Tabitha’s Tales

When we can see it, Maine is stunningly beautiful. Casco bay is =
littered with islands which keep the ocean swell out to provide smooth =
sailing between islands which are rarely more than a mile apart. The =
scenery is quite Scottish with rocky islands topped with conifer =
trees. Unfortunately we haven’t seen as much of it as we would like as =
the fog, for which this area is known, has been more on than off since =
we arrived on Friday.

We visited Portland yesterday motoring across the bay and picking up a =
mooring at the Centreboard Yacht Club for a few hours. We found a =
small city with life very much revolving around a businesslike =
harbour. One street we glimpsed looked almost as though it could have =
been in the 1930’s with ramshackle wharfeside warehouses and fishing =
huts. The three highlights were the chart agents where we bought =
charts and a curtesy flag for Canada and found that the father of the =
man serving us has the Rival 41A ‘Firelight’, the Chowder House where =
we had excellent clam chowder served in loaves of bread hollowed out =
for the purpose, and Hamilton’s Chandlery which was probably the best =
stocked I have ever been in serving the local fisherman as well as the =
leisure boaters. Seeing the thick gloves and heavy boots and clothing =
stocked for the fisherman to wear in the winter gave a sobering =
insight into how cold it can become here in the winter months. I don’t =
think I have ever seen better winter gear. One thrill was to see that =
they stocked the original ’sowesters’ of stiff oiled canvas with long =
overhangs at the back and thick chin straps that clearly mean business.

After Portland we moved to Cheabeague Island enjoying a wonderful =
evening sail though a forest of lobster pots. We have been warned that =
these will become more dense as we travel east. Already we are =
encountering large fields with pots less than a boat’s length apart. =
There is one pot less since our rope cutter, fitted for this trip, =
began to earn its keep as we left Plymouth Harbour ten days ago.

Each morning we have been readying ourselves for a scheduled radio =
conversation (sched) with ‘Trust Me’ our friends from Duxbury who are =
currently on passage to Bermuda. Unfortunately it turns out that a =
‘net’ of other yachts are occupying the frequency at the time I =
suggested which means we have had no success yet.

As in England, the marine radio forecast uses coded language. We had =
become accustomed to ‘patchy fog’, and ‘areas of fog’ but they have =
now introduced ‘widespread fog’ which features in the forecast for =
next three or four days. It makes planning very hard and we are =
having some difficulty becoming accustomed to how to sail in Maine. We =
are unused to having so many good places to sail to so choosing =
destinations has become harder. We need to consider the tides which =
run strongly but their is little point in planning a passage for a =
morning tide when the fog doesn’t clear until the afternoon!

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New pictures have been added to the website at http://www.audience.co.u=
k/adventure_files/Trip2/Pics3.htm

Our first attempt at landing on Peaks Island was not a great success. =
We have two dinghys. A hard rowing dinghy and an inflatable dinghy =
with a 10hp outboard motor. We normally use the hard dinghy as it is =
less trouble to launch and makes a more peaceful ride. Unfortunately =
as we made our approach I managed to break an oar. Luckily we salvaged =
the paddle end and were able to paddle back to the boat where we =
pumped up the inflatable.

We finally got to Peaks Island this afternoon to find the local =
population celebrating the Peaks Festival which is an excuse for all =
sorts of events over this weekend. The simple pleasures on offer =
included a look over the island fire engine and fire boat and the =
island’s only ambulance. Also a bag of kettle baked pop corn which was =
certainly the best we have ever had. All this in between visits to the =
laundromat which swiftly dealt with a sizable backlog of washing.

The programme of events included a ‘chilli cookoff’ where local =
competitors cook chilli in three classes, vegetarian, hot and mild =
carnivorous and the visitors pay $2 each to sample one or all chillies =
and then vote on the best. We went ashore this evening with high =
expectations and not inconsiderable appetites which grew as we trekked =
the long distance from the harbour to the Baptist Church which was the =
venue for the cookout. Although we arrived well before the scheduled =
finish time we were disappointed to find that those with cars had got =
in early and scoffed all of the chilli.

We made the best of it with superb 16″ pizza from the general store =
consumed on grassy banks over looking the wonderful scenery of Casco =
Bay.

