewhere down the hill in brier bushes.
The ferry resembled a tiny cruise boat and
provided all kinds of things for passenger comfort.
Since this was an overnight trip we went to
our 2 person berth first. (two beds, a
desk, a TV, a closet and a full bathroom)
The Colours Panoramic Lounge lived up to its name with colorful cushioned benches and small ice cream tables and chairs. The lounge took in most of the front end and down a bit on each side. In the evening they had a live band.
A casino was available as were a couple of movie theaters.
A game room with tables and chairs provided
all kinds of games and cards to amuse the travelers.
A computer room with Wi-Fi could be used also.
For the hungry traveler a deli was located
in the lounge. Two bars served the thirsty traveler.
About mid ship, was a fancy sit down restaurant with fancy prices and a Buffet not quite as pricey.
We ate at Eggs Buffet and sat by the window to enjoy our meal. I was in need of what I call real food.
Unlike the other ferries, this one included
an excellent gift shop!
We kept a watchful eye on Dorian. The hurricane trackers forecast said that it
would land in Nova Scotia and plow on through to the west side of Newfoundland,
and the eastern edge of Labrador.
Our original plans were to stay a night in
North Sydney, go to dinner at the fabulous Lobster Pound again and then move to
another place further south in Nova Scotia.
From there were planning four day right on the beach in New Brunswick.
Plans change! Hurricanes love RVs!
Remember we boarded at 3:30 PM Thursday and then we docked in North Sydney at 9 AM Friday September 6th. The crossing had been smooth and uneventful.
The weather at the time was gorgeous. However, knowing that Dorian was still a Cat 1 hurricane and expected in Nova Scotia Saturday morning, we got off the ferry and immediately drove 281 miles to Amherst, Nova Scotia to spend the night.
Amherst showed us a spectacular sunset from the Loch Lomond RV Park.
Dorian was expected in Amherst at 11 AM so
we left at 7:30 AM and drove another 150 miles to Fredricton, New
Brunswick. Light rain began to fall as
we neared our destination.
Once we were parked and set up the heavy rains hit for the next 15 hours, putting down about 3 inches of rwater. Our wind speeds only hit about 20 mph. The places we ran from experienced winds of 90-110 mph and lots of damage.
Once we were parked and set up the heavy rains hit for the next 15 hours, putting down about 3 inches of rwater. Our wind speeds only hit about 20 mph. The places we ran from experienced winds of 90-110 mph and lots of damage.
Hartt Island RV in Fredricton turned out to
be a safe haven. The sun came back and we chose to stay for 5 days to rest and
regroup.
Next stops Harmon, ME… Hampton Fall, NH….Bristol, CT…..Jersey City, NJ.
No comments:
Post a Comment