In the summer of 2022, I sailed solo from Florida to Newfoundland, stopping along the way in Maine and Nova Scotia. I explored the remote fjords along Newfoundland's south coast, and in the process, fulfilled a goal I set for myself years earlier. I was drawn to this area as I was searching for a place where wilderness met the ocean, a place where I could sail and anchor, yet be exposed to raw nature. Newfoundland in unique in this. Few places exist in the world where one can anchor in true wilderness, but the fjords along the south coast are abundant in wilderness, nature, and grandeur. Here, mountains unchanged for millennia meet the ocean. Few people live along the central south coast, and there are no roads. The only town along a the 60-mile stretch of the coast where I focused my attention is the outport of Francois, accessible only by boat, and where a way of life forgotten by the rest of the world still exists. In this book, I share my adventures and misadventures, and as always, I have included many photographs. I hope you enjoy the book it as much as I enjoyed the journey.
Praise from author and sailing legend John Kretschmer:
"Journey to Newfoundland" is one of the best cruising accounts I have read in a long time. Paul Trammell's latest book, describing his single-handed sail from Florida to Newfoundland, is a wise, inspiring tale that reminds me of Rockwell Kent's classic, "N by E." Trammell writes like he lives and sails, with keen attention to detail, a profound respect for nature, deep humility and, best of all, with an almost childlike sense of awe. He never fails to embrace the majesty of this dramatic coast as he pilots his 40' cutter "Windflower" into one stunning anchorage after another, not a small task for a single-hander. He sets off on hikes and climbs the rugged edges, determined to find a secret trout pond or just a glimpse of his boat from a higher perspective. Through the course of the book Newfoundland changes from a dreamy destination, to a forbidding land of rock and fog, to a challenging but enchanted cruising ground with some of, in Trammell's words, "the nicest people in the world."