We only were going about five miles back down river today so we definitely weren’t in any rush. I have found that the best thing ever (to me) is to wake up and jump in the water. before doing anything. Wow. Refreshing, and really wakes you up! We eventually pulled anchor and headed downstream to Old Saybrook. There is a train bridge we had to pass and it was open but I called the bridge tender anyway just to be sure since I’m still a little scarred from the Mystic bridge experience. He responded with ”its open, go ahead”. I thanked him and proceeded through. We turned in to the North Cove and worked our way up through the mooring field. The depth got a little lower as we got closer to the town dock but it was deep enough. I spotted a mooring ball marked with ‘72 hour limit’ right in front of the dock. I had read that the moorings were close to the dock, but didn’t realize they were that close. We were about forty feet from the dock, but I still showed about seven feet of water. I also had read that it can be uncomfortable because the fisherman cast their lines out that far. There were no fishermen at the moment so we hooks our lines and settled in. Ahhhh… I am always happy to be a mooring ball. We hung out for a while and soon enough some people showed up to fish. We were actually close enough I could speak to them. I apologized for being in the way and they were cool. “No worries- we’ll fish around you”. Nice. I took Frank for a walk and explored a bit, then returned back. We loaded up the bikes and headed off to the nearest grocery store. We picked up some more food and supplies and returned back to the boat. I then headed back to the local liquor store for ice and beverages. After we were settled again I took Frank for another walk. We found an overgrown road which led to some abandoned buildings. One building had an old car torn apart and the other building I was afraid to enter. We found our way back and retired for the evening after an amazing sunset.
Day 2- We decided we would stay here for one more day. We took the bikes and rode around to explore some more. We toured the town and found out Yale was ‘kind of’ founded here. “On October 9, 1701 the Collegiate School of Connecticut was chartered in Old Saybrook. It moved to New Haven in 1716, and was later renamed Yale University.” There was a bit of a scuffle about the books during this move, and obviously Yale won. We continued on and decided for lunch at Livs Shack. We found a table outside and enjoyed some lunch. We continued on and explored some more before returning back to Klondike. Frank was walked some more and we decided on our next stop: Guilford, Connecticut.
Before we left I took Frank for a walk and trekked about a mile or so to a donut shop and picked up some treats at Deviant Donuts. We returned and surprised Lauren with our bounty. Now we’re back in the Long Island Sound, making our way back toward the Hudson River, but staying on the Connecticut side. Our trip today was about twenty eight miles which took about four hours. We had timed the currents perfectly and averaged seven knots. We went up the Connecticut River and came to the area the anchorage was listed. We could see the mooring field on the port side, and lots of room on the starboard side to anchor. We worked our way starboard, and as close as we felt comfortable to an island which already had a bunch of boats anchored off of it. We knew most, if not all, would be gone by nightfall. We dropped anchor and hung out for a bit, swimming and enjoying the day. We were chilling out chatting on the deck when we both looked over to see a guy floating by, holding a flotation device (think floating cushion). The current is pretty strong in the Connecticut River so the boats all point into the currents. Lauren and I both noticed him at the same time and looked at each other. I jumped up and called out to him: “do you need help?” I asked, as I was moving toward the dinghy. He responded with a “yes” and I was cruising toward him in no time. I caught up to him and got him in the dinghy. I was returning him to his boat as he explained to me his children thought it would be funny to let him drift, but he was pretty pissed. I dropped him off to his boat and was departing quickly, declining the offered beer, when I heard him start to talk to his kids. Lauren and I watched him pull anchor and depart pretty quickly. I’ll bet that wasn’t a fun ride home for the children. We spent the rest of the day swimmers and chilling, with a couple of trips to the island for Frank.
