My Summer Vacation

We took the first two weeks of August, with no particular plan other than to transit the Cape Cod Canal and see where wind and weather took us from there. Here's the rough log of our latest adventure:

Day 1 - A light air sail to Scituate. As is our practice, we got a mooring from the Satuit Boat Club. Oh, and in anticipation, we remembered to shower while showers were available.

Day 2 - The long trip in light air to the Cape Cod Canal. It was a low visibility, patchy fog sort of day... but the air cleared and we had a nice breeze from the North for the last leg, sailing much of it wing on wing. The North wind made for an easy canal transit and easy passage into Buzzards Bay. We grabbed a mooring at Point Independence Yacht Club in Onset and were pleasantly surprised to see some Cape Dory friends there. We caught up over drinks and munchies, then walked into town for pizza and Greek salad, taken out and eaten in the park.

Day 3 - A short sail from Onset to Red Brook Harbor, anchoring at Bassets Island. We did a swim in lieu of a shower.

Day 4 - An easy sail from Red Brook Harbor to Woods Hole, transited to Vineyard Sound and sailed to Lake Tashmoo, anchoring there. It's an easy row to the dinghy dock, easy walk to Vineyard Haven and it's dark and quiet at night!

Day 5 - Lying in Lake Tashmoo as before. We walked into Vineyard Haven, then took the bus to Edgartown and visited friends on Chappy. Nice to see them and also nice to use their most wonderful outside shower! Early evening we were back at the dinghy dock, finding our ride back to Liquidity deflated at the dock. Thanks to a good Samaritan who ferried me to retrieve an air pump... problem solved. (No problem with the dinghy other than the valve cover was unscrewed, something that hasn't happened EVER! Sabotage is the only explanation.)

Day 6 - Called the Menemsha Harbormaster at exactly 0700 and reserved a mooring in the basin. With the current in our favor we sailed a long tack close hauled which took us to the edge of the Bight, then with one short tack we were at the channel entrance. Menemsha is always a delight!

Day 7 - Lying in Menemsha as before. I stopped into the Chilmark Chandlery and had a nice, long chat with Everett Poole. My purchases for the day were one slightly used 1/2" thimble and two postcards, for a total of $2.00 plus tax. That lead to several hours of eye splicing in my very stiff anchor rode to replace a rusty thimble. Late afternoon we rode the current into Menemsha Pond, hung at the beach for a bit, then rode the current back to the basin. Great timing for a great afternoon and we returned with just about the largest horseshoe crab shell I've ever seen.

Day 8 - Underway in the morning, through Quicks Hole and on to Cuttyhunk, mooring in the pond. We kept busy in Cuttyhunk by doing nothing, which is what Cuttyhunk is all about.

Day 9 - Lying in Cuttyhunk as before, doing nothing as before.

Day 10 - Back through Quicks Hole and East to Tarpaulin Cove, anchoring for the night. This was the first test of Everett Poole's 1/2" thimble and my eye splice and all worked well. We had an easy night, with light wind from the South.

Day 11 - East to Woods Hole, sailing through, then sailing on to Red Brook Harbor. We stopped for fuel and water at Parkers Boat Yard, then again anchored at Bassets Island.

Day 12 - With the long-range forecast questionable, we decided to head to Scituate and be closer to home as our cruise was coming to an end. We left early, had an easy passage through the canal and a great sail... wind from the South, 15 gusting to 20 and we flew on a broad reach for about 40 miles.

Day 13 - Lying in Scituate as before. We were right... big wind and heavy rain... and we had a nice, easy day in the cabin.

Day 14 - Back to Boston... an easy sail in moderate air... and a great end to a great two weeks!