Day 48 &49 Scituate & Onset
Aug 17
Sitting in Gloucester Massachusetts the next major milestone for our trip is the Cape Cod Canal. At the canal we transition from New England to the Mid Atlantic region. The waters get warmer and there could be a change in the weather patterns. The canal is about 90 miles from Gloucester, too far for one day. So we will make it in hops.
The morning in Gloucester brings dense fog, just like yesterday in York. We grab the opportunity to walk around the Gloucester downtown, which is not large but does have interesting shops. Few were open at that hour, though.
Once back on the boat we have a completely exhausted old dog. Shelby settles in to her next nap and is snoring loudly when the sun suddenly breaks through and the fog lifts. We quickly get underway, along with many other boats in the harbor. Rounding the bend in the harbor shows the ocean is still in heavy fog. We fire up radar and poke our nose out to see how bad is it. Once clear of the jetty we can see a short but reassuring distance, and radar helps us track other boats. We press on. We are traveling in parallel with several other yachts who all were moored near us in Gloucester. We have not spoken to the people on board, but all seem to be agreement to proceed.
Our plan A is Plymouth, home of Plymouth Rock. In the early afternoon we decide to try Scituate Massachusetts instead. It looks like a fun place and suits our mood. Turns out all our informal traveling companions make the same choice and all these yachts are moored in sight of each other again.
Scituate is a delightful harbor it turns out. Three yacht clubs plus the town dock all have mooring balls for rent. A launch service will take you to shore where all the usual amenities like showers, laundry, etc are available. Stores are very walkable- just one block over from the waterfront.
August 18,
No surprise, the morning brings fog. We take the launch to town. Lois walks Shelby while Brent does grocery shopping and visits the hardwood store. Massachusetts prices are really high, but we don't need much- butter, eggs, flour, veggies. We are back at the boat by 10:30 and again the fog is lifting, giving us a just-in-time start that will get us to the Cape Cod Canal to coordinate with the tide.
Out on the Atlantic it is again radar and both of us keeping a sharp visual lookout. The fog lies in bands as we cruise through the water- dense, light, dense. Occasionally I can see the horizon, a minute later nothing but white mist around us. The bands must reflect the varying temperatures of small ocean currents. As the miles start to tick off the fog clears into a very nice day with a light wind just enough off our nose that we can occassionally use the sails to assist the motors.
Nature note: twice we saw Orcas surface quite close to the boat. The first sighting Lois was even on deck and got a great view. 😄 The second time was a small one swimming with a very big one, so I'd like to think it was a mother & calf. The Google says the most common whales sighted off the Mass. coast are humpbacks, but they didn't show up for us. I guess that will have to be a goal for the next trip.
No photos again.... pictures of fog aren't too interesting, and whales are too quick & unpredictable.
We made it through the canal, no sweat.
Tonight's mooring is at Onset, Mass, just barely outside of the canal's western end. Its early history says it was a place the Native Americans would come to fish, and the young girls would sit on the hill and keep track of who was the best fisherman (i.e. prospective mate). There is a lovely statue on the hill of a girl looking out over the harbor. (Not my photo)
Later in the 1800's the wealthy people from big cities like NY & Boston built big summer homes here. There was a community of spiritualists in residence, and folks would pay them to be able to talk to the dead. That would make an interesting travel brochure!
Sitting in Gloucester Massachusetts the next major milestone for our trip is the Cape Cod Canal. At the canal we transition from New England to the Mid Atlantic region. The waters get warmer and there could be a change in the weather patterns. The canal is about 90 miles from Gloucester, too far for one day. So we will make it in hops.
The morning in Gloucester brings dense fog, just like yesterday in York. We grab the opportunity to walk around the Gloucester downtown, which is not large but does have interesting shops. Few were open at that hour, though.
Once back on the boat we have a completely exhausted old dog. Shelby settles in to her next nap and is snoring loudly when the sun suddenly breaks through and the fog lifts. We quickly get underway, along with many other boats in the harbor. Rounding the bend in the harbor shows the ocean is still in heavy fog. We fire up radar and poke our nose out to see how bad is it. Once clear of the jetty we can see a short but reassuring distance, and radar helps us track other boats. We press on. We are traveling in parallel with several other yachts who all were moored near us in Gloucester. We have not spoken to the people on board, but all seem to be agreement to proceed.
Our plan A is Plymouth, home of Plymouth Rock. In the early afternoon we decide to try Scituate Massachusetts instead. It looks like a fun place and suits our mood. Turns out all our informal traveling companions make the same choice and all these yachts are moored in sight of each other again.
Scituate is a delightful harbor it turns out. Three yacht clubs plus the town dock all have mooring balls for rent. A launch service will take you to shore where all the usual amenities like showers, laundry, etc are available. Stores are very walkable- just one block over from the waterfront.
August 18,
No surprise, the morning brings fog. We take the launch to town. Lois walks Shelby while Brent does grocery shopping and visits the hardwood store. Massachusetts prices are really high, but we don't need much- butter, eggs, flour, veggies. We are back at the boat by 10:30 and again the fog is lifting, giving us a just-in-time start that will get us to the Cape Cod Canal to coordinate with the tide.
Out on the Atlantic it is again radar and both of us keeping a sharp visual lookout. The fog lies in bands as we cruise through the water- dense, light, dense. Occasionally I can see the horizon, a minute later nothing but white mist around us. The bands must reflect the varying temperatures of small ocean currents. As the miles start to tick off the fog clears into a very nice day with a light wind just enough off our nose that we can occassionally use the sails to assist the motors.
Nature note: twice we saw Orcas surface quite close to the boat. The first sighting Lois was even on deck and got a great view. 😄 The second time was a small one swimming with a very big one, so I'd like to think it was a mother & calf. The Google says the most common whales sighted off the Mass. coast are humpbacks, but they didn't show up for us. I guess that will have to be a goal for the next trip.
No photos again.... pictures of fog aren't too interesting, and whales are too quick & unpredictable.
We made it through the canal, no sweat.
Brent enjoyed waving to the little kids walking with parents along the shore. The big motor boats enjoyed putting up huge wakes in the no wake zone.
Later in the 1800's the wealthy people from big cities like NY & Boston built big summer homes here. There was a community of spiritualists in residence, and folks would pay them to be able to talk to the dead. That would make an interesting travel brochure!
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