Tonight is cooler. The slightly damp air makes the chill all the more =
penetrating. It is very confusing to us to think that the shortest day =
has already passed when we don’t feel summer has really got going. =
Only three days ago American radio was talking about ‘the first day of =
summer’ when the schools broke up for their three month summer =
vacation. The water is cool enough and the air damp enough that =
inside, exposed part of the hull (below the water line) are sweating =
with condensation. The sun is beautifully warm when it does manage to =
penetrate the fog but so far in Maine that hasn’t happened very often.

Tonight is colder than it has been for a while. We have no heating but =
we light the oil lamp which gives some heat and close the hatch and =
lay a cockpit cushion against the companionway and in this way we can =
make the boat quite cosy.

Since we first set out, everybody we have met has said ‘Maine, you’ll =
love it there’. It is reputed to be one of the best cruising grounds =
in the world with huge numbers of remote islands and inlets. Sparse =
population and masses of lobster pots.

Well, we are here. We arrived in Portland Harbour yesterday after a =
very dull trip from the Isle of Shoals with light variable winds, poor =
visibility and a slight swell contriving to have us motoring almost =
the whole way. We anchored last night under Peaks Island with the =
lights of Portland Harbour across the bay.

Already area has a different feel not dissimilar to the west coast of =
Scotland (including midges!). Sue has been checking out the fly =
screens which go over the hatches and companionway in the evenings and =
at night.

It rained in the night and their is a slight fog this morning. It =
looks as though the sunny weather of Boston has been firmly displaced =
by muggy moist air. We shall hang around the Casco Bay for the next =
few days and see what happens. We have to buy charts for Canada in =
Portland and there is no point in doing that until we know that our =
insurance company will extend our cover for Canada and we won’t hear =
from them until Monday.

After Boston we sailed around the corner to Marblehead. A small town =
which seemed to be devoted entirely to art and yachting. Local =
moorings have squeezed all anchoring possibilities right out of the =
harbor so we rented a mooring from the very exclusive Boston Yacht =
Club. At $35 we felt it to be very expensive but it did come with full =
use of the club facilities including a plush chauffeured launch which =
collected us from the boat whenever we wanted to go ashore which we =
did three times!

We have found that even the smallest American towns have toy shops and =
the girls have seized upon these as an opportunity to have some fun =
and usually to develop their pestering powers. At Marblehead they were =
quick to note that the store was holding and evening toy expo at the =
local Starbucks coffee store. We went along and enjoyed playing some =
new games. It turned out that the toy store was run by a family who =
had taken a year to go cruising just as we are doing. We played Rat-a-=
tat-Cat with their children and at the end of the evening they gave us =
the set so I am not sure it was a very successful commercial exercise =
for them.

Unfortunately flush with the satisfaction of receiving a free gift, =
(and we didn’t even order any of Starbuck’s coffee) I suggested a =
drink in the yacht club. The evening was rather spoiled when we =
received a bill for $18.50 for only one round of drinks.

Yesterday (Wednesday) we moved on to Gloucester. Gloucester is the =
largest fishing port on the East coast and was the setting and =
location for the shore scenes for The Perfect Storm which is a =
favorite film of ours. It was very exciting to visit and see for real =
Ten Pound Island and Eastern Point which feature at the beginning of =
the movie. I loved the town which reminded me of Whitby - just the =
right level of commercial grit and maritime heritage. One thing you =
don’t get from the movie is the smell of fish which is evident in some =
parts of the town. Sue thought it was reminiscent of Lowestoft though =
I thought that a bit harsh!

The town was busy making preparations for the St Peter’s festival that =
takes place this weekend including a blessing of the fleet, a =
fairground, greasy pole competition and firework display. It is =
obviously a very big affair and we very tempted to stay. However, =
Elspeth’s best friend Jasmine and her mother have confirmed dates for =
their visit which means we have to be back in Boston on 18 August so =
we are feeling under pressure to make progress north.

I find that making the decisions about when and where to go is the =
hardest part of cruising. Our first priority is to avoid being in the =
wrong place when bad weather hits so I spend a lot of time thinking =
about weather conditions for several steps ahead. Then there is the =
question of achieving the goals we set ourselves and whilst also =
having the flexibility to respond to opportunities that come along - =
such as meeting a cruising boat with similar aged children of =
responding to an invitation from a friendly local.

