StowIt
1st Mate
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2016
- Posts
- 378
- Likes
- 363
- Location
- Northport, NY
- Boat Make
- Flowers 38 w/ 675 Scania, Dyer 29 Bass w/ 260 Yanmar, Boston Whaler 17 Montauk
Took my Flowers 38, Mistress Quickly, for a good run with the goal of arriving in Bourne for a reunion on 8/15-16. I had planned to spend the week before bouncing around between Montauk and the Cape until one of my old friends challenged the speed and range of my boat. Threw out the original itinerary and ended up covering 620 nm in six days with one lay day in Bourne. Not sure I'll push that hard again, but the boat had no problems. Departed Fire Island inlet on the morning of 8/11 and arrived in Padanarum (S. Dartmouth) in the early afternoon after a 130 nm run. Padanarum is a nice little harbor to the west of New Bedford. We picked up a mooring at the New Bedford Yacht Club. Plenty of restaurant choices in Padanarum. The next morning, we headed up Buzzards Bay, threw the canal, refueled at the Sandwich marina, which is very convenient, and then straight to Marblehead.
This is where it gets interesting. I had reserved a spot at the town landing in front of the harbor master's office. Had time for a swim in the harbor before we headed out to dinner. So far so good. Back at the boat and after more rum, we settled in for the night. My friend was passed out when I got up at 2330 and went up to the head, at the office. I had not been gone from the boat for more than a few minutes but when I got back to the boat I saw someone in the cockpit at the pilothouse door. I quickly realized that this guy wasn't my friend, but a drunk or stoned local looking for an easy score on my boat. After much yelling at this guy and attempting to run him off he decides that he wants to fight. Well, I'm getting too old for this kind of thing, but I tried to channel my inner 'Jack Reacher mode' but that wasn't going too well. I then thought that I'm much more comfortable in the water than on the land, so I decided that the two of us are going for a swim. With that in mind, we wrested our way to the edge of the float and in we went. Grabbed the guy by his hair and held him under until the fight came out of him. When he came up, he wasn't fighting anymore. I let him swim to the ladder and get out to go on his way. I started banging on the hull of my boat to wake up my buddy but there was no response. So, I climbed out of the water, rinsed off, tried to wake up my buddy, and then I called the police. Explained the situation and told them to look for the soaking wet guy walking around Marblehead; i.e. the perp. Several medicinal doses of rum were needed to slow my heart rate. MPD finally showed up about 15 minutes later. Needless to say, but I didn't sleep much more that night.
In the morning, I checked in with the harbor master and explained the event. They were very sorry and apologetic and assured me that this never happens in Marblehead. They were even kind enough to refund my dock fee for the night. Then off we went to Harpswell, Maine.
Someone else on this forum had recommended a stop at the Dolphin marina and Restaurant. I had reserved a spot on the dock but first we had to get there. We had an uneventful down sea cruise to the sea buoy but that's when the fog rolled in. The night before I started the trip, I had been doing some route planning and that's when i realized that my Navionics chip was an older version that stopped at the Merrimack River. I didn't have a chance to update my chip or a buy a new one, but I had my trusty Navionics (Garmin) boating app on my phone. So, we navigated using the boat's radar and the app on my phone and made it to Dolphin. Dolphin is a great place to stop. There's nothing else at this marina other than their restaurant and while the parking lot was full, so was the dock and mooring field. I guess the tourists come by car and the locals come by boat.
We left the Dolphin the next morning and cruised up to Freeport to get the lay of the land for the next trip. Then out into the ocean for our trip to the Merrimack River. I decided to stop at the harbor at Isle of Shoals and to check off that destination. Perfect little harbor for a lunch break before heading to the Merrimack. We arrived at the Merrimack and I decided to refuel at the Newburyport Harbor Marina. Nice enough attendant at the dock but when he said I'm giving you a really good price I should have known better; so, buyer beware at that dock. Long story short, the advertised price was $4.50 for diesel; he charged me $4.40 with the BoatUS discount but then added the tax; the end result was that I paid $4.67. Unfortunately, I only realized this after I left. I did reach out to the marina via a Google review but so far, no response. I chalked it up to having New York on my transom. The Merrimack makes things interesting with a big current when docking. Met some friends in Newburyport; and there are lots of choices for restaurants. I reserved a slip at the Cove marina on the Salisbury side because they had space and did not require a two-night stay.
