Log of September 2, 2008

9/2 Weighed anchor @ 0550, departed Parker's B.Y. @ 0645 with Tom G., Doc & GW. North wind, clear, tide fair in the canal. Bound for Rockland, ME.

0755--Entering Hog I. Channel.

0915--Boats ahead at East Entrance turning back & warning of rough seas & "20-30 kt winds." We set double reefed main & turned to buck the current while we battened down. Then...

0940 Snuck out the red side of the East Ent. Not too bad considering. Wind ~North 15-20 kts. Worked our way to Mizzen, double reefed main & 1/2 jib. Seas ~4 ft. out of the canal current.

1030 Set watch schedule: 9-12 Tom; 12-3 GW; 3-6 Doc; 6-9 Tom; 8-11 GW; 10-1 Doc; 12-3 Tom; 2-5 GW; 4-7 Doc. We will decide later if we will go overnight or shelter for a few hours.

1049 41° 49.5 N/70° 23.5 W. Making good ~080M 6kts.

1152 41° 52.0 N/70° 16.3 W.

1405--Setting course for P'town.

1445--Wood End abeam.

1535--Anchor down at the east end of the P'Town breakwater.
ESCAPE BEARING 160M

This was a rugged day. There had been a gale sitting offshore for days which was sending big lumpy seas in from the East and fairly strong headwinds. So we butted our heads against these "square" seas for the twenty-some-odd miles across Cape Cod Bay and were happy to pack it in with plenty of time to have dinner and a good night sleep before trying again the following day. With her shoal draft and buoyant ends, North Wind doesn't like short seas and strong headwinds. Her very middle aged crew has a limited tolerance for futile discomfort.