Gloucester, MA

Monday, 31 August, 2015

Today we splashed the dink and went ashore to the Harbormaster's dinghy dock.  The dogs were delighted to have a nice grassy area to walk, and well, uh, you know.

We walked up the hill, around a lovely park area with lots of small wayside exhibits that tell a little of the history of the town.

Then we walked around the circle, and in a southerly direction to the Gloucester Fishermen's Memorial, where the names of over 5368 "Men Known to be Lost at Sea and Honored Here" are on raised plaques in a semi-circle around a statue.  

Gleanings from the exhibit:

Of the nearly 1000 ships lost, those lost with all hands: 265

Between 1860-1906, a staggering 660 ships sank.

While many of the fishermen were saved, 3880 men were lost.

A single storm in 1862 claimed 15 schooners, and 120 men.

Another devastating storm in 1879 took the lives of 159 men.

The names date back to 1716, up to recent history.  I knew one of the men, who I'd met in Tortugas years ago.

There is a quote from Psalms 107:23-24   They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters:  These see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who has spent my life on the sea, it is a nice memorial.  

We walked back down to the harbor, this time through town, along a bunch of shops.

We met our friends on the Nordic Tug Encore, and the S/V Daruma, each of which came in this afternoon, and we all went to dinner together at The Gloucester House.  What great fun!  

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to Gloucester, MA

Sunday, 30 August, 2015

This morning we finished up some things ashore.  The dogs had a nice, long walk with us, and then they were ready to be underway.  I think I saw a reluctant glance or two towards the end of the dock, which was the beginning of all our walks this past week.  We said hope-to-see-you-soon to our new friends we'd met here:  Rick and MaryAnn on the Grand Banks Rash Decision, and Mark and Joelle on the S/V Daruma.  We'd said farewell to Mark, the dockmaster, and Robert, on the Blue Mackerel yesterday.  

There was enough current on the way out to totally pull one of those three foot tall information buoys marking the "no wake" totally underwater.

We went out the harbor, enjoying the views that we had missed, due to the fog, on our way in.

We continued to the south, following the natural curve of the coast, rather than a shorter, more direct route.  The area south of Portsmouth as lots of houses, but as one continues south, much of the coast appears to be a sandy beach.

We entered the Annisquam River Inlet from the north, and it was like being in Fort Lauderdale on a week-end, with hundreds (thousands?) of small boats along the beaches, and rafted together in the heavy current.  We fell into a string of northbound vessels, constantly dodging the barrage of the numerous southbound, beachbound traffic.  

The river/canal has two interesting bridges: a railroad bridge that  is in a ninety degree bend that you can't see around (and narrow enough only one vessel can pass at a time), AND the Blyman Bridge which was packed with car traffic, in a spot in the river that narrows like a funnel under the bridge.  The bridge tender there tells the vessels headed up current to wait until the down current vessels are out of the way.

The one positive thing on the river, is that everyone seems to have the concept of giving the vessels headed down current the right of way.  The small boats also seem to have a sense of the law of tonnage.  (Get out of the way of any boat bigger than you are!)  We bucked the current coming into the canal,  and had it pushing us as we entered the harbor to the north.

We pulled into Gloucester's Inner Harbor and managed to get one of half a dozen transient moorings.  The harbormaster came around later in the evening and talked to us for awhile, had me fill in the necessary paperwork, and collected the city's $30 mooring fee.

In the morning, we plan to go into town.  Tonight we just enjoyed a lazy night on the mooring, grilling pork chops, and watching tv!  There are channels here!  Not much on any of the channels, but....