Had we stayed in Gloucester - which I particularly liked and look =
forward to returning to - we would have been stuck there until at =
least Tuesday while various weather fronts blow through. Hopefully now =
we will be north of all that and safely in Casco Bay while the wind =
goes to the north for a while. None the less, we are concerned that we =
may be pushing along too fast and therefore failing to get to know the =
places we visit. A useful indicator is Sue’s painting. If Sue has time =
to paint (one of our highest priorities) then we are probably going at =
the right pace. If she doesn’t we need to slow down.

Some really good work has been produced so far so we can’t have got it =
far wrong.

Tomorrow we make for Portland which is potentially the point at which =
we clear the United States and sail to Nova Scotia. Within the next =
few days we must decide what kind of trip we want. I certainly don’t =
want to achieve our goal of Halifax at the expense of plenty of time =
in Maine. On the other hand I do want us to get to Halifax if we can.

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We didn’t sail to Gloucester but instead decided to linger a day at =
anchor in Boston Harbour. This allowed us to re-stow the boat and =
complete a number of useful jobs. We very much enjoyed having Rob and =
Lisa but appreciate the chance to get the boat back to her normal =
routine. With the temperature again in the 90’s the girls were able to =
swim.

We are anchored in the ‘only just’ lee of Peddocks Island which is =
inhabited in a temporary looking way by a few occupied summer =
dwellings and several that seem to be falling down. Its location under =
the flight path to Boston airport does not add to its attraction but =
it is a good deal more relaxing than downtown Boston.

Apart from the ongoing mission to find a place for everything and to =
have everything in its place which means steadily relocating gear =
found aboard based on the likelihood of actually needing it, some =
useful jobs were completed including re-sticking the rubber fender =
around the inflatable (this will probably be ongoing) and working out =
the list of charts we need to order for Canada. Today’s major =
achievement was fitting the new alternator (delivered to Mel and Jeff =
at Duxbury) with the Adverc controller. This is a major step forward =
as it means we get much more charging power from the alternator and =
therefore can be slightly more relaxed about electricity consumption - =
e.g Elspeth & Peta’s computer games! The old alternator becomes the =
spare.

Our electrical generation system is now about as good as it is going =
to get. With some reasonably sunshine lately, the solar panal has been =
doing its stuff and the wind generator too so consumption and =
replenishment are pretty much in equilibrium. Washing up using sea =
water and the recent discovery that we hadn’t been filling the water =
tank completely has extended our water capacity so that we think we =
can go for nearly 4 weeks without a visit alongside. Time will tell.

Elspeth and I rowed ashore this afternoon and walked the full length =
of the long bay in which Tabitha is the only boat. It was strewn with =
driftwood and a useful task was completed in securing a board suitable =
as a fender board to protect Tabitha’s sides as we head north where =
marinas become few and fishing harbours with rough stone quays the norm.

The weather is due to cool a little from tomorrow to levels which will =
be just about right. Moderate south westerlies are forecast for the =
coming week so we have in mind a night in Marblehead and then =
Gloucester before heading, weather permitting to the Isle of Shoals in =
Massachusetts Bay.

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TO CUTTYHUNK ISLAND
It was great to spend several days in Bristol even if much of that was =
spent sheltering below from some very wintry weather. As ever, locals =
made us very welcome including Sue and Rod who had just returned to =
their home port after 7 years cruising in Europe from the Baltic to =
the Med including 6 months in St Katherine’s dock, London and the =
Paris Arsenal.

A highlight of Bristol was the Herreshoff Museum for which we had a =
personal guided tour for only $8. What an extraordinary story they had =
to tell including the design of eight successful defenders of the =
America’s Cup.

Sadly, for the second time this trip, we left provisions on the quay. =
The girls willingly help carry shopping back to the boat but for the =
second time they arrived back at the dinghy and became distracted by =
something and managed to leave their bags on the dock. The first time, =
at Urbanna, I returned the following day to find the bread nibbled by =
rats. This time I rushed back after only a couple of hours to find =
that our provisions had been taken by someone.