Day 2- We wanted to check out the town so we took the bikes in to shore. A little bit about Essex: “The largest ship ever constructed in the Connecticut River Valley, Oliver Cromwell, established Essex Village as the place to build wooden sailing ships, and between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars over 600 vessels of many types were produced in Essex. For this reason, and others, British forces burned 27 vessels in Essex in 1814 and took or destroyed stored rigging materials and a lot of rum. Sailor’s priorities haven’t changed much over the years.” Mmmm….Rum… back to the story: We biked around and checked out the town, which wasn’t a whole lot. There were a few places open but most were still closed, Including the Rubber Duck store. Bummer, but we did get some coffee and hang out for a bit. We returned to the boat and decided to take a boat ride farther up the river. to check out a castle: Gillette Castle- “The castle was originally a private residence commissioned and designed by William Gillette, an American actorwho is most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on stage. Gillette lived at this estate from 1919–1937”. Check this link out for some crazy facts about the castle. We meandered up the river then turned around and came back down to the anchorage. The rest of the night was spent swimming, having dinner and planning our next destination. We decided we were going to head back to Old Saybrook where we see there is free mooring and should be a nice stop…
Today we weren’t going too far- a little under twenty miles. We still have to plan on currents, so we didn’t pull anchor from Watch Hill until 10:45am. It was a nice day for a boat ride! We were following a parade of boats into town and there were bridges that had to be timed for the openings, which was perfectly timed on our part. We were approaching a train bridge and I could see it was open. The charts say it stays open unless there is train traffic. We were just about to pass through it when out of nowhere the horn on the bridge blasted and it started to close! Our bow had just passed the opening and we were in trouble! I got on the radio right away and called to the bridge while simultaneously shifting in to reverse and gunning it to stop our momentum. The bridge tender came on the radio and said he had stopped the closing and we could continue through. At this point I told him I had already stopped and was turning back- it isn’t easy stopping a twenty ton boat! He then asked if we could make it through the opening and he would hold it open if we could? WTF?! I told him we could make it, but I now have to turn back around; it was frustrating and a bit scary, but I turned us around and we squeaked through, only to have to wait at the next bridge which only opens on the quarter hour. Whew! Our friend Mick, who had really pushed us to do this New England side trip, had told us about an anchorage here in Mystic. He told us to anchor just past the Mystic Seaport Museum, “located north of the Mystic River Bascule Bridge from the Village of Mystic, is a re-created 19th-century coastal village that opens a window to America’s maritime history. Some of the popular exhibits include working renovated ships and the preservation shipyard, where vessels are constructed or reconstructed using traditional methods of the 18th century.” As we traveled up the river we passed some cool sights and then went through the downtown area. After that was the museum, which we dropped anchor just past it. Looking over to shore we could see two buildings- one was Twisters Ice Cream shop and the other was Sea View Snack Bar. Nice! Since we were hungry, I took a quick trip with Frank over to shore on the dinghy and walked over to the snack bar. I ordered some food to-go and chatted with some nice people in line. Once I had the food, we retreated back to the boat to eat. After lunch, we loaded the bikes in the dinghy and headed to the museum dinghy dock to unload. We rode around the museum for a bit, checking out the historic village. We had located a grocery store that didn’t look too far away, so off we went in that direction. We found the store and did some shopping. The ride was a bit hilly, but we were able to manage. We brought everything back to the boat, including the bikes, as everything else we were planning on doing was within walking distance. After everything was put away and we relaxed a bit, we took the dinghy to a free dock closer to downtown. We walked around and scoped out the area, but it was quite crowded which made us a bit uncomfortable. Since we were here we had to have a famous Mystic Pizza- you know- there was a movie about it. “The title of the film was inspired by a pizza shop in Mystic, Connecticut. Screenwriter Amy Holden Jones was summering in the area and chose Mystic Pizza as the focus of her story about the lives of three young waitresses”. I still haven’t seen the film, but apparently Julia Roberts is in it. We ordered online a pie to go and picked it up to take back to the boat. We ate our pizza which was quite good, then I dec a run in to the ice cream joint was in order. I took Frank with me for some shore relief and picked up some treats for all of us. Frank was losing his mind trying to eat his ice cream before we got back. I held him off so we all could sit together on the back deck enjoying our treats and enjoying the serenity of the night.
anchored by the snack and ice cream shops
Day 2- We went needed to get gas for the dinghy, so we took a long ride down the river to the closest marina that sold gas. We filled up and headed back to town, as we wanted to check out some of the shops we had seen yesterday. One of the places was a marine consignment shop which I spent time browsing around. They had everything and anything you could think of. I restrained myself but browsed for quite a while, then we continued on to some other shops Lauren wanted to browse in. We eventually headed back to the boat and prepared dinner, with a trip to the ice cream shop for dessert. Our next stop will be up the Connecticut River to Essex.
