Mattapoisett, MA

We are having fun on this trip returning to favorite places and visiting towns we’ve never been to before. Today, Thursday, September 5, we planned to cruise to nearby Mattapoisett. But because it’s so close we took the opportunity to spend a bit more time in Onset.  We took Archie in for a long walk through this attractive hamlet walking around the peninsula that is Onset.  Lining the waterfront was a narrow grassy park where Archie was gleefully able to run free.

We strolled the main drag with lots of lovely homes, many of them with gorgeous waterfront views. Onset is really a very pretty town.




  

Returning to Zendo, we pulled up anchor by noon passing these birds drying their wings.  

I brought our lunch up to the flybridge to eat while we were underway.   It was an outstanding day with sunny skies, calm seas and temperatures in the low seventies - perfect weather!  After a short 100 minute cruise we arrived in Mattapoisett’s large harbor that was filled with mostly sailboats. The harbor is exposed to the southeast which caused some fairly significant rocking and rolling.  Jonny had predicted that the wind would clock around to the east and northeast and indeed it did, calming the seas but not until 11 p.m.

Once we dropped the hook, the three of us climbed into the dinghy to explore Mattapoisett. This is a lovely historic town that profited from shipbuilding during its heyday. The shipbuilders here built the boat that Herman Melville sailed on that inspired him to write Moby Dick!

Andy’s daughter Samantha recommended that we have dinner at Turk’s Seafood Restaurant.  She had spent a lot of time in Mattapoisett because her maternal grandparents kept their sailboat here.  Turk’s is on the outskirts of town and we walked the mile and a half to be there for an early dinner. We were surprised to see how busy it was at 5:00 and we were pleased to see its extensive and creative menu offerings.  We ordered two appetizers (clams casino and a stuffed quahog)and shared a good sized entree  (Tuscan style haddock with escarole, cannellini  beans and cherry tomatoes). We were very satisfied with our meal. 

The walk home didn’t seem as long - as is usually the case and it was downhill! Plus we stopped for ice cream cones, the best ice cream we’ve had all summer!  We finished them just as we arrived at the dinghy dock.

Unfortunately, the dinghy ride back to Zendo was somewhat rough.  Since I was sitting on the windward side I got pretty wet. But Zendo was warm and cozy and we quickly settled in for the evening and tuned in to the new Netflix series with Nicole  Kidman called The Perfect Couple.  It immediately hooked us into watching three episodes of this Agatha Christie style murder mystery set among the ultra-rich on Nantucket. A real whodunit that I’m sure will keep us speculating until we finish the series. 

We head to Fairhaven next where we’ll be at a marina for two nights.  Joe and Pat Apicella will drive over from Falmouth and we’ll also visit with another couple who we met in Fairhaven a few years ago.

Onset, MA

We expected to have a long cruising day on Wednesday, September 4 as we traveled from Gloucester to Onset, MA.  As usual,  Jonny took Archie in to shore where he was able to stop at the local Walgreen’s.  We left Gloucester by 8:10 and traveled all day in wonderfully calm seas. It truly was a glorious day, sunny with temperatures in the low 70’s. For a good part of the day we were 10 miles off shore with only a few boats passing us by.

I was deeply into reading The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi which I highly recommend!

As we neared our destination we went through the 17 mile long Cape Cod Canal passing under several bridges. The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway that connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south.  It’s also a part of the Intracoastal Waterway, bits and pieces of which  extend all the way to Miami and through to Texas!

We finally reached Onset’s large harbor by 4:20 but it it had been such a beautiful day that the eight hour cruise was not at all arduous.

Onset is a village within the town of Wareham.  We have been here a couple of times before as it’s a very convenient and friendly place for boaters traveling in the area. It was developed in the 1880’s as a summer camp meeting place for spiritualists.  Many of the cottages were built as second homes for people from nearby Boston, Taunton and surrounding towns.  It’s now an attractive vacation destination for families because of its many protected beaches and small village vibe.