The following morning, after a pirate-less night, we departed the Merrimack with a strong ebb and a gusty northerly. The inlet was a bit bumpy and confused but not too bad. The Windy app had the wind and swell direction correct but the wind was blowing closer to 20 knots rather than the forecast 10-15. The swell was also in the 5-6 foot range. We had a sporty ride around Cape Ann and down to the Cape Cod Canal. It was mostly impossible to dodge lobster pots while the pilot house is covered in water, but we didn't cash that lottery ticket. By the time we reached the CCC the wind and swell had abated a bit but then we had to buck the current through the canal. Hung a left at the west end of the canal and pulled into Kingman's at Red Brook. There is a narrow, winding channel into the harbor at Kingman but no surprises. I checked in for two days and headed off to a reunion party in Bourne.
Yesterday I topped off my tanks at Kingman, no surprise bills, and headed down Buzzards Bay. I had intended to lay over in Cuttyhunk for a day and had reserved a mooring in Nantucket for two days, the minimum, but, with Erin and her swells headed towards us and strong NE and East winds forecast for my days in Nantucket I decided to head for Long Island. I had wanted to do some fluke fishing in Nantucket, but the forecast for strong E x NE winds put a damper on that idea. I was also now solo and thought twice about trying to pick up a mooring in Nantucket in a blow. I cancelled my reservation with Nantucket moorings, but they are partial to refunds so I have a two-day credit for the remainder of this season. I don't know if the credit is transferrable or if I'll get back to Nantucket this season but if it is transferrable and someone on here wants to use it, we can figure out a way to make that happen.
I think I rattled a few fillings loose between the Cape and Block yesterday. The southwest wind built up a short, steep chop that I had on the bow all day. I had been thinking that I would bail out into Long Island Sound and stay in Northport for the rest of the week but once I got into the lee of Montauk, I decided to turn south to take a look at the conditions. The sw wind seemed to have dropped a bit around Montauk and the seas less choppy so I decided to run down the beach to Fire Island. That plan worked pretty well until I was off of Shinnecock, when the wind and seas came up hard. I decided to duck into Moriches and hugged the east jetty without problem on an incoming tide. Once I was back in the bay I had an uneventful trip back to Bay Shore.
Total steaming hours over seven days, with one lay day, were 618+/- and total fuel burned 650+/-. This was the first time I had a chance to run the boat and engine hard for several days in a row other than trips to the canyon. Very happy with the boat's and engine's (Scania 13 liter at 675) performances.
End of story.
This is where it gets interesting. I had reserved a spot at the town landing in front of the harbor master's office. Had time for a swim in the harbor before we headed out to dinner. So far so good. Back at the boat and after more rum, we settled in for the night. My friend was passed out when I got up at 2330 and went up to the head, at the office. I had not been gone from the boat for more than a few minutes but when I got back to the boat I saw someone in the cockpit at the pilothouse door. I quickly realized that this guy wasn't my friend, but a drunk or stoned local looking for an easy score on my boat. After much yelling at this guy and attempting to run him off he decides that he wants to fight. Well, I'm getting too old for this kind of thing, but I tried to channel my inner 'Jack Reacher mode' but that wasn't going too well. I then thought that I'm much more comfortable in the water than on the land, so I decided that the two of us are going for a swim. With that in mind, we wrested our way to the edge of the float and in we went. Grabbed the guy by his hair and held him under until the fight came out of him. When he came up, he wasn't fighting anymore. I let him swim to the ladder and get out to go on his way. I started banging on the hull of my boat to wake up my buddy but there was no response. So, I climbed out of the water, rinsed off, tried to wake up my buddy, and then I called the police. Explained the situation and told them to look for the soaking wet guy walking around Marblehead; i.e. the perp. Several medicinal doses of rum were needed to slow my heart rate. MPD finally showed up about 15 minutes later. Needless to say, but I didn't sleep much more that night.
In the morning, I checked in with the harbor master and explained the event. They were very sorry and apologetic and assured me that this never happens in Marblehead. They were even kind enough to refund my dock fee for the night. Then off we went to Harpswell, Maine.