The sun came out only 1hr before Rob and Lisa arrived on Saturday =
having quickly changed clothes when they realised that they faced a =
dinghy ride out to the boat. It was great to see them. The sun was =
shinning the next morning and with a fresh breeze we shot down the bay =
to Newport. Newport is a mecca for international yacht racing and not =
dissimilar to Cowes on the Isle of Wight only with more mega-yachts. =
We anchored and walked into town which was bustling in preparation for =
the 100th Newport Bermuda race which starts on Friday. It is one of =
the world’s classic offshore races.

We tried for showers at the Mission to Seamen. Unfortunately only Sue =
and Peta were successful as the washing machine flooded the basement =
and the showers were closed for the day. Rob bought New England clam =
chowder for everyone who wanted it and we found it very much to our =
liking. It has since been taken on several occasions.

We could only afford one night in Newport which is a shame as I would =
have liked to stay but we were on a mission to get Rob and Lisa to =
Boston in time to catch their plane and to have some time in the city.

We waited for the wind to fill in before sailing to Cuttyhunk Island. =
A remote island with few permanent inhabitants but many expensive =
holiday homes for wealthy New Yorkers. The island and the weather were =
delightful. We were able to find room to anchor amid the moorings in =
the inner harbor so were quite comfortable. We spent two nights there =
which allowed the crew to explore thoroughly, Sue to produce some =
impressive paintings and me to continue the never ending maintenance =
work.

ONSET, THE CAPE COD CANAL, PLYMOUTH & DUXBURY
We sailed early Thursday morning for Onset which is a small village at =
the western end of the Cape Cod canal. Progress was slow to begin with =
in a gentle following wind but we made it in time for lunch. A trip =
ashore in the afternoon, (our inflatable will just about accommodate =
four adults and two children in average harbor conditions giving only =
the occasional wet bottom), revealed a sleepy small town but excellent =
sandy beaches. Unfortunately the weather was not entirely suitable for =
beaches but the supermarket and hardware store provided plenty of =
interest. We also sampled fried Clams (as Lisa over ordered - thank =
you Lisa) They were delicious - another New England speciality.

Sadly when we returned to the boat the weather forecast had upgraded =
the wind the following day from 10-15 knots on the nose to to 15-20 =
knots with poor visibility. I had little choice but to declare the =
following days sail to Plymouth postponed. Lisa and Rob were not best =
pleased to think of spending another day of their holiday in Onset. =
Especially with the possibility of being stuck on the boat with us and =
a scrabble board.

Happily, the following morning the forecast had been downgraded and =
there was no sign of the blow that doom-mongers on neighboring boats =
had predicted. I decided to go though the canal and motor the 15 miles =
north to Plymouth. It was a good decision. At the west end of the =
canal the tidal range is about 4ft, at the east end it is 9ft which =
means the tide fair rips through the canal. We shot through at 9 or 10 =
knots over the ground. Of course there was a price to be paid at the =
other end with NW wind and near ‘wind against tide’ conditions the =
seas in the outlet were monstrous but Tabitha (and the crew) took them =
in her stride. It didn’t last long but motoring north against seas =
which were the product of stronger winds in the night was not =
pleasant. Peta was sick and Rob and Sue did not feel at their best.

Conditions moderated and as we turned into Plymouth we found warm =
sunshine. There is no anchoring in Plymouth so we called up the local =
yacht club who offered us a mooring ball (at $45). This included =
temporary membership of the club, use of the chauffeured club launch =
and all club facilities. Our mooring was just below a reproduction of =
the Mayflower which is major exhibit in the town. That and the =
Plymouth Rock upon which the Brethren are said to have first stepped. =
The rock is housed in a sort of mausoleum structure and we found it =
bemusing to see the reverence with which the American tourists =
approached what amounts to a lump of granite to which clever early =
marketeers have ‘added value’.

Having sailed from the Chesapeake which was well established as a =
colony by the time the Plymouth Brethren landed, it was instructional =
to see how history has been shaped to promote the settlers who came in =
search of freedom (thus encapsulating the American ideal) rather than =
those who settled in Virginia for the purposes of financial gain or in =
lew of a prison sentence.

Showers were finally secured at the yacht club much to Lisa and Rob’s =
relief I am sure.