Shortly after we arrived, we dinghied in to the dinghy dock for a quick walk with Archie. But primarily we were interested to go to the nearby Quahog Republic for their stuffies (stuffed clams) and beers on their outdoor deck overlooking the harbor.  And that’s exactly what we did while discussing whether it was time to think about selling Zendo and perhaps looking for another boat. A fascination for Jonny and a little stressful for me!  This has been an ongoing discussion for us, so stay tuned to learn about the outcome, though I can assure you it isn’t imminent!

That evening we had the fresh corn on the cob we had purchased at a farm stand in Ipswich along with the leftover Portugese haddock and a tossed salad. We watched a very entertaining British movie called Dirty Little Letters with Olivia Coleman which was laugh out loud funny!

Tomorrow’s stop will be nearby Mattspoisett, MA.

Gloucester, MA return trip

Jonny took Archie for a quick walk on the rocky island of Isles of Shoals. He thought he might try one of the islands that prohibited dogs because it would be easier to land on them. But as he neared those alternative there were people about so he went to the only one that allowed dogs and clambered up the rocks so Archie could do his business.

We took off at 7:25 for Gloucester. It was a sunny day but the ocean was quite rough due to a strong north wind. I almost fell off the bench seat on the flybridge a couple of times because of the rocky seas.  So it was a big relief when we entered the large harbor in Gloucester and headed for our mooring there, the same mooring field we used on our way north earlier this season. Our plan was to spend the day with Scott and Mary Cole who had graciously offered to give us a tour of Cape Ann where they have lived for many years in Ipswich.  

They picked us up by 1:00 and we headed out to explore this beautiful, historic peninsula with its many small towns and villages.  Mary drove us by the famous blue lobster mural in Gloucester and the waterfront that we had walked along last time we were here.

She brought us to the amazing Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester, a true castle built in the 1920’s by John Jay Hammond, Jr. who was an American inventor known for pioneering the development of the electronic remote control. We walked around the grounds which are just beautiful as is the exterior of the castle itself.

Mary drove us through Manchester by the Sea with its beautiful old homes and pretty little town center.  It was here that we stopped at the harbor and walked along the town docks.  The harbor was filled with small boats and we chatted with the harbormaster who described the improvements that the town is making to its harbor including extending the docks, installing power pedestals, etc. We will definitely add this to our stops in the future because it  is so attractive and protected and just a block from the town center with its array of restaurants and shops.

From there Mary drove us through Essex, another very attractive town, then through the larger town of Beverly. And when we arrived in Ipswich we stopped at the iconic Clam Box where we got an order of their delicious fried clams to share on the picnic table outside.

Ipswich is also where Mary and Scott have lived for many years. Scott told us that Ipswich has the greatest concentration of historic homes in the country, Throughout our day we saw so many colorful and very well maintained homes with plaques designating their age from the early 1600’s to the 1800’s.

We arrived at Scott and Mary’s lovely waterfront home by late afternoon.  The view of the Ipswich clam flats from their back yard was stunning and went on for miles.  Scott was rightly proud of the home that he designed and built. They are truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country. They, like us, spend half the year living on their boat but they do so in the winter and in the Bahamas. In the summer they are at their home in Ipswich and a place they have in New Hampshire as well.

That evening we all went for dinner back in Gloucester at a popular restaurant called Lobsta Land. We couldn’t believe how busy it was on a Tuesday but we didn’t have to wait long for our table. We had a very good dinner of fish chowder, Portuguese style clams and a Portuguese style haddock. There are a lot of Portuguese people in this area! Everything was first rate!

By the time they drove us back to the pier, it was 8:30. What a wonderful day we had with Scott and Mary and we so appreciated their sharing their lovely corner of the world with us!

We headed back to Zendo in the dark, fed Archie a late dinner and made an early night of it.  Next stop, Onset, MA.

Isles of Shoals, NH

We got an early start on Monday, September 2 and left our S. Portland anchorage by 8 a.m. for the six hour cruise to the Isles of Shoals. Leaving  Portland harbor officially ends our wonderful month’s voyage in Maine. 

As we cruised south we passed several lighthouses, the first being Portland Breakwater Light (also known as Bug Light).  We also passed Spring Point Ledge Light and Portland Head Light. These last two are shown in the photos below.

