9/22/15      Onset, MA


So many "Yippee"s today and only one "holy s*#t". We're sitting quietly in Onset Harbor or the other side of the Cape Cod Canal (Yippee), way out of my familiar territory.  Lots of photos (Yippee), too.

We left Duxbury for Plymouth to fuel up, pump out, add water and get another opinion about the cause of the alert alarm whinning at a very low volume when all the instruments say, "fine". Additional opinion from mechanic at Brewer's Plymouth Marine agreed with David's that the problem was the sending unit and not an overheating engine. (Yippee).

A shout-out to David for his electrical and mechanical skills and his "dog on bone" research and testing theories. He really knows so much, having studied and worked on Grace so much. Makes me feel confident and safe. Appreciating his caution and patience this year, especially.

Grace in Duxbury Harbor

A piece of Plymouth Rock is behind those columns

Mayflower Replica

When we'd done all of the above errands, we decided to venture out of the harbor to check out the seas. Not too lumpy. Let's get through the CCC (Cape Cod Canal) since tomorrow's weather isn't a particular improvement over today. One has to time entering/leaving the Canal because of the power of the tides (and the relative lack of power in our Grace) and we were going to be a little early for the afternoon best tide situation. However, onward. (Yippee)

We had a lovely sail down the MA coast. Kitty slept in the pilot house. The autopilot (Julie, I think might be her name. Not sure why.) rocks my socks AND does an excellent job of steering! I love not having to steer all the time even though whoever is at the helm MUST stay alert. David did some railing improvements. (Yippee) So we were at the CCC mouth about 1.5 hours earlier than suggested in our various nautical books.

The "holy s*#T" part!!!

Wind against tide coming out of the Canal creates EXTREMEly "confused" seas. In dance terms - STRONG and VERY INDIRECT with MULTIPLE directions ast. Stuff slid of the chart table...several times. Kitty didn't know if she should go forward, aft, hunker down in pilot house, wide-eyed and as low as she could get. At the helm I used my low-slung, WIDE, second position plie' and lots of quick, strong upper body movement to turn the wheel. "Do you want me to take the helm? David said, as I cursed. "No! I just want this to be over" said I, not about to give up the helm and have to passively watch this scary situation. You know, it only lasted about 15 minutes as most, but I was pissed, not at anybody but at the situation that restimulated last year's Nor'easter @ Scituate memory.

After we passed Sandwich and were into the canal, all was peace and calm and we came easily to Onset and our evening harbor.

Railroad Bridge, not London Bridge, near Taylor Point, South (West) end of CCC

On left, MA Maritime training ship, Kennedy, "London Bridge on right

Okay. To bed. Definitely to sleep. Heading onward toward New London and waypoints less far south tomorrow, maybe Point Judith, maybe not quite as far. Trying to not do more than 6 hours/day.