this is the bridge that started to close on us! This is where he stopped and let us through…
We had a thirty five mile cruise back through Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. We were hoping to have some Watch Hill oysters , since we were going to be there. The trip was pleasant and uneventful, with the last hour winding back in to Little Narragansett Bay which is quite shallow on either side of the channel. Once we got to the anchorage area, we saw there were several boats already anchored, but there was plenty of space. We found a spot and dropped anchor staying far away from the others. There was a nice long, sandy beach close by to walk Frank, which had the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. The town of Watch Hill was about a half mile dinghy ride away. The thing about Watch Hill is that it’s where wealthy people who don’t want the commotion of the Hamptons or Nantucket go to keep themselves tastefully tucked away. Once we were settled in we swam for a bit, then decided to head in to town. We couldn’t find any place that sold the namesake oysters except for some fine dining options, and they were quite expensive there. That was a bit disappointing. We walked around town for a bit, then found a place for lunch. We ordered some sandwiches and sat in the park overlooking the water to enjoy them. On the way back to the dinghy I stopped at the town dock to inquire about water. We needed to fill our water tanks on Klondike as we were getting pretty low. The dock hand told me we could pull in and he would just charge me an hours rate (@ $10/hr) and we could fill up. I talked it over with Lauren and we decided we should go ahead and fill up today as the dock hand said the guy working to tomorrow may not be as agreeable to it. We returned to Klondike and prepared to go in for the water. We pulled anchor and went in to the dock. Just as we were approaching another boat pulled in and took up the whole dock. We just waited for a bit, then the boat moved back to give us some room. He was waiting on guests to take out for a sunset cruise. We filled the tanks and got everything in order, then headed back out to the anchorage. We went to about the same spot but a little closer to the beach.
Day 2- We went back to town so we could walk around. Taylor Swift has a house here, so we walked there. The house towers over the town and is impossible to miss. The previous owner, Rebekah Harkness was known for her glamorous parties that brought in the likes of Salvador Dalí and other celebrities, and was known to fill her swimming pool with champagne. She owned the house from the 1950s until her death in 1982. Taylor purchased the estate for 17 million dollars cash. Swifts recently released album, Folklore, features a song called “the last great american dynasty” which recounts Harkness’s legacy and parallels Swifts experience in the town, The house is next to another beautiful beach which we hung out on, but we didn’t plan well as we didn’t have our swim suits. We then walked over to a cool lighthouse which was an easy walk. By mid afternoon we were back on the boat, swimming and floating on our rafts. Tomorrow we plan on going to Mystic, Connecticut…
We Weren’t going far today and swimming was definitely in the plan. We got a late start, not pulling anchor until 11:30am. By then it was hot again and we needed to find a good place to cool off. We planned on going to Jamestown since we were so close anyway, but I found an anchorage in Mackerel Cove which looked like a good stop. We pulled out of Newport and cruised past Clingstone. which is a house built in 1905, perched atop a small, rocky island in an island group called “The Dumplings” in Narragansett Bay, near Jamestown. The house is completely self sufficient… We got as close as we could cruising past it, then turned into Mackerel Cove. We worked our way past the young kids learning to sail and dropped anchor as close to the beach as we could, without being too close to the already anchored boats there. Aaahh! We can swim and cool off! Yay! We are a bit dubious about swimming in an anchorage or mooring field with a lot of boats, so we were happy to find this spot. We jumped in and floated on our rafts, enjoying the warm sun and cool water. We hung out here for a few hours then pulled the anchor and headed around the corner to another anchorage that is closer to Jamestown. We wound our way through a mooring field and dropped anchor where we were comfortable. We had to take Frank in to shore, so we all loaded up in the dinghy and headed in. We had a nice long walk across the island to town. I stopped in a small shop and picked up some fancy cheese as a snack for later as well as some elusive Narragansett Brewery beer, then we stopped at The General’s Crossing Brewhouse for a beverage. They had a small outside patio area and we sat there with Frank. The bartender even brought Frank some water and a treat. He sure does get spoiled! Eventually it was time to head back before it got dark. We planned our next stop over dinner, which we agreed to be Watch Hill, RI.