Next came Cape Elizabeth Light at the southern approach to Portland’s harbor.  About an hour north of our destination we passed the tallest lighthouse in New England, the Boone Island Light, way out in the distance.

We were traveling three to five miles off-shore with few other boats and many fewer lobster pots.  It was cool enough for Archie and me to be bundled up and cozy on the flybridge.

Cruising by Appledore Island we saw lots of lovely homes lining the shore.

It was a pretty long day and we finally arrived at the cluster of islands known as the Isles of Shoals by 2:50.  As we approached it we passed the White Island Light also known as the Isles of Shoals Light.

We grabbed one of the free moorings owned by the Portsmouth Yacht Club. It seemed like we were in an area with an open fetch so we quickly moved to a spot that was a bit more protected  (or so we thought). After a brief afternoon rest we dinghied in to the only island in this group of nine that allows you to walk your dog on it. We pulled up to the rocky seaweed strewn shoreline at low tide. Jonny dropped me off first so I wouldn’t get wet and he tied up the dinghy and carried Archie up to the shore. 

The whole area was basically a big rocky island which wasn’t the best for walking. There was no beach or wooded area to explore. We had to keep Archie on his leash so he wouldn’t go over to the adjacent island.  There were a couple of people trying to fly a kite next to a picturesque house. We didn’t spend much time there, just enough for him to do his business.

That evening we had a cozy dinner of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and summer squash. It turned out that we were in for a very rocky and rolly night so we just made the best of it watching a couple of episodes of Suits and going to bed fairly early.  Next stop - Gloucester, MA.

South Portland, ME

First thing in the morning on Saturday, August 31 Jonny walked into Portland and brought back some delicious baked goods from a nearby bakery. He got us blueberry and cranberry scones and a blueberry buckle. We have to eat as many of those Maine blueberries while we are still here!

Cathy was flying back to Charlotte that afternoon and would be leaving by noon so we planned to leave then as well.  Our original plan was to start making our way down the coast as we are officially on our way home now, especially as we leave Maine. But the weather was forecasted to be very windy and the seas promised to be very uncomfortable so we decided to just go across the harbor to S. Portland to get a mooring at the Centerboard Yacht Club. 

Our first order of business was to get a pump-out and fill our water tanks. Then we made the quick trip across the harbor and tied up to a mooring at Centerboard Yacht Club where we have stayed in the past. This yacht club has no docks. All the boats are on moorings. It’s in a nice area and within walking distance to a Hanniford’s Market which is a good grocery. The yacht club also has a free washer and dryer which is a very nice benefit.

That afternoon we took a walk through the surrounding neighborhoods which are very pleasant.

And later on we had the leftover pasta for dinner and watched an entertaining movie called Logan Lucky, sort of a hillbilly takeoff on Ocean’s 11.

The next day the seas were still kicked up and we decided to stay put for one more night so as not to put ourselves through a miserable rocky cruise.  We did some boat chores, Jonny walked to the grocery store and I took advantage of the free laundry.  Sitting in the colorful Adirondack chairs on the lawn of the yacht club was quite pleasant. We met a couple who were members there and lived on their sailboat half the year. It turned out that the husband was also from a town next to where Jonny grew up though it wasn’t quite the close association he had had with our dockmate in Portland.

That evening Jonny made cod on the grill and we had corn on the cob and a salad for dinner. We watched another movie, this time The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, though it was not as entertaining as the previous night’s film. 

It turned out that Cathy’s flight which should have left at 2 p.m on Saturday was delayed multiple times but was still supposed to leave later that night. Then they told her it was cancelled and she would have to stay overnight and catch a flight the next morning.  American Airlines was anything but helpful offering no food vouchers and no assistance with finding a hotel. As we contemplated having her come back to stay with us which by then was almost 11 p.m. she finally found a nearby hotel where she could stay.  Her flight was supposed to leave early Sunday morning but it was delayed again. Finally the flight left on Sunday afternoon and as it neared Charlotte it was diverted to Greensboro, SC due to thunderstorms. There they sat on the runway for a couple of hours. She finally arrived home in Charlotte 29 hours later! Traveling is often fun but can be extremely stressful at times like this (to say the least)! We were all glad to have had such a good time together which helped to ease her frustration just a bit.