Buzzards Bay – Living Aboard an Old Wooden Boat

From Yarmouth, ME to Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Wednesday, September 12 – Saturday, September 29, 2018

After last-minute preparations, I did some laundry at Ginny’s and left our car in her driveway. Lucky for us, Ginny is within an easy walk to the marina! We didn’t depart from the pony dock at Yankee Marina until 3:45, as we were only going as far as Portland Harbor. Karen offered us guest space at Chandler’s Wharf where she and her cat live aboard m/v JUNIATA, the Consolidated Industries cruiser I think I’ve mentioned before. She also offered her mooring #178 across the channel.

We opted for the dock space so we could more easily visit Karen and walk Annie around town. We found ourselves behind M5, the largest sloop (single masted) in the world. At 277′ long and 54′ wide, she was berthed on the facing dock at DiMillo’s Marina. [Not many weeks later a storm came up and M5 was blown off the pier, taking much of the facing dock with her!].

M5 at night at DiMillo’s, across from us at Chandlers Wharf

The head was beginning to get a bit smelly, so Hugh cleaned it thoroughly and put ____ in the holding tank to “break up the solids”. We then planned to add a tablet down the head after each pumpout.

It looked as if we had a “weather window” for our trip south, from today through Sunday or Monday, so despite the drizzle, we departed Portland, and made our way to Biddeford Pool by way of a quick trip up the Saco River to check things out. We had intended to pumpout at Marston’s Marina, but they were already on winter hours. Good to know! This reinforced our happiness that we decided last November not to risk bringing KATIE MACK down to the Vineyard so late in the season with all the potential “what ifs” along an unfamiliar route. Whew! Back to Biddeford Pool, we once again picked up BPYC’s mooring #89 for the night.

So much for our weather window! We woke up to thick fog, decided to stay put for the day, and hoped for better weather the next day. Ha! This is why we don’t make plans or keep to a schedule. More fog the next day meant we stayed a third night in Biddeford Pool. I baked an apple crisp and made pesto with fresh-picked basil from Leslie Oh Hell No’s garden. She and I went on a long walk around Biddeford Pool, and she showed me all the paths to avoid walking along the roads.

We got an early start on Sunday morning. The sky was blue, and there was barely a ripple of breeze over the gentle swell. Just off Ogunquit, we saw a sunfish, and had to find the youtube video of the guy with the wicked Boston accent seeing one for the first time: “Holy shit, Jay, it’s a baby whale . . . .” We also came across another dead baby seal. Apparently Asian flu and distemper are a problem in the seal population.

We continued past Portsmouth, NH and decided to stop at Newburyport, MA. We crossed the bar into the Merrimac River near half tide. This bar is known to be treacherous, and if the wind and tide hadn’t been cooperating, we would have kept going. We proceeded up the river to the City of Newburyport Public Docks for a pumpout, and then picked up a Newburyport Marina mooring (cone-shaped with a blue stripe. $50 and no wifi, but nice showers). There was a swift current in this channel, and lots of “Sunday drivers” whizzing up and down the river.

Monday dawned with gray skies. After topping off the water tank and walking Annie, we were on our way down river by 9:15. We safely and easily crossed the bar, and made our way across Bigelow Bight into Ipswich Bay to the Annisquam River.

It was low tide, which made for a lazy cruise past mud flats full of shore birds, lovely old wooden boats, and lots of funny-looking houseboats. Once we made it through the two bascule bridges into Gloucester’s Western Harbor, we hailed Karen’s friend, Viking, who owns the Gloucester Marine Railway at the mouth of Smith Cove.

Route 1 bascule bridge
RR lift bridge

KATIE MACK at the Gloucester Marine Railway’s float

She directed us to a 40′ float near the travel-lift. We were so happy to be tucked in here, snug and secure for the torrential rains expected the next day — remnants of Hurricane Florence that devastated so much of North and South Carolina a few days earlier.

Due to the high winds outside the harbor, we stayed at the Maine Railway ($25/night) for 4 nights and then moved onto a Harbor mooring for another 2 nights ($40/night). We only had one rolly night with a gale blowing.