We woke up to thick fog. Damn. I guess were n leaving as early as we thought…We finally left New Bedford around 8:30am and arrived in Newport about 1pm. The trip was thirty two miles from anchorage to anchorage. We turned in to the bay and were met with tons of boat traffic. Sailboats abound and they were traveling in every direction. It gets a little stressful for me trying to watch every direction and dodge boats. The sailboats seem to think they always have the right of way, even in a narrow channel. We eventually arrived to the anchorage which was in a large mooring field. We found a spot between some moored boats and anchored boats and we dropped our anchor. It was a little tight, but we found room. Once we were comfortable it had set, we hung out and watched the show of boats and yachts coming and going through the harbor. It was finally time to head to shore and walk Frank. The dinghy dock wasn’t too far away. We walked Frank along the park and returned for the bikes. We were hungry so we went to Newport Lobster Shack. We ordered a lobster dinner, a lobster roll and some Chowder. Yeah- we’re liking Cape Cod. We then rode to the ‘Cliff Walk’. “The Cliff Walk along the eastern shore of Newport, RI is world famous as a public access walk that combines the natural beauty of the Newport shoreline with the architectural history of Newport’s gilded age, along some of the most beautiful coastline in all of New England. Much of it goes through the property on which many of the Newportmansions are situated.” We hiked along and enjoying the scenery. We returned to town, then returned back to the boat for the evening.
Day 2- As I was walking Frank I saw a food truck (pizza) parked nearby. I talked Lauren into stopping for a pie before we started biking. We then rode the bikes to Fort Adams which is now a state park and explored the grounds. Lauren has found out about Newport’s Famous Ten Mile Drive and wanted to bike it. I protested a bit, but finally relented. Off we went! The ride was quite awesome and the hills were evenly distributed up and down. The views were fantastic and it was a nice ride. We made our way back in to town and stopped at a grocery store for some water and supplies. We stopped for ice cream at Cold Fusion Gelato to get refreshed and finally back to the boat. The rest of the night was spent having dinner and planning our next stop, but we are staying one more day here.
Day 3- We took the bikes and found Cardines Field: “It is believed to be one of the oldest ballparks in the United States. A local historical debate continues as to whether baseball was played prior to 1900, making Cardines one of the oldest existing ballparks in the country, or if play didn’t begin until 1908, the earliest documented proof of stadium construction”. We couldn’t get inside, but we could see through the fence. We then headed to St. Mary’s Church, where Jacqueline Lee Bouvier married then-Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy. After getting some pictures there we continued on toward a brewery we thought was closer than it actually was. We rode the bikes for a bit, then decided it wasn’t worth it as we were along a busy highway, so we turned around and headed back. We detoured back through town and did some light shopping, picking up a hat and magnet to add to our collection. Finally we made it back to the boat, took Frank to shore and made our plans for tomorrow. We are going to check out Jamestown, but we want to swim as it has been hot, so our plan is to find a good swimming hole and take it from there.
We wanted to stop somewhere different on our way back. Today we are heading back through Buzzards Bay toward the Long Island Sound, but were going to stay on the North side. We had to come back through the Cape Cod Canal so we had to time that. We left Plymouth around 8am and got to the canal around 11am. We timed it perfectly and sailed right through. We made our way across Buzzards Bay and turned in to the anchorage around 2:30pm. Unfortunately the anchorage wasn’t as protected as we thought and there was a good blow causing some small waves. We dropped anchor as close as we could to shore for protection and hung out. There was a beach somewhat close by that looked like a good dinghy landing spot for Franks walks. We eventually made it to shore and walked up along the shore walkway toward town. We made a quick stop in a Dollar Store for some snacks and headed back. There wasn’t much to do except hang out and hold on. The waves eventually started to fade away and the generator was started for dinner. We decided our next stop will be Newport, Rhode Island. There looks to be a few good anchorages there and it is a popular port to stop, so we are looking forward to it.
