Sunday, September 30 – Tuesday, October 30, 2018
On Sunday morning, Hugh was able to pick up a few parts from the hardware store and fixed the leaking gaskets. A couple days later, we left the inner harbor, and cruised over to the bridge, which wasn’t scheduled to open (due to a death in the bridgetender’s family). We had already lowered our mast and antennae knowing we are 11′ from the top of our searchlight to the waterline and the bridge had 14′ of clearance at dead low tide. PLENTY of room. Whew!
We followed the marks into Lagoon Pond until we picked up Gannon and Benjamin’s mooring # 148, just off the fish hatchery. G & B assured us that they had indoor storage for us off-site. It was just a question of finding someone who could haul out KATIE MACK and transport her to the shed. They were wonderful to work with, particularly Brad Abbott, the third partner in the business.
A few days later, we flew out to Louisville, KY to join friends and family for our son’s wedding. Charlie and Kyle were married on a gorgeous day at the Yew-Dell Botanical Gardens. A magical day!
Once we returned to the Vineyard, we agreed that keeping KATIE MACK in the Lagoon over the winter was not an ideal plan as it has been known to ice over, and that’s definitely worse for a wooden boat than drying out a bit while “on the hard”. More phone calls, and finally Matt Murphy of WoodenBoat Magazine suggested we give Peter Cassidy of Buzzards Bay Yacht Services in Mattapoisett a call. Logistics were agreed upon and on Tuesday the 30th we made a rainy but calm crossing through Woods Hole and across Buzzards Bay to Mattapoisett, where, a few days later, Brownell’s Transport hauled her out and tucked her in at Buzzards Bay Yacht services for the winter.
