Through the Canal
27 May 2007 | Red Brook Harbor, Mass.
Jim Lea
We left Cuttyhunk yesterday about 11:00 am, after another walk ashore. We had a long chat with the local doctor, a retired surgeon who summers there. He told us the history of the place, first settled by in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold, and abandoned shortly after. And there are currently four presidential families that have property on the island. There is one huge home about which we asked. Apparently an Italian immigrant who succeeded in the woolen industry wanted to join a fishing club on the island, but was refused entry by the members, New York bankers, so he bought the whole island, built the house and bought the club! That was in the mid 1800's, and his family are still there today. It is one of the nicest spots we have seen, and will return in the fall. By the time we set out, about 11:00 am, the boats in the harbor had doubled from the 12 or so that were there overnight, and as we sailed out, we could see at least another dozen heading in, so I expect that by Saturday evening it must have been just about full. Outside the harbor, we hoisted sail and bore away on to a broad reach in a 10-12 knot breeze from the west. In the light airs, we passed the places we saw for the first time when we brought the boat up to Maine from Long Island where we bought it. We passed Mattipoisett, where we spent a cool night, and up past Marion, home to a large fleet, and the Marion to Bermuda race. When we looked at the weather, it looked ideal for our sail to Maine, but not leaving Provincetown until Monday (tomorrow) as today's wind is north east, our direction of travel. So instead of spending two nights in Provincetown, where we have been twice before, we decided to try out Red Brook Harbor, just west of the canal. So last night, after a perfect sail, we ran into the complicated channel in late afternoon, following two other sailboats about our size. The channel is complicated, with sharp turns, but well marked and deep. One reason we chose Red Brook Harbor, is that it is off Wings Neck, a small arm jutting out into Buzzards Bay. Last fall we bought a book titled "The Big House" about the life of a large summer home buiilt in the 1800's by a wealthy Boston family. Written by one of the descendants, the book tells the interesting story of the house and its inhabitants since its construction on Wings Neck. It was written at a point in time where the family had decided to sell the house, so we were eager to try to find it. And we finally spotted it just as we motored in to Pocaset Harbor on the way into Red Brook Harbor. In Red Brook Harbor, we found a nice anchorage off a beach in very protected waters, and took a quick dinghy spin around, then back to the boat for supper (steak, potatos, and fiddleheads. And as I am a fan of Italian red wine... We also listened to Herb Hilgenberg, a weather forecaster for boats crossing the Atlantic, and heard our friend Eric on Tabitha calling in. He has had a slow crossing, but is closing on the Azores, and hopes to be in within a couple of days. We will try to contact him today. Today we went ashore at a local boatyard and went for a walk down the wooded roads in the area, and found a Lady Slipper, PEI's provincial flower, in bloom. I have never seen one before and was surprised at its size.Then back to the boat, where we will leave about noon, just in time to catch the incoming tide to sweep us through the canal. Then across Cape Cod Bay to Provincetown for the night.