Fortune Harbour facts for kids
Fortune Harbour (sometimes written Fortune Harbor) is a bay and a small community. You can find it in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It's a beautiful spot by the water.
History of Fortune Harbour
People have known about Fortune Harbour for a long time. Old records help us learn about its past.
Life in the Early 1900s
In 1913, a book called McAlpine's Gazetteer described Fortune Harbour. A Gazetteer is like an old encyclopedia that lists places and tells you about them.
At that time, Fortune Harbour was a busy place. It was a "post and money order settlement." This means people could send mail and get money there. The community had a store and a Catholic church. Large ships, like those from Bowring Bros. and Reid Newfoundland, would visit. They brought goods and people, especially when the waters were not frozen.
Exploring the Harbour by Sea
An older book from 1884, a pilot guide, also talked about Fortune Harbour. A pilot guide helps ship captains navigate safely. This guide described Fortune Harbour as a "land-locked anchorage." This means it's a very safe place for ships to anchor, protected from strong winds and waves.
The harbour has two entrances, both near Sweeny Island. The eastern entrance was quite narrow, only about 30 yards wide. It was also shallow, with only 12 feet of water at low tide. This entrance was only for smaller boats.
The western entrance was much better for large ships. However, it could be tricky to sail through. The turns were sharp, and the wind could be unpredictable. Strong gusts of wind, called squalls, were common, especially when the wind came from the west.