Someone else on this forum had recommended a stop at the Dolphin marina and Restaurant. I had reserved a spot on the dock but first we had to get there. We had an uneventful down sea cruise to the sea buoy but that's when the fog rolled in. The night before I started the trip, I had been doing some route planning and that's when i realized that my Navionics chip was an older version that stopped at the Merrimack River. I didn't have a chance to update my chip or a buy a new one, but I had my trusty Navionics (Garmin) boating app on my phone. So, we navigated using the boat's radar and the app on my phone and made it to Dolphin. Dolphin is a great place to stop. There's nothing else at this marina other than their restaurant and while the parking lot was full, so was the dock and mooring field. I guess the tourists come by car and the locals come by boat.
We left the Dolphin the next morning and cruised up to Freeport to get the lay of the land for the next trip. Then out into the ocean for our trip to the Merrimack River. I decided to stop at the harbor at Isle of Shoals and to check off that destination. Perfect little harbor for a lunch break before heading to the Merrimack. We arrived at the Merrimack and I decided to refuel at the Newburyport Harbor Marina. Nice enough attendant at the dock but when he said I'm giving you a really good price I should have known better; so, buyer beware at that dock. Long story short, the advertised price was $4.50 for diesel; he charged me $4.40 with the BoatUS discount but then added the tax; the end result was that I paid $4.67. Unfortunately, I only realized this after I left. I did reach out to the marina via a Google review but so far, no response. I chalked it up to having New York on my transom. The Merrimack makes things interesting with a big current when docking. Met some friends in Newburyport; and there are lots of choices for restaurants. I reserved a slip at the Cove marina on the Salisbury side because they had space and did not require a two-night stay.
The following morning, after a pirate-less night, we departed the Merrimack with a strong ebb and a gusty northerly. The inlet was a bit bumpy and confused but not too bad. The Windy app had the wind and swell direction correct but the wind was blowing closer to 20 knots rather than the forecast 10-15. The swell was also in the 5-6 foot range. We had a sporty ride around Cape Ann and down to the Cape Cod Canal. It was mostly impossible to dodge lobster pots while the pilot house is covered in water, but we didn't cash that lottery ticket. By the time we reached the CCC the wind and swell had abated a bit but then we had to buck the current through the canal. Hung a left at the west end of the canal and pulled into Kingman's at Red Brook. There is a narrow, winding channel into the harbor at Kingman but no surprises. I checked in for two days and headed off to a reunion party in Bourne.
Yesterday I topped off my tanks at Kingman, no surprise bills, and headed down Buzzards Bay. I had intended to lay over in Cuttyhunk for a day and had reserved a mooring in Nantucket for two days, the minimum, but, with Erin and her swells headed towards us and strong NE and East winds forecast for my days in Nantucket I decided to head for Long Island. I had wanted to do some fluke fishing in Nantucket, but the forecast for strong E x NE winds put a damper on that idea. I was also now solo and thought twice about trying to pick up a mooring in Nantucket in a blow. I cancelled my reservation with Nantucket moorings, but they are partial to refunds so I have a two-day credit for the remainder of this season. I don't know if the credit is transferrable or if I'll get back to Nantucket this season but if it is transferrable and someone on here wants to use it, we can figure out a way to make that happen.
I think I rattled a few fillings loose between the Cape and Block yesterday. The southwest wind built up a short, steep chop that I had on the bow all day. I had been thinking that I would bail out into Long Island Sound and stay in Northport for the rest of the week but once I got into the lee of Montauk, I decided to turn south to take a look at the conditions. The sw wind seemed to have dropped a bit around Montauk and the seas less choppy so I decided to run down the beach to Fire Island. That plan worked pretty well until I was off of Shinnecock, when the wind and seas came up hard. I decided to duck into Moriches and hugged the east jetty without problem on an incoming tide. Once I was back in the bay I had an uneventful trip back to Bay Shore.
Total steaming hours over seven days, with one lay day, were 618+/- and total fuel burned 650+/-. This was the first time I had a chance to run the boat and engine hard for several days in a row other than trips to the canyon. Very happy with the boat's and engine's (Scania 13 liter at 675) performances.
End of story.
