Page 4 - The "Aspy" at Breton Cove

ISSUE : Issue 13

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1976/6/1

we left Ingonish around 10 o'clock in the morning with the wind blowing from the south. Mother and father were pacing the floor waiting for some word on the fate of the Aspy. Father had been over to Alex J. Morrison's where they had the telegraph of? fice, but the wires were still dead. They kept watching the ocean, and lo and behold the Aspy came into view, still battling the storm with white spray flying over her. The wind was coming from the south as it had the previous morning, causing the steamer to pitch in those waves while rolling in the waves stirred up by the northeaster. How glad we were as we steamed into Sydney Harbour. All the oldtimers from the North Shore down to Dingwall said they had never seen a storm like it. Fishermen had never before seen a wind come around full circle in 24 hours with no let up. I had my mind made up when I got my feet on solid ground that I would stay there. But then I read about the storm in the newspapers and how some big freighters for England had to turn back to Sydney for re? pairs with shattered pieces of lifeboats dangling from their davits. So I said to myself I must be a pretty poor sailor for quitting my job because of being in a storm. And I so much wanted to become a captain. I said to myself. If the Aspy was able to ride out that storm she'll ride out any storm. So I stayed on her until she tied up in Jan? uary for the winter. I had a telegram from Capt. Dan in the spring to come back with him, but mother wouldn't hear of it, so I stayed home fish? ing lobsters. I always regarded Capt. Dan as a good captain and navigator. One time we came into Ingonish and the fog was so thick you couldn't see a thing, m thought we would stay there until it lifted. But no, Capt. Dan made for Neil's Harbour where the fog was still worse and it was almost impossible to tell where the wharf was. But he inched the Aspy in there, and we could hear people talking on the wharf, but we couldn't see them. The Aspy" at Breton Cove Waiting for the "Aspy" at Breton Cove. 1919; and D. B. MacLeod. Janie MacLeod, Baddeck; I was born at Breton long the shore to Ingonish. They didn't have Cove, The Aspy was our big event. In those special days. Somebody would see the boat years, the Aspy came twice a week. Before coming and they'd notify the rest. My fa- the Aspy there was the Harlaw. The Weymouth ther had a general country store. There was ran there too for a while • not too long. The everything from as they say a needle to a Harlaw was before my time. She made the one haystack. It was just called D • B.'s Store-- trip, a round trip • north and came along the that's all. I remember one time father had shore or went to St, Ann's and went down a- a Newfoundland dog • he used to run errands e'p PRINTERS LTD. 180 TOWNSEND STREET. SYDNEY, N. S. TELEPHONE (902) 564'245 Formerly Cape Bret

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