Since it wasn’t raining all day every day, we had a chance to do a lot of walking all over East Gloucester and Gloucester . There is quite an artist’s colony here on Rocky Neck with adorable houses and gardens nestled all side by each, and good provisioning “up to the Shaw’s” within walking distance of the town wharf. Don of f/v SCOTIA GIRL, loaned Hugh his truck so he could drive up to the fishermans outfitters for lures to catch stripers. We never did make it to the Market Store, a little place similar to Rosemont — maybe next time! Dinner at Halibut recommended by Amelia, and another dinner at Maria’s recommended by Zach for its great chicken parm, which lived up to its billing. At one point we got a phone call that Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard didn’t have any room for KATIE MACK. More phone calls and recommendations needed.

Finally the storm passed and we were able to depart Gloucester under blue skies with very little breeze. We made it across Massachusetts Bay to the Town Landing in Cohasset Cove, where we met Kate, a college friend of Hugh’s, for lunch. We continued on down to Plymouth Harbor, where some locals encouraged us to follow them to pick up a free mooring near the anchorage but a little less exposed.

The next day, Monday, the winds picked up. We checked in with the harbormaster who suggested we move into the inner harbor anchorage inside the breakwater on a HUGE mooring normally used by a fishing vessel. No charge! We walked around town and found the British Store which has Sherbet Dabs and Turkish Delight. Woohoo!

On Tuesday, my college roommate’s parents, Harvey and Mary, took us for a delicious lunch at the Lobster Pot in Bourne, followed by a tour of the Plymouth area. So much to get caught up on with the doings of their kids and grandkids. What a treat to have the time for a good long visit, which was topped off with an invitation to do a load of laundry before they dropped us at the town wharf. Fun day, followed by more wind and rain the next day. At some point, we lost our ensign — the ONE night we forgot to bring it in at nightfall.

Because of the high winds (when the fishermen stay put, we stay put!), we didn’t leave Plymouth until Thursday morning under grey skies with a moderate breeze out of the north. We had a comfortable run down to the Cape Cod Canal, made it through without incident, and continued our smooth run all the way across Buzzards Bay to Woods Hole. We picked up a Woods Hole Marine mooring while we called around, and finally a cheerful young woman from the Woods Hole Yacht Club offered us one of their transient moorings ($30).

It was great fun to watch all the harbor activity with ferries, fishing boats, and research vessels coming in and out of the harbor. There are also quite a few houseboats in the western side of the harbor. It was quite rolly that evening, so Hugh devised a “flopper-stopper” with the drogue before we retired for the night. Worked like a charm!

The next morning it was rainy, so we decided to wait until things cleared a bit before leaving Woods Hole. We didn’t make it very far out of the channel before the waves kicked up, so we turned around and eventually picked up the WHYC mooring for another night. I took the bus into Falmouth to West Marine to buy a new rainjacket, and then ended up walking the 4 miles back to Woods Hole as the bus never came by — 16,557 steps that day!

Finally, on Saturday the 29th, we woke to clear skies. By 10 AM we were headed out Great Harbor and decided to check out MacDougall’s Boatyard in Falmouth as a possible winter haulout. After speaking with them — nice folks! — and topping up fuel and water and pumping out, we crossed Vineyard Sound to the R “2” gong off West Chop and followed the marks into Vineyard Haven. Just before reaching the harbor, we noticed a “squeaking” sound. Hugh discovered there was water seeping in from the saltwater gasket which Yankee Marina had removed this spring to change the zincs. The other side had leaked a bit, too, before self-plugging with salt. Luckily we were only minutes from the breakwater and were assigned mooring E-5. We picked up the mooring just before 1:00 and (thought) we were home for the winter.

While we only needed four days to travel from Vineyard Haven to Portland in the spring, it took us 16 days to return from Portland to Vineyard Haven, due to the weather kicked up by hurricanes passing far to the south. This is why we allow plenty of time to get to places we “NEED” to be. We clearly understand why the most dangerous item one can carry aboard a vessel is a schedule.

1,390 miles and 40 harbors (30 unique harbors) since June 9th. What an adventure we have had!

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.

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!

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.

We Don’t Have a Schedule

Wednesday, June 13 – Friday, June 15, 2018 Through the Cape Cod Canal to Newport, RI

Up early, and out of the harbor — it takes almost an hour to make it to the Bay. We cruised down the coast to the Cape Cod Canal, a project that was 300 years in the making! — History — This is the Sagamore Bridge, built in 1933. I don’t know why, but this was an exciting transit — perhaps because we have crossed the Sagamore and Bourne bridges by car and looked at the boats below, slowly making their ways north and south. It’s important to time your transit so you can be carried with the current, while maintaining a speed of not more than 10 knots. As we came around a bend, just before the Sagamore Bridge, we gave a wide berth to one HUGE cement barge being pushed by a tug . Depending on the strength of the current, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to transit the canal — a huge time savings as opposed to going all the way around Cape Cod!

