Boston by sea

[dasein668]

Well, I've hardly even gotten back home and already, somehow, Heather and I are talking about next year...

We've batted around a few ideas, and one that she is interested in is a cruise "way down south" to Boston, and perhaps the Cape. Has anyone here visited Boston in a small boat? Is it as much of mess as I'm imagining it to be? What about the Cape? Inquiring minds want to know...

[Figment]

A preamble to the 2009 Narragansett bay rendezvous?

=)

[dasein668]

Nah, just "something different." Perhaps there could be a Figment sighting up that way though?

[Tim]

Scituate? Sandwich Harbor of Refuge?

[dasein668]

Scituate? Sandwich Harbor of Refuge?

Yes, well, I was hoping for some better options!

[dasein668]

Geez, folks, you're letting me down!

The Boston Sailing Center has a pretty nice online cruising guide to Mass. It doesn't really cover Boston, since they are sailing out of Boston, but...

http://www.bostonsailingcenter.com/crui ... index.html

[Tim]

Geez, folks, you're letting me down!

Perhaps the silence is truly telling?

[dasein668]

Geez, folks, you're letting me down!

Perhaps the silence is truly telling?

Well I certainly wasn't expecting much useful input from you, mistah! hehe

[Tom Young]

I'd give it a try. I've read varying reports. Marblehead was a great overnight stop as I sailed our boat home. I left my family in Woods Hole to return by road (field hockey schedule!).

We found alot of good new finds like Lake Tashmoo and in this photo, the only boat anchored in Head of the Harbor on Nantucket(why can't I post these directly on the message?).

Our 4' draft and anchor gave us alot of fine anchorages and easy access to places like this and others.
http://949.reno2.com/download.php?id=5&mode=view

The sailing was the best on the way back up. Jumping my way back on short legs, I had fine sailing mostly in very light airs. One to Proventown, another to Marblehead then a fine light sail to Isle of Shoals. The next leg to Portland was fully reefed down. Of course, this usually required a couple of hours motoring getting into some harbors.

But the last sail, Portland to Boothbay was the best. So good in fact, I was by the Cuckholds before I realized I nearly missed Boothbay.

Good trip, 700 nm.

[Tim]

Geez, folks, you're letting me down!

Perhaps the silence is truly telling?

Well I certainly wasn't expecting much useful input from you, mistah! hehe

My work here is done. ;<)

Tom, can you describe your trip in more detail? Sounds interesting.

[bcooke]

Can't help much. Let me know what you find because I am curious too. I bet Mark on Tikva could give you some good advice.

Everything tends to be more crowded and there are fewer harbors. Don't even bother coming up to see me in Plum Island Sound. You really have to know where the shoals are as the bouys are rarely in the right places and it gets very shallow twice a day... Well, if you do come let me know and I can guide you in. Not really a full keel kind of place though. That's why catboats were invented here.

I would be interested in a Buzzards Bay cruise sometime though. I plan on doing it along with the Triton Rendezvous.

Was that helpful?

-Britton

[Tim]

I'm interested in what you find out also, since I'll probably hit some of these areas on the way to and from the still-elusive 2009 wing ding down south.

[Tom Young]

We find our shoal draft and comfort with anchoring a big plus in the Cape Cod area. Simply, compared to our area of Maine, natural anchorages are few and far between. Moorings are more readily available but you could tear your hair out trying to reserve and secure them in time at the more popular areas. We don't let mooring avaialability plan our route.

On the other hand, I think shore access to this area by dinghy and public lands surrounding the water, are some of the best on the east coast In fact, parts of Maine and other states could take a lesson from this area overall.

A prime example is Block Island. If you're comfortable with anchoring in shoal waters, you can enjoy this wonderful island and all it's public access and beaches to your hearts content. We had a long row to town but were anchored with fine public beaches and access within a stones throw.