The trip across Cape Cod Bay was about twenty four miles and it took us about four hours. We had slowed down for a bit because we spotted a whale! I deviated a bit closer, but not too close. We could see it breaching a bit and shooting water spouts high in to the air. That was cool! The Cape Cod Bay was one of the calmest and most beautiful bays we crossed on the trip and also one of the least trafficked. Just beautiful. We continued on to where we had seen an anchorage in Plymouth Harbor. We had to wind our way in following the buoys and finally ended up in the anchorage. We weren’t very close to shore, but that’s what the dinghy is for. We dropped anchor and made sure all was well. Soon we were off to enjoy some history.
Plymouth Rock
We headed in to shore and walked around the town. We saw Plymouth Rock of course, which was right near the dinghy dock. The rock is on the shore and fenced off with a story about how it was split and then rejoined later. Who knows if there was even a rock here? We then continued walking around the town. We wandered around and saw more historic sites including a cemetery called Burial Hill. The pilgrims originally established the area as as a meeting house and the First Parish Church-until 1677. It has graves of the original pilgrims including the last surviving Mayflower passenger, Mary Allerton. then decided to stop for a cocktail at Martinis Bar and Grill. They had a large patio and we came here since the brewery we wanted to go to was closed today. We were not disappointed with our choice. We enjoyed a martini and researched our next stop. We were getting hungry so we figured we should get some more lobster being in Cape Cod and all. We walked over to Woods Seafood and picked up some lobsters and chowder. We returned to the boat and prepared dinner while figuring out our next stop. We feel like this is as far north as we want to go in New England as it is time to start heading back toward New York and the Erie Canal.
We departed around 9:30am so we could get a push through the Cape Cod Canal. The wind today was half of what it was yesterday, which made for a much more pleasant ride. We got the push we wanted and was pushed through at about ten knots. Unfortunately we had to travel fifty two miles, so even with the push our trip still took seven hours. Once we were in Cape Cod Bay we were looking for whales as we crossed. The charts showed we were in Right Whale habitat and warns not to get closer than five hundred yards- we did not see any whales though. We found the anchorage area and circled around trying to decide where to drop the anchor. We finally settled on an area just outside a mooring field and we stayed a good distance from the two other boats anchored in the area. We will again have a pretty good distance to travel to get to shore, but it’s what we have to sometimes deal with when anchoring out. We also have to be aware of the tides here as it is around nine feet! Once we were anchored we had to wait to make sure all was secure. Once we were comfortable all was good, we headed to shore with Frank. “On November 9, 1620, the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower sighted Cape Cod while en route to the Colony of Virginia. After two days of failed attempts to sail south against the strong winter seas, they returned to the safety of the harbor, known today as Provincetown Harbor, and set anchor. It was here that the Mayflower Compact was drawn up and signed. They agreed to settle and build a self-governing community, and came ashore in the West End. Though the Pilgrims chose to settle across the bay in Plymouth, Cape Cod enjoyed an early reputation for its valuable fishing grounds, and for its harbor: a naturally deep, protected basin that was considered the best along the coast.” The area is also known for its gay population: “By the 1970s Provincetown had a significant gay population, especially during the summer tourist season, when restaurants, bars and small shops serving the tourist trade were open. There had been a gay presence in Provincetown as early as the start of the 20th century as the artists’ colony developed, along with experimental theatre. Drag queens could be seen in performance as early as the 1940s in Provincetown. In 1978 the Provincetown Business Guild (PBG) was formed to promote gay tourism. Today more than 200 businesses belong to the PBG, and Provincetown is perhaps the best-known gay summer resort on the East Coast. The 2010 US Census revealed Provincetown to have the highest rate of same-sex couples in the country, at 163.1 per 1000 couples.” We walked around town and up and down the Main Street, then checked out the Pilgrims Monument which was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims. There were lots of people out and about and the streets were crowded. We eventually decided we should get some clam chowder and lobster bisque to take back with us so we ordered some from the Lobster Pot . We retired back to the boat and had our chowder and dinner, then took Frank for one last evening walk. Once the sun went down I thought I heard seals on the rocky break wall we were near, but I couldn’t actually see them.
