HADLEY'S HARBOR

He Said:   Hello from rainy Cape Cod.  During our 2 month trip I have come to realize one thing for sure - the New England area is as cool as the weather.  In our 60 plus days we have had maybe 10 killer days which makes boating in this beautiful part of the country all worth it.  The worst part is we have also had about 50 days of not so killer days - hot, cold, humid, foggy, rainy, dreary and about anything else the weatherman can throw at us.  I think living in Phoenix for 35 years spoils you to death when it comes to blue skies and mucho sun. I realize the summers are far from perfect in the desert, but they are usually pretty sunny.  Enough of the weather.  

We arrived late morning in Sandwich and got a spot next to the fuel pump for the nite on a dockside-type dock.  Pretty easy to tie to, but had to turn the boat 180 degrees in a fairly tight area.  We had no problems, thank heaven.  We went into the little town grocery store and dropped about a hundred bucks.  The tough part was getting all the groceries back to the boat, but we managed.  Went out to a cute little pub that nite.  Pat got a salad, and I get a killer Rueben cod sandwich to die for.  We happily fueled up on Tuesday morning and headed South.  We took on 90 gallons of diesel for about 135 miles.  Believe it or not we were happy with that.  Also we had been running our generator which also uses diesel. 

We made it thru the Cape Cod Canal on Tuesday as planned, only about 8 miles of 10 MPH or no wake, whichever suits your boat the best. The last few miles the wind picked up which stirred up some wake but no big deal.  Grabbed a mooring ball in Red Brook Harbor.

 

We arrived about 11AM on Wednesday here in Hadley’s Harbor.  Our Capt. told us about this hidden gem and it really is.  That day was one of our best since we arrived in NE.  It was about 80 degrees.  This is a beautiful and peaceful little cove with 25 FREE mooring balls, first come first serve.  We spent the day on the dingy riding around and we even both took a dip.  The water is in the mid 70’s now, not too bad.  This area is owned by the Forbes Family, yes the family with a few $$$$’s.  The mooring balls are well maintained.  The only bad thing about the whole area is that it is privately owned which means kind of no trespassing.  There are no services whatsoever - no food, gas, ice, showers, or anything else you may need.  I guess since the mooring is free there’s no need for any services, so no getting off the boat other than to jump in the water.  They did have one small wooded area you could walk around in but we heard they had a nasty tick problem.  No need for that.  Never had one and hopefully never will.

 

One of the many beautiful boats cruising the area

 

Horses at Sunset

Horses roaming freely. 

 

Both Thursday and Friday have been weather challenged -  windy, 70 degrees maybe, and  lots of clouds.  The wind also brings unpleasant ocean water. So hanging out here we have kind of caught up on our expenses - 3 nites here plus no eating out.  Oh well, it has been really beautiful like I said but not exactly sunny. If the weather conditions are ok on Sat., which they should be, we will be off for Martha’s Vineyard to grab a mooring ball for a few nites.  They’re on a first come basis once again, but not starting until 11AM. We will be there in plenty of time since it is only about 20 miles, probably 2 hours or so. Anyhow not much more to report on, not nearly the excitement of out last couple of blogs but that is all good.  My ticker needed a break.  

Take Care and I hope all is going well, L8R, Jack

 

 

She Said:  We were really worried about fog so we waited around Tuesday morning until we confirmed that all was clear.  The coast guard was stationed at the pier next to us so we got their input on the weather.  By all accounts, we were good to go.  After a quick stop at the fuel dock (and I mean quick – we’re getting better than the 1.5 MPH that we hoped for) we set out onto the Cape Cod Canal.  The Canal was built in the early 1900.  It was widely used during both World Wars to patrol against foreign war boats.  In 1942 the Canal was blocked by a ship that went aground forcing our military to take the longer route around Cape Cod.  As a result, one of our military ships was bombed, and we lost 10 men.  The Canal wreck was blasted so that the canal could once again be used.  

 

The speed limit on the canal is 10 MPH or no wake – whichever is slower.  We were traveling with a current of about 4 MPH so we didn’t have to use too much of our own power.  There are 3 bridges that cross the 10-mile canal – two are really tall and one has only a 7 foot clearance.  The 7 foot bridge is almost always up, but if it’s down you have to be cautious especially if you’re traveling with the current like we were.  Well wouldn’t you know it – it was down as we approached.  There was a police boat circling around in front of the bridge to alert boats and keep them away.  We went into neutral to slow ourselves down.   No problem, before we knew it the bridge was back up and we were able to pass.

 

As you leave the canal you enter Buzzard’s Bay.  For you Jimmy Buffet fans, Jimmy wants no part of Buzzard’s Bay when the Volcano blows.  We wanted no part of it when we were there either.  The issue with the Bay is when the winds and the current are moving in opposite directions they create quite a chop.  Knowing it’s going to happen doesn’t make it any more enjoyable.  After a few miles of being bounced around, we were happy to see the entrance into Red Brook Harbor.  The harbor has both mooring balls and anchorage (area where we can use our own anchor v. the mooring ball).  Our plan was to spend one night on a mooring ball, scope out the anchorages, and then anchor out on our second night.  Another change of plans.  The weather turned ugly, and all we could think about was getting out of New England.  We’d had enough rain, wind, cold and gloom.  There were still a couple of places we wanted to see, and the new plan was to see them fast and get out of here.  So the first thing I did Wednesday morning when I woke up was check the weather.  It looked like a picture perfect day for a cruise.

 

Red Brook Harbor before the awful weather moved in

We were able to take off immediately since we did all our engine room stuff and GPS programming the night before.  (This is a good habit to get into.)  The short cruise was wonderful.  We arrived at Naushon Island/Hadley’s Harbor in time for lunch.  Several people suggested this destination, and Captain Doug gave it a 5-star rating.  We were NOT disappointed; we’re once again loving New England.  Naushon Island is the first of the Elizabeth Islands – a string of islands that run southwest of Wood’s Hole (the southwestern tip of Cape Cod).  Almost all of these islands are privately owned.  Naushon is owned by the Forbes family.  If you are a family trustee you can build a home on the island.  There are no cars on the island, but there are horses and carriages.  There is a small barge that transports large items between Woods Hole and Naushon.  The Forbes family maintains about 25 free mooring balls in the Harbor (available on a first come, first serve basis).  There’s one small island that visitors can walk around on, and there are several areas to visit via dinghy.  This is quite a special place.  We met a family that is staying at one of the many houses on the island as a guest of a Forbes. 



Picturesque Hadley's Harbor



Only 35 bedrooms in this summer house
 

 

Old New England Boathouse and Sailboats


 

It seems like one nice day in a row is all we get.  The weather turned and our picturesque New England harbor turned cold (highs in the 60s) and rainy.  It is nicely protected so we didn’t have to deal with the 20+ MPH winds.  It also meant we were going nowhere.  Good thing we stocked the fridge a few days earlier.  So we spent 2 full days on the boat.  We did take a hike on the small island only to find out it has ticks.  We carefully checked ourselves over upon our return.  At least we got all of our household chores done.  Saturday’s supposed to be a good traveling day so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we can cruise to Martha’s Vineyard.

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