Log of Friday, June 20, 2008

Friday, June 20 - Clear & Sunny - Light Westerly

Canal transits are, of course, entirely controlled by the current. While tugs with tows push through against the current, and fast motorboats don't much care, we must pick times of fair current if we are to make much headway at all. In this the tide was to turn fair around mid-day, so we planned to catch the first of this ebb to speed us on our way.

0700 up anchor N. of Clarks I. & out the unmarked channel - again at dead low. Spoke to the owner of the Island Packet who had proceeded us in and anchored in the same area. He grew up in Colonial Acres and will be back in Lewis Bay this weekend.

The anchorage was a magical spot; steeped in history and currently an exclusive summer enclave, Clarks I. has the wonderful feel of an isolated outpost against the sea while being within a short distance from bustling Plymouth, Duxbury & Kingston. Ryck's photo shows the anchorage at the North end of Clarks I. astern as we motor out. What you don't see in a picture is how we are in a narrow navigable channel in a huge bay clogged with sand banks and shoals.

0820 Approaching the mouth of the channel & the Gurnet - will shortly turn South for Manomet and then the Canal.

This was the first day of summer for lots of Massachusetts schools and it was fun to see many lobster and other fishing boats with kids on board to enjoy the first day of freedom.

0825 Pass out @ Duxbury Bell #1 New course 160M, 6NM to Manomet whis.

1131 Entering Canal

~1300 Cleared rr bridge

1415 Cleared Hog I. Channel & bore away on Port tack ~285M

This last entry glosses over a poor decision by the skipper and a resulting very uncomfortable 45 minutes. To understand the problem, you have to know what everyone who transits the Canal learns quickly; The fair current Westbound runs head-on into the summer Southwesterly funneling up the Bay, resulting in big square waves in the Hog Island Channel.

As we cleared Mashnee Island, Tom suggested we flop over onto starboard tack and leave the shore to head East to the old canal channel under Wings Neck. That is a little longer, but gets out of the current and some of the wind. For whatever reason, our pig-headed commander said no and we continued out the channel to take quite a beating before we cleared the Stony Point Dike and bore away on Port for Sippican Neck and Bird Island.

1500 Centerboard Shoal drawing abeam 350M for Ram I.

1530 Arrived Sippican Harbor and moored to #83.

The rest of the story, which can be imagined from Ryck's slides, has us finding our way ashore, registering for Tabor reunion, making ourselves somewhat respectable for somewhat polite company and having a nice dinner with our significant others under the reunion tent before going our separate ways. Thank you shipmates!

Tabor has a lovely and active waterfront and it is always fun to see how they take increasing advantage of their location to enhance their educational program.

My plan was to stay until Sunday when Tom had agreed to rejoin me for the final leg of the voyage to Lewis Bay. I thought it would be good to stay through the chapel service to remember Phil Smith, a classmate who had died since last reunion. That would leave scant time to make the tide through Woods Hole, but I was hoping for the best on that score.

For the moment, I was just happy to be ashore and showered and having a meal with friends without the flashlight in my back pocket and all the responsibility that symbolizes for the cruising sailor.