Day 2- Provincetown has a network of nice bike paths and we just had to check them out. We loaded the bikes on the dinghy for the long trip to town. As we unloaded the bikes I noticed that my back tire was completely flat. The tire pump was back on the boat as was our backup tube and necessary tools for the repair. I had no choice but to travel back to the boat for the supplies while Lauren waited on shore with the bikes. Once all of the items were retrieved I went to work. The replacement tube box had one size listed, but the tube was bigger. Wtf? Luckily there was a bike shop close by so I sent Lauren for the correct replacement. She returned and I got the tube inserted and went to pump it up when the pump broke. Holy shit. This should have been a fairly simple fix. I had the tube and rubber back together and we walked up to the bike shop to use their pump. Once inflated it was time to head out. We followed the bike paths to Race Point Beach which is a state park. Apparently the beach is known for its shark sightings. We searched but no luck. We hung out there for a while then biked to The Canteen for lunch. Lobster rolls and crispy Brussel sprouts were on the menu along with a Provincetown beer We headed back to the boat for the evening
Day 3- I was dragged for another day of bike riding. We went along the waterfront going the wrong way on the one way street past beautiful homes with amazing gardens. We ended up at Pilgrims First Landing Park, where the pilgrims first arrived before ending up at Plymouth, and Provincetown wants you to know that. There are monuments and plaques commemorating the landing. We walked around and then headed back to town. Provincetown is a tourist paradise and we took full advantage. We picked up a shirt for me, a sweatshirt for Lauren and a colorful magnet for the fridge. We stopped at a beverage store for a couple of bottles of cider from the local cider maker Shoal Hope. We picked up a bottle of Honey Baby, made with cranberry bog honey and a bottle of Monument made with dark brown sugar. Both were delicious! We then stocked up on fudge, “the worlds best peanut butter cups and taffy” and then headed to Provincetown Brewery for a sampling. After a couple of brews we headed over to the Lobster Pot for some chowder for the road and headed back to the boat to plan tomorrow’s trip to Plymouth.
We chose to go to Fairhaven for a few of reasons- there is cheap fuel there which we need, and it is a good staging stop before we head through the Cape Cod Canal. A third reason for the stop was the approaching storms and the forecast high wind. Todays trip was going to be a longer one at forty three miles, and we had to go through Woods Hole. “Woods Hole is one of four straits allowing maritime passage and is a naturally occurring, rocky, and treacherous passage, with shallow rocky areas scattered along both sides of the channel. The current is often strong running between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, mostly flowing at around 4 knots and occasionally as fast as 7 knots.” I had checked the pilot book and knew we should be leaving somewhat early. I woke up to thick fog. Oh boy. I could barely make out the giant yachts that we anchored near. I waited a bit then decided I would take Frank to shore while I waited for the fog to lift. We loaded in the dinghy and set out. I passed the yachts and was motoring for what seemed a while but we were a bit far from shore. I could soon make out land and we headed for it. As we got close I saw two fishermen- I hadn’t seen any in the last couple of days on the island. Then I saw the small lighthouse and it dawned on me we had veered off course and I had crossed the channel and ended up on the mainland. Holy crap! No wonder why I thought I heard boats. Yikes! Well we were here so I took Frank for a walk. The fog wasn’t lifting and I was worried Lauren would wonder where we were but I wasn’t ready to head back into the unknown. Yet. I waited a while and kept walking Frank but the fog just wasn’t lifting. I looked at the charts on my phone and knew where we kind of were. At this point we had been gone an hour and I was losing patience. I loaded into the dinghy and set out through the fog, following the path I plotted out in my head. Sit seemed rather quick when Klondike came in to view. I had made it back. Lauren was up and coffee was being made. I didn’t tell her about our exciting ride this morning as I didn’t want to upset her first thing- I like to let her wake up before I start my shenanigans. We decided we weren’t going to leave in this fog and the clock was ticking as to our latest departure to time the currents. I called the one of the marinas we were anchored by and inquired and made a reservation for a mooring ball as I wanted to be secure for the windy weather we were expecting. I also emailed the marina we had made reservations at in Fairhaven to cancel as we couldn’t show up due to weather. They confirmed my cancellation which was nice because marinas usually have a forty eight hour policy or forfeit the money, however most are good with weather delays. We were waiting for the fog to lift so we could go to the mooring ball. It finally lifted around 9am. Lauren and I had a discussion and we decided we should probably still try to