Hector and Scotty and Lloydy (and Ashley) oh MY!

Well, this one has to be quick...

I'm on the ferry to Newfoundland as we speak (yay free internet) and I've had a sweet few days, let me tell you.

we got on a crabbing boat! We went down to the dock at 2 am and got on a boat heading out with Hector, Scotty and Lloydy (Tanis did a great job making friends with the Jumping Mouse Campground at Bay St Lawrence owners and friends and they hooked us up with some really cool locals) . So we get to the boat at 2 am, and I'm feeling better than I thought I would at that hour. We had done some stargazing because the campground was cliffside at the cean and the view was beautiful. We met the crew, Hector (the Captain, who I swear I understood maybe 30% of what he said with his thich accent and low gravelly voice..) Scotty, a big guy with a great sense of humour, LLoydy, a guy with coke bottle glasses and an old school metal lunchbox, and Daniel, a kid helping on the boat. I was immediately nauseous and continued to be the whole time we were out, which was till 12:30 in the afternoon, long day for these guys. Here's what happened.

We got on the boat and took off, and were told that it would take 3.5 hours to get to the traps to even start pulling them up. We went below where the guys had bunked down and experienced the smell described to us as 'man' in the hold, as everyone had their boots off and was in a small quarters. We had a sleeping bag laid out on the bench and we slept for a bit. We got up at sunrise when we got near the traps and statred o feel the swells. Ithen began to feel particularly nauseus, and was delighted to discover that I had gotten my period. Classic. I believe getting your period 35 km out to sea on a crabbing boat on a boat full of fishermen you just met has superceded my previous winner 'awkward period moment' of swimming lessons at the wave pool, CPR unit. Classy.

Anyways, so I was alreeady clearly feeling great. We wentr out to see them pull in some traps and check o the system, and when they told us that the best place to stand is behind the bags of dead fish they use as bait, I said sure, I'll just go and PWHOARLTHB.

Okay, I didn't actually throw up, but that was purely by the grace of having nothing in my stomach to move, I can tell you it sure tried. Yes! Weakest stomach on the boat! Anyways, the crabibg was so, so coool. The traps are hugs and can pull in 100 pounds of crab at once,. They need a winch t do it, then they dump the crams on the deck and sort out the females and the smakl ones which thay throw back to sea. They go arond to their secret spots and collect them all sorting, then they go back, set the traps ad boat the 3.5 hours home.

We saw pods of pilot whales when we were out there which was excellent! SO EXCITIBG, they were so close to the boat! They call them skipbakc. I felt sick the whole time and slept a bunch to make sure I wasn't gagibg the whole time, but I had so much fun. Tjhose guys are the cutest ever, let me tell you! We got back at about noon, as it tok 3 hours to get t the spot in the sea that is secret (don't try, I won't tell!). We gt fresh crab at the end uf it for dinner and we ade some cool friends. It was smelly, swelly, and wonderful. What a cool experience.

AND THEN....Ashley MacIsaac concert in Northern Cape Breton....holy crap. More on that soon......

xoxoxo
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