We sailed motored across the bay to Duxbury the following day where we =
were to meet friends we made on our visit to Block Island. Rob and =
Lisa took a night off from family matters and went for a meal ashore =
rather than join us with friends Mel and Jeff and their boys. It was =
great to see them again and also great to have the opportunity to =
visit an American family home (although with English influences). Two =
of the three boys had baseball games that evening - simultaneous and =
at different pitches on different sides of town. This apparently is =
normal as was driving back and forth in SUV’s between the two to =
support each boy in their game. Then a barbecue - steak tips and =
chicken with Duxbury oysters to start. We had a wonderful evening and =
look forward to seeing them all again on our return south.

TO BOSTON
The sail to Boston should have been a fine a fast reach in moderate =
westerly winds. In the event we had a light south westerly which came =
and went so sailing was balanced evenly with motoring. However, it =
concluded with a fine sail into the vast Boston harbor which made us =
feel as though we had indeed sailed all the way. The Boston sky =
scrapers were conspicuous from well off and we made a steady approach =
in bright sunshine. As it was Saturday morning there was plenty of =
activity on the water and a fair harbor chop developed. My abiding =
memory of Boston will be of a harbour disturbed by the choppy wash of =
many ferries, launches and motorboats. We picked up a mooring at =
Boston Waterboat Marina ($35) which was money well spent. An utterly =
central location and very friendly staff.

I was very pleased to be in Boston having made an abortive trip once =
before when the gas tanker I was serving aboard was directed to Boston =
only to be redirected to Spain and the South of France (far less =
glamorous). We spent most of out time ashore at the equivalent of =
Covent Garden enjoying nibbles of exotic food and seeing quite a bit =
of street performance. We tried to attend a re-enactment of the Boston =
Tea Party but it seems that it had been canceled pending a relaunch on =
2007!

Lisa and Rob were able to hail a water taxi and step off the boat with =
their luggage for transport by water to the airport in only 10 =
minutes. Amazing.

Tonight we have come out to anchor in the lee of an island in Boston =
Harbour and tomorrow have plans to sail for Gloucester. Boston has =
been our horizon for sometime and it is necessary now to pause and =
stock take before heading up to Maine where facilities are fewer and =
one is thrown much more back on one’s own resources.

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The sail from point Judith into the Narragansat Bay to Bristol was in =
light airs on the nose with, I should think, 50% motoring and 50% =
sailing. A disappointment as reasonable easterly winds had been =
forecast.

We had a slight surprise as we sailed past Newport. I had smelled oil =
a little earlier but thought it was just a local smelly factory (must =
check more carefully next time), then Peta said ‘Arghh! What’s that =
red stuff on deck?’ There was quite a puddle of diesel on deck to =
port. We had just switched off the engine and were sailing at the time =
on starboard tack and therefore listing to port. I traced the trickle =
to the tank vent on the starboard side. We quickly blocked the =
scuppers so that the diesel would not flow overboard and mopped it up =
with visions of arrest and big fines from the environmental police. =
However, I think we caught it in time.

Tabitha has a slight list to port so some days previously, in an =
effort to transfer some weight from port to starboard I had set the =
engine to draw fuel from the port tank valve but return it to the =
starboard tank. I had assumed that fuel return is quite a modest =
affair but it seems that is not the case. 10hrs or so of engine was =
enough to overfill the starboard tank and have if trickling out of the =
tank vent. I guess it was just part of getting to know the ship. It is =
just a good thing that it happened in daylight.

We came quite a way up the bay to the historic ship building centre of =
Bristol. A delightful small town with great protection from the north =
east. We pumped up the flubber and buzzed ashore. Luckily it was me =
steering because as we approached the shore the throttle stuck on half =
ahead. I managed to get it into neutral and stop the engine and we =
completed the trip with the oars. A later check showed that it was a =
simple sticky throttle which should be cured with a squirt of WD40.

That evening was delightful and we sat in the cockpit for early =
evening drinks. What a contrast to the following day. As expected we =
awoke to strong winds and heavy rain from the north east. We were =
quite safe and comfortable but confined below for the entire day. This =
provided a good opportunity for school and games in the afternoon =
including jigsaws and an interminable game of cheat which seemed to =
last forever as no on was a sufficiently good cheat to win the game. =
The wind generator howled but produced lots of electricity to satisfy =
the heavy appetites of the two laptop computers.

