Sunday, 13 July
A wind shift, moon tide, too many beers: bad combination in Plymouth.
First off, there’s the matter of this being the 13th day, not what generally is considered an auspicious day on which to cast off. Further discouragement came from NOAA, predicting the southerly would build to 15-to-20 by afternoon with gusts to 30. Enough to get a sailor’s attention, for sure.
Favoring departure from Plymouth were a) the fact Manchester, the next destination lay almost due north, i.e., down wind; and b) a consensus of weather gurus foresee an abrupt end to the sun-filled hours of the last week, foreseeing showers and thunderstorms tonight through Wednesday. In other words, wherever Steadfast lay tonight, she’d likely remain for a couple of days.
With all that in mind, and having seen what there is to seen of “America’s Hometown,” Steadfast was made ready and got underway at 0800, against a still ebbing moon tide that expanded the beaches of Plymouth Bay.
Little Red could manage just a bit more than four knots for the five-mile length of Plymouth channel. Then, turning to port past Plymouth Light, the genny was unfurled to lend a hand. The wind was something less than the 15 threatened but Steadfast quickly accelerated to 6, 6½ and often into the 7-knot range, pushed and pulled by the southerly wind and two-foot quartering sea.
With erosion taking its toll, it may not be there much longer but for now, Plymouth Light is a good landmark.
There’s not much to see when crossing Massachusetts Bay, just water, lobster pots and the Boston skyline far off to the west.
Steadfast entered Salem Channel shortly after 1400 with 121’ below her keel (a depth not typical for channels on the Chesapeake!) with seas by then approaching four, still under the port quarter. Past scenic Baker Island, then east in front of Little and Great Misery, and into the narrow harbor of Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Even “big” boats reefed down or furled sail as this gal passing Baker Island and yet another iconic lighthouse on its eastern point.
Forty-three-point-one nautical in a bit over seven hours, i.e., an average of six knots for the trip. Not bad a’tall. Oh, and that brings to mind point c) in favor of making the trip today. Manchester Yacht Club may be the best deal in New England: lovely, snug harbor, welcoming staff, nice shoreside facilities and, hard to believe, no charge.
Now that’s a deal any day of the month!
Steadfast out.
When the boat’s on the rocks, make the most of it!
Post Script: at low tide, the launch ride ashore took a bit longer than anticipated. Yes. Crossing the harbor to snag another passenger, conversations aboard were interrupted abruptly by the crunnnnnnnnnch of the hull running up on a rock.
And yes, the launch was–as the sloop shown earlier in this post–left high and dry. (A passenger noted, “Now we know how Gilligan felt.”) But…
The club staff quickly re-grouped, the eight aboard remained calm throughout and the launch was re-floated and back to the pier in short order. Well, fairly short order. Really, it was no big deal.
At Sea with Steadfast 
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