Waiting for our ferry

It was a very rainy and foggy day in Port aux Basques, so we didn't really feel energized to do anything. We drove into town to get a loaf of bread, and on the way, stopped by the port to see if Marine Atlantic might let us overnight in their parking area. After a quick conversation between a couple of folks working there, they said that we could. So, we went back and got Miss Doozie and relocated to the Marine Atlantic line-up area. This way, we'll be able to get a good nights sleep in our rig and then be all ready to board for the 11:45am ferry on Saturday.

Since we were here, we got to see the evening ferry come in - this would have left Sydney, Nova Scotia, at 11:45am Atlantic time, getting in here at about 6:45pm Newfoundland time (about a 6.5 hour crossing). It will load back up and leave here at 11:45pm Newfoundland time. We didn't want to do a night crossing - we did not sleep well in the cabins on the way over from Nova Scotia (and we had a longer crossing to Argentia so we should have been able to get a good nights sleep), and we want to see the trip as much as we can. So, we hope to get a good nights sleep in Miss Doozie here on the parking lot (with all the trucks going onto the ferry, maybe we won't get to sleep very early!), and awake all ready to take the ferry tomorrow and then drive to Cheticamp in Cape Breton Highlands after we arrive in Nova Scotia tomorrow.

The ferry coming in to dock - it turned around and is backing in to the dock area.

There are two decks of vehicles - on this ferry, the top deck is outside, and seemed to mostly have trailers on it (without the tractors). The bottom ramp is starting to open - the top of it is way up at the top of the back of the boat.

It's coming down! But... it's gonna hit the ramp for the top deck if it keeps on coming...

Oh, they had that figured out...

As the bottom ramp continues down, the top ramp starts to unfurl...

They start looking like they are doing some sort of weird dance...

Do-si-do and all that stuff.

The bottom ramp is down... top ramp still opening...

It opened up all the way straight before coming down again.

coming down...

down and set - and the fog has come in...

The first trucks come off the bottom (enclosed) deck.

And a truck comes off the top deck too.

After a few trucks come off the top....

A small tractor goes onto the top deck (actually a couple of them went on)...

They started pulling the trailers off.

A couple from Newfoundland who was watching the operation with us said that Marine Atlantic also has a trucking company, so some of these might be their trucks. But, it is also probably more efficient to just send the goods with the trailer over and let local drivers in Newfoundland carry them the rest of the way.

We've had dinner, and are ready to settle in for the night. More pictures from the ferry tomorrow, I expect!