August 1, 2015: 413 Days — 11,779 NM from Juneau, AK to Kennebunkport, ME. We did it!
Day 409 July 28, 2015 Duxbury, MA 42 00 88 N 70 37 93 W (6 h)
Private mooring
With Charlotte & Frances safely ensconced at Chimney it was time to hit the high seas again. We have nine days to get north to Rockland, ME where we’ll meet up with Jeffrey & DeAnna for the NYYC summer cruise in Penobscot Bay. Today the Cape Cod Canal starts to ebb east at 1400 so we’ll head up Buzzards Bay & catch a ride through the canal.
Peter waiting for the bridge opening at 1300. We waited for an incoming tide so we’d have better control of the boat going through the bridge.
The dock at the Yellow House. DeAnna, Debby and the rest of us were nervous we’d bump going out.
The railroad bridge across the Cape Cod Canal. A calm passage through and 2 – 3 knots of current pushing us along.
Exiting the Cape Cod Canal. There was a low fog bank and the current was still ebbing.
The lighthouse as we entered Duxbury Bay.
A lovely calm night & we lucked out and scored a guest mooring courtesy of John aboard Raven.
Day 410 July 29, 2015 Salem, MA 42 31 15 N 70 53 29 W (7.6 h)
Pickering Wharf Marina
The lighthouse at the approach to the inner harbor in Salem. First attempt at Brewars next to the smoke stack didn’t work out; not enough frontage.
The old dry-docks & wharf in Salem. We seem to always come in at low tide!
1.9 feet of water under us as we came into Salem.
One of the old schooners moored across from the Customs House in Salem, MA.
Peter wondering why we always come in at low tide?
Tied up at Pickering Wharf right in town — a great dock and much better location than Brewars. Dinner ashore at Finz by the wharf.
Day 411 July 30, 2015 Layday Salem, MA
I had never been to Salem & Peter came to visit the first time when he was 13 so time to check it out again. We started at the Essex Museum and admired their early American collections and then toured three restored historic homes they moved onto their property to save them from demolition.
The John Ward house circa 1684. Original house was on the left side of the door. They added to second 1/2 as Ward became more prosperous as a leather craftsman & to accommodate their 7 children.
The Crowninsheild-Bentley House, circa 1727, an example of Georgian Colonial architecture.
“What the Birds Know” — a “stickwork” by Patrick Dougherty built in May 2015. One of 260 stickworks he’s done in North America, Europe & Asia.
Thousands of woven saplings which produce “a visual effect similar to a drawing, with each sapling representing an individual line”. Different.
The old part of the Salem Essex Museum. The new wing houses a great collection of Early American & Maritime Art.
The House of the Seven Gables: The house was built in 1668 for Captain John Turner. It was made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book of the same name. HIs cousin Susan Ingersoll inherited the house from her father, Samuel Ingersoll, and lived here during the 1800’s. The house was moved to this site in 1958.
The English Gardens at the House of the Seven Gables
Day 412 July 31, 2015 Newburyport, MA 42 49 00 N 70 52 00 W (5.7 h) Town Mooring
Leaving Salem. Another schooner had come in and it looked like campers were aboard swabbing the decks.
The lighthouse as we were leaving. Tide was coming in at least….
Blyman Bridge: Gloucester, MA. Leading into the Annisquam River.
The bridge master even called us to check out beam. The bridge is reported to be 30’ so not so bad once we got closer & through!
The Metro Railroad bridge on the Annisquam River. Hard turn to port as we went through!
The Annisquam River. A really beautiful area and you’d never know you’re a stone’s throw from Boston. An old community with some awesome houses.
The lighthouse as we left the Annisquam River and headed out into Ipswich Bay & the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Ann.
We headed up to Newburyport and picked up one of the town moorings off the boardwalk. We decided to head in later so we could do a walk-about and then find a spot for dinner. There was a summer festival going on so the town was full of people, boats, musicians & cars. We wandered about and then saw an old brick building which housed Ceia Kitchen Bar. It looked interesting so we stopped in. We were seated up on the 3rd floor and had an incredible meal made up of 3 appetizers which were an incredible combination of ingredients & flavors. A treat. A little tricky getting our dingy out but we got back before nightfall so all was good.
Tugboat Angus: So this is what my brother’s been doing while we’ve been away……
Day 413 August 1, 2015 Kennebunkport, ME 43 21 47 N 70 28 60 W (5.1 h) Arundel Yacht Club **** WE MADE IT TO MAINE!!
The tide was swinging around again and the tugboat Angus got pretty close in Newburyport but at least it had bumpers all the way around. We headed out against the tide and north towards Maine. The wind’s out of the West so the seas are gentle swells and we’re making good time. We’re back in the land of lobster pots so we have to keep an eagle eye out for the ones that blend right into the sea. Fun, Fun, Fun. We tied up at the AYC as guests of Bill & Jane which was a nice treat. We had them over for dinner & had a nice time catching up.