go to Fairhaven, as we could still catch the end of the current and the next couple of days will be bad travel days so if we can get to Fairhaven we can at least ride it out at a dock instead of a mooring ball. I called the marina I had just made the reservation at and asked if I could cancel and explained our situation. They were nice and let me cancel. I then emailed the Fairhaven marina and asked if I could still come and they said yes too. We still had some fog but it was manageable. We pulled anchor and headed out of the harbor by 9:30am. We made it to Woods Hole around 3:30pm. We still had a little current pushing us but it was going slack. On the other side we were pushing a little again it. Buzzards Bay was a bit rough but we finally pulled in to the harbor around 4:30pm. We were pretty low on fuel and were hoping to make it to the fuel dock before 5 pm. We called ahead to see if we could arrive a little after 5pm? The gentleman on the phone told us he was the only one there and maybe he would be there late or maybe not. We decided not to chance it and headed for the marina. The harbor has a hurricane wall with gates that can be closed to protect from flooding and winds. Once we got through the gates it was calm and pleasant. I called the marina- Acushnet River Safe Boating– and told them we were here. She directed me to the marina and dock and we safely tied up just after 5pm. Lauren took Frank for a walk and I went to work hooking up the power and adjusting the bumpers and lines, then washing down the boat. We hadn’t been plugged in for a while so I’m sure the batteries were happy and the boat was in need of a thorough scrub down. I also chatted with our neighbors Brian and Penny who were great and told me about local stops and where everything was. He was actually the Towboat Captain we saw when we left Cuttyhunk last week! Once we were done with boat stuff, we ordered a pizza and retired after eating. We were beat from the long, somewhat stressful day.
Day 2- Our morning plan was to take the boat over to the other side of the harbor to a fuel dock where we could fill up. They had diesel at $1.89 per gallon and supply all of the fishing fleets, so I knew they should have good fuel. We filled up our tanks at three hundred and fifty gallons. That’s a lot of fuel! We came back to the dock and prepared to go shopping. We knew there was a Walmart near by and we needed some larger supplies such as engine oil and dog food,. We took our wagon and I pulled it behind the bike so we could load up. Load up we did. We brought our bounty back and got everything stowed. We then headed across the river to the town of New Bedford. New Bedford “is nicknamed “The Whaling City” because it was one of the world’s most important whaling ports in the nineteenth century. At the height of the whaling industry in 1857, the harbor hosted 329 vessels worth over $12 million, and New Bedford became the richest city per capita in the world. Along with and extensive Whaling Museum, the town also has a Seamen’ Chapel. “The Seamen’s Bethel was specifically constructed for the many sailors who called New Bedford their home port (mostly whalers), who considered it a matter of tradition that one visited the chapel before setting sail. The bethel was immortalized in Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick as the “Whaleman’s Chapel”, in a scene where a nautically themed sermon is given from a bow-shaped pulpit. The names of New Bedford whalers killed, and later all area fishermen, are noted on the walls of the bethel. Also noted is the pew that Melville sat in when he visited in 1840.” The town had an amazing display of street art that was fun to discover as we rode around.We stopped at Whale’s Tail Clam Bar and had a bite to eat on the pier. We eventually returned to the boat and made plans for tomorrow- we are heading to Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Day 3- We were prepared to leave in the late morning so we could again time the currents. The wind was still blowing but we were lulled by the safety of the protected harbor. We cast off our lines and said goodbye to our neighbors. We headed out of the harbor to head to Provincetown. Once we were clear of the hurricane wall and making our way in to Buzzards Bay the waves kept increasing. We pressed on, thinking maybe it would calm down and we would be able to ride it out. We were about three miles out of the harbor and I started having second thoughts. I called down to Lauren and we had a quick discussion. I told her I wasn’t feeling too good about pressing on and maybe we should turn around. She was quick to agree and told me if I thought we should go back, then we should go back. I turned the boat around and we headed back to the dock. We pulled in and tied up right where we had left. I don’t think the neighbors were surprised to see us return as it was blowing pretty good. I would much rather be safe than sorry, and we’ve had our fair share of rough passages to last us. Now we were back and safe. We ended up just chilling out for the day and staying on the boat. I ordered some sushi delivery for dinner, which wasn’t the best. We all know what its like when you don’t have good sushi! Bummer. We researched tomorrow’s departure and plan on leaving around 9:30am…