Of course, BI can be exposed and it's wide open like several of the areas we have anchored in. An open roadstead requires watching the weather and knowing when to get out. Plus, boat traffic is high so we often use a sentinel on our nylon rode to keep it below propellors more than the added holding(we've been cut loose before, you never forget that)

We had a blow come into Nantucket that put us on a long high speed drag. I knew the bottom was marginal for holding and the weather was going to test it. Not a big deal, we safely pulled anchor and lucked out finding an overnight mooring (rare). You know this potential exists heading to Nantucket but there are some good anchoring options away from town. If it will blow above 15 knots, better move for the night up into the harbor or(try) to get a mooring. But if you must depend on a mooring, you can't do Nantucket.

Same with Cuttyhunk for example. On a weekend, you may not find a mooring late in the day. We've done both and prefer anchoring in more privacy off the field, if there's space. Your keel may be just in the mud at low tide, if that's not your cup of tea, you may be happier in the outer exposed anchorage.

I'll try to post more of our cruise down that way Tim when a bit of time is available.

[dasein668]

Thanks for the info, Tom.

[Tim Mertinooke]

Don't even bother coming up to see me in Plum Island Sound. You really have to know where the shoals are as the bouys are rarely in the right places and it gets very shallow twice a day...
-Britton

Britton,
Plum Island Sound is the only harbor we avoided this summer and we hit almost every one from Beverly Mass to Stage Island Harbor Cape Porpoise, ME. I have only been in there once and it was with a powerboat back in the early nineties. However with that said, a good friend of mine in his Bristol 29 (Full-keeled model) would go from Joppa Flats on the Merrimack River down the Plum Island River at high tide and make it out the Sound and sail back up along the ocean side to Newburyport. Strange trip, but I'm sure it would be cool to do once. You need to make prior arrangements for the bridge to open on the Merrimack River end and some local knowledge is a must as the river branches many times potentially leading you to a high and dry fate. We should rendezvous one of these days with our boats being moored so close and all. Tim

[Tim Mertinooke]

Nathan, I'm sure you found this site when researching the Boston Harbor Islands, but if you have not here it is: http://www.bostonislands.org/

These Islands are certainly not remote like the Maine anchorages you are used to, but they will surprise you in their feel. Some are setup like parks, while others have a more remote feel and are left more wild. Also, if you are a history buff, these islands will not let you down.

[tikvah59]

Sorry to dredge an ancient thread, but since my name was mentioned I felt obliged to respond. I don't get to read the forum as much as I'd like.

I can't offer much experience as a cruiser because I've been on the water a total of about 4 months since I've owned Tikvah, and I haven't yet been out of Boston Harbor. This year promises to be different!

I belong to Savin Hill Yacht Club, and I believe there are often moorings available in the summer (contrary to the info on the web site). The club is on Boston Harbor near Dorchester Bay. I enjoy sailing around the harbor islands and hope to visit a few on my boat this summer. There a number of commercial marinas on the harbor, but I would imagine they aren't cheap. Marina Bay is across the water from my club and has a number of nice shops and restaurants.

I've talked to sailors from the club who prefer Beverly over Marblehead, perhaps because Marblehead harbor is pretty crowded in the summer. To the south Scituate is a popular destination. Plymouth has a harbor (with that rock) but the channel is long, narrow and undulating.

As a previous poster mentioned, there are few natural harbors on the Cape, and most are not on the way to Narragansett Bay. Provincetown is an interesting place. Wellfleet has a big harbor although I think much of it is shallow. It's a modest walk from Wellfleet Harbor up to the town, which is quintessentially Cape Cod.

There's a tiny harbor on the bay side in Orleans (Rock Harbor - with an outstanding fish shack/restaurant) and there is a harbor in Barnstable but I don't know it at all. There's another small harbor in Dennis (Sesuit).

You have more options on the south side of the Cape, but I think most people pass up Falmouth and Hyannis for Cuttyhunk or Martha's Vineyard. Buzzard's Bay has a few nice harbors, too - particularly Padanaram, the home of Concordia and many other fine boats. If you do look at the south side of the Cape, sail past West Dennis and head for Harwich or Chatham.

If there's more info I can provide on Boston Harbor or the area let me know.

Mark