Our first photo underway: courtesy of John aboard Raven who we caught up with off of New Hampshire.
The approach to Kennebunkport, ME
Kennebunkport River & the River Club — one of the oldest yacht clubs in ME. Lots of kids in their sailing program.
View up the river from the Arundel Yacht Club — main part of town is up towards the bridge.
Now this is a low tide!! We woke up & we were listing to port. Luckily it was a soft muddy bottom.
Day 414 August 2, 2015 Layday Kennebunkport, ME
We went over to Cape Porpoise for lunch at Bob & Jane’s and then borrowed their car to provision for the week. Dinner ashore with Bob & Jane.
We waited for the tide to come in before turning around and heading back out to sea. Same little knoll from the previous photo!
Day 415 August 3, 2015 Jewel Island, ME 43 41 23 N 70 05 49 W (4.1 h) at anchor
This is one of my favorite spots on Earth. We’ve been coming to Jewel Island every time we’ve sailed south from Maine to New England. Today was the first time that I actually sailed north into Maine so the approach to Jewel Island was different and less confusing as there are fewer rocks coming up from the south; still an insane number of lobster pots that we had to negotiate. We anchored in front of 4 sailboats just off the landing spot to the island on an outgoing tide so as the evening progresses the shale onshore becomes more exposed and the evening light reflects off the gold in the shale. I kayaked ashore and took a hike in the woods and enjoyed the lovely balsam scent and the beauty of the rugged eastern coast.
The anchorage at Jewel Island, ME. One of the prettiest spots on our trip.
Looking north towards the mainland and the tip of the island.
One of the camping sites on the island. The boat is pulled up where we go ashore.
Evening light at Jewel. The rocks face west so as the sun sets the rocks begin to glisten & glow.
Evening light on the rocks. Tide’s going out. At a full moon low tide we only had 1.3’ under our keel.
Looking SW towards Portland, ME across the island. The peninsula to the right is usually not connected to the main island — Very low tide.
Day 416 August 4, 2015 The Basin, Sebasco, ME 43 48 33 N 69 51 35 W
(2.3 h) at anchor
Morning walk: a view of the Punch Bowl. East side of Jewel.
A view East. Usually the waves are crashing over these rocks into the pool. Calm & foggy morning.
The Punch Bowl. Tide still going out.
View from The Tower: A WWII lookout on Jewel Island. To the south you can see the other tower. The lookouts would relay boat sightings to the soldiers manning the gun ports located up by the Punch Bowl & at the other end by Smugglers Pass. The military installation at Jewel Island was a key location as it protected Portland, ME as well as the Bath Iron Works further up the coast.
A little foggy this morning. Usually we can see the Atlantic from the top of The Tower but not today.
The top of The Tower.
Smugglers Pass at the southern end of the island. A lonely sea gull on the seaweed covered rocks.
Sea weed amongst the rocks as the tide ebbs.
Our Captain marching about.
Jewel Island in the morning light as we haul anchor & head north.
One of the many lobster boats plying the waters: Thousands of lobster pots everywhere!
North end of Jewel Island, ME
Bye Jewel.
Evening light in The Basin.
Day 417 August 5, 2015 Ebenecook Harbor, ME (Southport Island)
43 49 77 N 69 40 69 W (3.7 h) Hodgdon Yacht Services
A beautiful calm & sunny morning in The Basin. The group of boats that followed us in yesterday afternoon took off at 0900 at low low tide & one of the sailboats didn’t make it out of the anchorage without leaving some bottom paint behind. I kayaked around the basin and explored the mud flats which surrounded the entire inlet. The sea gulls were picking their breakfast out of the mud and the sea birds were diving in the shallows. So pretty. I went ashore and into the woods and found an old logging/mining road that took me up the hill. At the top of a hill there was an old sign, “mica mine”, so that’s what all the shiny rocks were! Such a beautiful spot. We waited another hour for the tide to come in so we too wouldn’t run aground and didn’t have any trouble getting out — except the bloody lobster pots everywhere. We headed back down the New Meadow River out into Casco Bay. We ducked in behind Sequin Island and worked our way up the coast of Georgetown Island into Sheepscot Bay. We tried to make reservations in Boothbay Harbor but we’re too big for the BBYC moorings and the docks were all full so we went to Southport Island & tied up at Hodgdon’s. We can borrow a car so we’ll head over to the BBYC for dinner. There continue to be squall lines to the West every afternoon but no rain today.
Tide still going out.
A front blew through yesterday evening but this morning it was calm & beautiful. Great for kayaking.
The inlet to The Basin. Tide was flooding and most of the lobster pots were at the other end.
Southport, ME. Afternoon clouds moving in.
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