Through the Canal
04 October 2012 | Marion, MA
Linda & Grinnell / Overcast
Thistle has transited the Cape Cod Canal and is swinging on a Beverly Yacht Club mooring in Marion, MA. Our lonely stay off the dunes of Provincetown was marked by fog. That fog followed us (waited for us?) across 21 miles of Massachusetts Bay to the entrance of the canal.
The fog gave Grinnell the opportunity to put Pete Worrell's advice into practice. We were on a collision course with another boat that we could see on radar and on AIS. The distance was closing but the bearing remained constant. When the distance closed to within 1/2 mile Grinnell hailed the boat by name and received an instant resolution to the problem. "We just took her out of gear" came back the response. We never saw the "Michele Jean". We're guessing she is a trawler and chose that moment to haul nets.
The Cape Cod Canal is a 100 year old 10 mile long ditch maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers that connects Buzzards Bay with Massachusetts Bay. The canal eliminates the long journey around the outside of the cape, where old wooden sailing vessels used to founder with regularity back in the days before GPS, AIS and other acronyms. The canal is known for its strong currents. We were motoring through the water at 7 knots but making 10 knots over the ground, almost a 50% boost. Buzzards Bay is known for strong SW winds and when the strong current of the canal sets against the strong winds of the bay it can set up a horrendous chop. Luckily, today's wind was from our backs and the sailing was smooth.
Within five minutes of going ashore this evening to walk Chloe, who should find Grinnell but our new good friend Lynne (Did we spell that right, Lynne?) from Port Clyde. It's not a small world, it's microscopic! We plan to stay here in Marion a couple of days while our Antiguan friend Vennie works his magic on Thistle's varnish.