We had hoped to make it to Quisset, a tiny harbor recommended by Tad and Liz, but as we made our way down the channel into Buzzards Bay, the wind vs. current created the infamous “chop” which tossed books and other things around down below. As 3-5′ seas washed over the bow, we made a quick turnaround and headed into Onset Bay. This is the advantage of reading about and scouting out alternative “safe holes” on the charts before we set off: you never know when Plan B will be needed. Onset is a cute little seaside New England Village. The dockmaster at Brewer Marine gave us a slip rather than a mooring, for the same price, because KATIE MACK is such a lovely vessel!

We walked around the village with Annie, and then made dinner aboard. We’ll save a lot of money by not dining out very often, and when we do, it’s usually for lunch rather than dinner. I feel as if I have everything I need in my galley. We are well-provisioned, and the Omnia Stove-top Oven with its silicone liner means we can bake pretty much anything, from bread, to meatballs, to fish, to steaks . . . . We like the feeling of being so self-sufficient — reminds me of my childhood backpacking days with my family and friends in the Sierra Nevada. Dad always likened it to being a turtle, carrying one’s home on one’s back. KATIE Mack is a lot more comfortable and affords much more elaborate menus!

The next morning, the fog burned off early, and just as the Windy app and Eldridge’s Pilot had stated, by 7:30 the current and winds were with us as we made our way back down the channel into Buzzards Bay. What a difference! The next few hours were so pleasant — until around 10 when the seas rose with the wind. Buzzards Bay is deservedly famous for its chop. Quick change of direction to port made the going more comfortable, taking us away from our intended destination of Newport, and into the lovely harbor or “pond” at Cuttyhunk, the last island in the chain of the Elizabeth Islands ($45/night for a mooring). The town is Gosnold, named after the same explorer who “discovered” many ports in Maine (you may remember we stayed at Gosnold House in New Harbor during our sailing adventure back in 2014), as well as the island of Martha’s Vineyard (his wife’s name was Martha). Cuttyhunk has daily ferry service to New Bedford, and while the summer population swells to 200, the year-round population is around 12, depending on the year This early in the season meant it was pretty quiet! Apparently it’s the July 4th celebration that kicks off the summer season, with a parade of bunting bedecked golf carts, music and fun for all.

Looking across Vineyard Sound to the Aquinnah Cliffs

Walking along the southern side of the island, we looked across Vineyard Sound to see the Aquinnah lighthouse’s flashing red and white lights. I admit we both felt a “tug” for our winter home, and are so glad that we will be returning there in the fall.

The next morning dawned foggy and a bit drizzly. Wind and current dictated a noon start, so we walked around Cuttyhunk’s hills. No cars, only golf carts, for the villagers to get up and down the surprisingly steep roads and tracks. There is a school, a library, and a town hall. We kept missing the little store’s hours, as it is open only three hours a day: 9-10, 12-1, and 3-4. Not that we needed anything, but I was curious to see what they stocked.

The beginning of the bi-annual Newport-Bermuda Race

Newport was only a 2 1/2 hour hop across the Bay, but unbeknownst to us, the bi-annual Newport-Bermuda race was just getting underway! (photo) We figured “something was up” when we spotted 3 helicopters circling the harbor.

More than 100 boats were entered in the race itself, but the mayhem caused by press boats, private sail and power boats of all sizes, coast guard vessels, harbormaster coming at us from all directions, plus seeing the thousands of people along the shore was amazing!

Thousands of spectators lined the shore

Boatpix.com took some pics of KATIE MACK while we were coming around the point into the harbor. Good thing we didn’t make it here yesterday as we NEVER would have found a mooring, let along an anchorage. The culture shock of coming from quiet Cuttyhunk to all this chaos is daunting. Hugh said, “Enjoy it while we’re here ’cause we’re never coming back!” We were able to get ashore to walk Annie and we found the local Stop ‘n Shop and hardware store to pick up a few things for the next few days’ meals, and we enjoyed a calm evening.

Next stop: Mystic Seaport, DOTW (depending on the weather).