Enjoying Massachusetts

It’s been an interesting week since our last entry. First of all it’s a pleasure that Massachusetts obviously have rules for fisherman and where they lay their lobster traps. All channels are trap free….and believe me it’s a blessing (not to mention marriage saver). We spent two days in Marblehead (Boston Yacht Club). It’s a massive harbour with boats out of this world. Marblehead is a quaint town, very much like a small English village. Just around the corner is Salem and Beverly, these two communities often get passed by. However, I urge any one to reconsider. We had spent three evenings moored at the Jubilee Yacht Club and met a number of great people. Bernie, born in PEI has lived in Enjoying Massachusetts…

Beverly for forty-two years. This club is a members club, that each member puts in twenty hours of work (based on a $20 hour salary) or pay the four hundred dollars. The work would range from driving the launch boat (tender), manage the travel lift, gas jetty or any repairs the club may have. It was comical as every where we went we were known as “the Canadian’s”. Not to fear Canada…I made sure Ted behaved himself!!!

Provincetown, Cape Cod Bay, fifty miles across from Marblehead. Unfortunately, we arrived on Sunday evening rather than Friday or Saturday, as the night traffic here is quite entertaining. This community is very artsy, full of galleries from paintings to sculptures. All locals had a dog if not two. One gentleman had a hat and sunglasses on his little terrier. The one store we went into was designed for people like Paris Hilton, who like to dress their dogs up….mostly for dogs but the odd cat stuff. The stock ranged from every piece of clothing one could ask for…rain coats, mittens and booties to match, evening gowns to bikinis with hats of all styles. We could have picked up a lovely diamond or stone collar for Topaz as low as $65…or as high as…well past my bank account. Earlier that morning we came across a traffic sign “Slowly…Cats Crossing” I loved it!!

Today’s Tuesday, 19 September and back across the Cape Cod Bay, thirty miles to the Canal. The current here can be up to six knots; therefore, we want the tide behind us to help move us through, rather than against. When we arrived at 2 p.m. today the current would have been perfect, but it wouldn’t give us enough time to get on the other side before dark. The marina we have rented for the night allows us to wait for the morning tide and give us a better time frame for passage. This area (before someone discovered it to be a gold mine) used to be a popular anchorage called “Refugee Cove”. Now known as Sandwich Harbour at the fee of $1.80 per foot for a slip. Next stop Cuttyhunk and then to Rhode Island.