Today is a lot calmer but it is still cold. You can see your breath in =
the cabin this morning and of course we have no heating. Time to bail =
out the dinghy and go ashore. We need to start getting the boat =
shipshape ready for Rob and Lisa’s arrival on Saturday.

I had suggested that they catch a train from Boston to Providence =
which is a little way further up the bay. However, it is not easy for =
us to find somewhere to stop in Providence. I spotted a railroad to =
Bristol marked on our chart and suggested that we could stay in =
Bristol and Rob and Lisa could continue their train journey all the =
way here. I received the following reply. . .

“… You know those second hand charts and books you
got?…..not sure about how current they are….when I
looked up Providence to Bristol Trains this is what I
found….”Until 1938, when it was destroyed by a
hurricane, a rail line connected Providence to
Bristol, Rhode Island. Today that rail line has been
converted to a 14 mile-long bike path that runs the
length of the East Bay from East Providence to
Bristol.”

I hope all of our ‘out of date chart’ incidents are as benign as that =
one.

It is difficult to believe what good luck we have had for our visit to =
the Mystic River. First a free night at the Mystic Seaport. Then three =
free nights at Fort Rachel marina.

The best thing about coming alongside is that you meet many more =
people than you are likely to when anchored off. Fort Rachel was no =
exception. Lots of Americans were eager to welcome us to the country. =
MV Satisfaction belonging to Roger and Lynn made us particularly =
welcome taking our gas bottle to be filled and running Sue to the =
supermarket. We hope to see them again on our way south.

Then there were the English crew of the 108 year old Cornish fishing =
boat Vilona May. Marsha and the children are leaving the boat at =
Boston in about 12 days time and Chris and a friend joining at Boston =
will be heading north to Greenland before sailing home to Spain. We =
hope to bump into them again.

The biggest surprise was to find another Rival 41 centre cockpit on =
the hard. John and Inga Chapman were aboard getting ready to go back =
in the water today. As there were only around 15 centre cockpit 41s =
made, to find a new one in the same port is a major event. John and =
Inga did a tradewind circumnavigation and now spend a great deal of =
time sailing in the States as their two grown up sons live over here. =
They are heading to Canada in order to leave the US so that they can =
re-enter and renew their cruising permit. Naturally we spent a good =
deal of time looking over each other’s boats. They were kind enough to =
give us a photocopied tidal atlas for the Bay of Fundy which will be a =
real asset.

Mystic has a chandlery selling used boat equipment and books so quite =
a time was spent riffling though the stock. I came away with 185′ 3/4″ =
nylon rode for $100 and various other bits and pieces including two =
useful pilot books. On Saturday Lynn took Sue and the girls to the =
local library sale and bought back several book is including the =
standard work on cruising the coast of Maine which we do not have. =
Brilliant!

Paul Heiney appeared but we didn’t manage to say hello before it was =
time to leave on this morning’s tide. Hopefully our tracks will cross =
again further up the coast. It would be fun to meet another Suffolk =
boat. It seems Libby is due to join him at St John’s for the crossing =
home.

We are now at anchor in Port Judith Harbour of refuge. The sun is =
shining and we are relaxing after an excellent sail. We hope tomorrow =
to enter the sheltered waters of the Narragansett Bay in preparation =
for meeting Rob and Lisa on Saturday.

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We sailed form Block Island to Fishers Island where we anchored off =
for a night. As expected, the next morning was thick fog. It began to =
lift a little and we decided to make the 6 mile trip to Mystic. By the =
time we got going, the fog had come down again but we went anyway.

It may have been a foolish decision but with the help of extensive =
electronic aids we managed to find our way across Fisher’s sound and =
into the Mystic River where the fog began to lift.

Charts are a considerable expense in the UK but in the USA charts =
produced by NOAA - their equivalent of the hydrographic service - are =
copyright free. Indeed, the electronic versions of all US charts can =
be freely downloaded from the internet. I therefore took the =
precaution of downloading not only charts for the entire East coast =
but some free chart software that will run them. We do have second-=
hand paper charts for the area as well but the electronic stock =
provides us with many larger scale charts that we just wouldn’t =
otherwise have.

