Onset, MA

The Boston Boatyard Marina allowed us to use their dinghy dock, gave us a gate key, and didn’t charge anything! We anchored outside of their moorings, and Paul at the marina said there was good holding, but we could use their mooring for free too, if we wanted, because it was low season, and not many were in use. But we stayed on the hook instead. Boston Harbor is very busy, and we were right next to the docks serving the ferries, so during the day it was rock and roll, but it would quiet down about 10pm. We walked several miles taking in the sights, and lucked into a street market selling fish and veggies for cheap, just before returning to Stardust. The lights outside our “backdoor” at night were dazzling.

On Saturday the 6th, we motored against the wind out of the heavy harbor traffic to Scituate. It didn’t appear to be off season here, as almost every mooring was taken, and no anchoring allowed in this packed harbor. It was going to blow 20 that night so we wanted a good harbor; a mooring was in order for the night.

Light rain was falling and the northeast wind was blowing 15-20 as we departed Scituate before breakfast. We rolled hard in 3’ swells exiting the harbor before the sails were up, and Kathy hadn’t completed securing the cabin due to my rush to get going in order to make it to the Cape Cod Canal with a favorable tide. Rachel’s piano slid off the settee, hitting the floor with a bang, and knocked a chip off the flooring. But the piano was tougher than the floor and wasn’t damaged.

With full jib and a reefed main, we headed for the canal at 7-8kts with the wind on the port beam. During gusts to 25 we would see 9 and 10kts speed, with one burst of 10.4. The lobster pots have thinned out so this was a great sail. Arriving at the canal ahead of time, we enjoyed 2kts of following current, giving us 9kts speed through the 5 mile long canal. Following a narrow channel into the Onset harbor, things looked different from our last visit here in early August.

Onset is definitely “off season” so we are on a town mooring with no one around. It rained during the night, and today as well, so rather than head down Buzzards Bay for Martha’s Vineyard we are staying put, and will leave tomorrow provided the forecasted 25-30kt winds drop off a little mid-day.