Tag: Marblehead

Homeward Bound

Sunday, July 1 –  Wednesday, July 4, 2018 

At 6:30, under hazy skies and with flat seas, we departed Vineyard Haven.  Happily, we made it through Woods Hole and across Buzzards Bay with the current. 

The railroad bridge over the Cape Cod Canal was down, waiting
for the garbage/commuter train

When we  arrived at the Cape Cod Canal, the railroad bridge was down, allowing only seven feet of clearance, so we waited for the train to pass before we proceeded through the Canal. 

Outer harbor, Cohasset

This being just ahead of the 4th of July, there were no moorings available in Plymouth or Scituate, so we called ahead to Laurie, the Harbormaster of Cohasset.  Thankfully, she had one heavy mooring available ($35).  This gem of a harbor was hardly recognizable on a blisteringly hot Sunday in July, but the water was perfect for a swim off the platform! 

At one point a fellow kayaked over — he’d been reading his WoodenBoat Magazine on his porch, looked up to see KATIE MACK coming into the tiny harbor, looked back down at the article he was reading, and realized he had to come say hi!  We need to keep an eye out for the MARY CURTIS, a black-hulled old wooden fishing vessel out of Boston as they, too, were headed to Maine.  Laurie the harbormaster was kind enough to offer of the use of her truck if we needed to drive into town for any provisions.  No need as we were well stocked, but wow, that’s above and beyond.  KATIE MACK is proving to be quite the skid-greaser when it comes to meeting people and hearing stories of old wooden boats.

Monday dawned humid with temps climbing to the 80’s.  We left Cohasset at 9 and cruised across Massachusetts Bay, arriving at Marblehead just before noon.  We picked up the same EYC mooring, took a nap, and then headed over to town for a few provisions.  We met Tad and Liz for a delicious dinner at Maddie’s Sail Loft, and reminisced about where we were exactly 40 years ago: on Nantucket at Tad’s mom’s house.  Hugh and I met that fateful July day, and it’s been quite an adventure since!

Red sky at morning . . . .

We awoke to a red sky, so decided to get going early.  Dropped the mooring at 6:20, and after topping off water and walking Annie, we headed into 1-2 foot seas.  Once we passed Cape Ann and the Thacher Island lights, we enjoyed an easier ride with the swell.  We kept an eye on the thunderheads well to the west, over land.  At one point, we had radio contact with m/v TANGO, requesting they pass aft of us on their way to Isles of Shoals.  We also asked if we showed up on their radar — yes, we did.  Good to know! 

The 3rd was a loooong day, 8 1/2 hours, and it’s a good thing the thunderstorms never came close as there were no moorings available between Marblehead and Biddeford Pool, due to  4th of July celebrations. We were relieved  to pick up one of the Biddeford Yacht Club moorings ($35/night) at Biddeford Pool.  I called our friend, Leslie, who has a summer cottage just up the street from the little market.  Right after our relaunch in Yarmouth last fall, Leslie came aboard for a tour; she will be forever and fondly known as “Oh, hell no!”  

We had a nice walk with Annie down along the beach, and Leslie told us more about the classic wood cruiser that is free to the buyer of a lovely cottage across the inlet from the yacht club.  All yours for only 5 million! 

We slept in on the 4th, and didn’t get moving until just after 11, since it was only a short hop to Casco Bay.  Wow, did it feel good to be back in familiar waters!  As we crossed Casco Bay, we watched the Cat coming in from Nova Scotia.

We met our friend, Ginny, and her dog Copper, at Handy’s in Falmouth, where we also topped up fuel and water, and pumped out the head.  As we are moving, we try not to allow the tanks to fall much below half, and we watch the head closely as it approaches 3/4.  Next, we headed over to the Maine Yacht Center where Skip and Julie keep their JULIP. 

We were given the premiere dock space ($120) for watching Portland’s fireworks over the East End beach on the aft deck with the Skip and Julie, and more longtime friends, Steve and AnnMarie.  Annie was terrified of all the flashbangs, so we’ll never do that again!  We managed to keep her from jumping off the boat, and she quickly settled once the booming stopped.

On Our Way — It’s Really Happening!

Saturday, June 9 – Sunday, June 12, 2018  Yarmouth, ME to Plymouth, MA

It’s really happening!

After early morning final provisioning, we cast off the lines from the pony dock just after 11:00 and began our passage.  Along the way, we adjusted the stuffing box as the temp ranged from 142, to 188, back down to 139, then 123, and 117, with 1 drip/second.  Our first stop, 52 nm and 7 1/2 hours later, was York Harbor.  There’s a really strong current that rips through there, and a tricky dogleg into the mooring field. We were unable to raise the harbormaster on Ch 68, but the cell phone worked.  $30/night for mooring #1.  In order to go ashore, we were able to tie up to the town dock to walk Annie that evening, as well as the next morning before we headed towards Marblehead, MA.  Along the way we spied a pod of at least 20-30 frolicking dolphins!   

Marblehead, MA

Our friends, Tad and Liz, had arranged a mooring and launch service for us at Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner with them on their patio overlooking the Atlantic, and took advantage of their offer to do some laundry!  Annie enjoyed playing with their 4 y. o. Gordon setter, Willie.

There’s not a lot of space in this engine room.

The next morning, after a delightful breakfast with Tad at the Driftwood, we intended to get under way, but a systems check detected oil leaking into the bilge from the oil filter.  Calls to Dion’s Yacht Yard in Salem for advice, and a trip to the local marine store for parts (Permatex Aviation Form-a-Gasket paste to help seal the oil filter gasket, really?), helped Hugh to fix the problem.  While Hugh worked on the boat, I walked up to the local market for some extra provisions.  The next morning, we got a 6:30 start, and as we rounded Marblehead Neck, heard a loud “Boom!”  What a wonderful signal cannon send-off from Tad and Liz, though I’m sure their neighbors thought otherwise.

The routing box.

When we change course at each waypoint, I put the heading into this wooden “routing box”, so we can remember the correct heading.  (photo) It was salvaged off of a ship at a boat-wrecking yard in India, and Hugh found it on eBay.  Have you seen the videos where they run these huge vessels up on the hard?  Google it!

The shallop, tender to the MAYFLOWER II

The “lumpy” seas across Boston Harbor did a good job of shaking up the crud that had settled in the bottom of the fuel tank.  We ducked into Cohasset Cove for a quick change of both fuel filters.  The steward at the yacht club where we tied up, and Laurie, the Harbormaster, were all welcoming, and we were soon on our way to Plymouth Harbor, with winds blowing 15-20 kts.  Our Plymouth Yacht Club mooring ($65) was near Plymouth Rock — such a disappointment, that rock– and we were next to a replica of the shallop used by the Pilgrims to come ashore from the MAYFLOWER.  A full-scale reconstruction of the original, MAYFLOWER II, is usually berthed here — I remember touring it with our son’s 6th grade class — but it was undergoing a major restoration at Mystic Seaport, where we were headed.  Both the shallop and the MAYFLOWER II were built in the UK in 1957 and given to the US as thanks for our military assistance during WWII.

Hugh was finally able to finish the installation of a windshield wiper to make it easier to see when the spray hits.  The wind eventually died down from 30 kts to 5-10, so we enjoyed another comfortable bug-free  night’s sleep in this historic harbor.