Even better, with a GPS navigation system plugged into the computer, a =
little red circle shows our position and vessel’s projected track on =
the screen which is great. We don’t use it often as the computer uses =
a lot of electricity and we don’t normally need it anyway but in fog =
it is great. Of course one has to be aware that what is on the chart =
may not be what is in the water and also that the position given by =
the GPS could be out. This is where radar comes in. Not only can we =
detect other vessels on the move, but when sea marks are the turning =
up in their expected positions one can feel a degree of confidence in =
the rest of the system.

Mystic River is as beautiful as we expected and it was a joy and =
relief to chug up the river in steadily improving visability. We went =
first through a railroad bridge that pivoted horizontally and then a =
road bridge which lifted vertically. You can imagine our delight when =
we arrived at the Mystic Seaport Museum to be told that the first =
night was not $150+ dollars as expected (how long it took to make up =
our minds to actually go for it) but free of charge as it is to all =
foreign flagged vessels.

The museum was a complete delight. A little bit like Iron Bridge with =
many old building rescued from other locations and a good deal of =
animation in the form of people dressed up in role. The museum also =
has a very active programme restoring historic vessels. Our free =
overnight included free admission to the museum for all onboard so the =
visit did not cost as anything and we were able to visit the museum =
over two days. We attended many of the live demonstrations including =
working aloft and ‘the dog watch’ and Elspeth quickly acquired a =
reputation for asking the kind of questions which suggested a lifetime =
spent at sea. She takes a serious interest in nautical matters.

The best exhibit (they have more than 250 boats on show and 2.5 =
million artifacts of one kind or another) was the Charles W Morgan - =
the last wooden whaling ship. Shortly before we left Ipswich, the New =
Wolsey Theatre presented Moby Dick which we all attended. The story =
starts in New Bedford which is one of the places we would like to =
visit in the next few weeks.

We discussed staying for another night but felt we just couldn’t =
justify the expense so we moved on, as it turned out, only a few =
hundred metres down river. The weather forecast is not good for the =
next few days with widespread fog. We had identified a few less than =
perfect spots to anchor - (not easy when the wind is forecast to swing =
from south to north as the fronts pass through). We saw a British =
boat anchored just out of the channel (the Mystic is said to have no =
places to anchor) we were sounding the area with a view to anchoring =
when a dinghy buzzed up to us with ‘Would you like a free marina =
berth for the weekend?’ Doug owns the marina we are in and having =
vacant space and no bookings for the weekend, kindly offered us space. =
So here we are for the weekend. It is a very rare treat for the girls =
to be able to step ashore.

Of course, being on a berth, we have met other people and one couple =
have already taken our empty gas bottle in their car into town to have =
it refilled. Tomorrow hopefully, they will run us to the supermarket. =
We managed to hail the English boat (an ex-working gaffer from Fowey) =
which has two children aboard and have told them that the offer of =
free morning includes them so hopefully they will be in tomorrow.

We are also expecting Paul Heiney and Libby Purves. Paul sailed the =
OSTAR single-handed transatlantic race from Falmouth to Newport, Rhode =
Island last year and left his boat out here at this yard. He has since =
written a book about the experience and I attended both a book signing =
in Woodbridge and a talk he gave at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. He =
mentioned this yard with some enthusiasm and said how his boat is =
right next to the railway. It is extraordinary to see it here awaiting =
his arrival on Sunday and sure enough, trains do thunder by =
periodically, merrily sounding their horn as they go.

In his talks he mentioned that he and Libby are planning a cruise up =
to Maine and Nova Scotia before they make a two handed passage back to =
England. I am slightly embarrassed that haven’t yet ready his book as =
I was waiting for it to come out in paperback! Worse still, I asked a =
rather (unintentionally) confrontational question at the talk at the =
Royal Harwich so I rather hope he won’t recognise me! - David, I shall =
pass on your regards to them!

Shortly after we came alongside today, the local fireboat rushed past -=
sirens blazing. Later we heard over the VHF radio that a private jet =
plane had come down in the water only a mile from the mouth of the =
river. There were three survivors and sadly two killed. It is amazing =
to hear the number of Pan Pan calls relayed by the Coastguard on this =
coast - many more than in the UK. This is the second downed aircraft =
we have heard about over the VHF in the last week!