Heading South August 2012 VIII Tuesday, August 28, 2012 Thames River, Gales Ferry, CT Water temperature 75 F

Sunday morning we raised the main, pulled the anchor and exited Great Salt Pond. Once we were out on Block island Sound we unrolled the jenny and the staysail; shut down the engine and sailed away on a close reach. We had fifteen miles to go to reach Watch Hill Passage and sailed ten of them before the wind moved astern. There was not enough wind to push us at anything faster than a craw so we cranked up the diesel and motor sailed the rest of the way.

We anchored for the night by Watch Hill and dinghied in to the long sandy beach there. Monday morning we left Watch Hill and stopped in Stonington, CT for fuel. We took on 37 gallons of diesel. The last time we filled up was in Camden, ME. After fueling, we headed out into Fishers Island Sound in an almost a total flat calm sea. At Groton/New London, we turned up the Thames River. Five miles up the Thames is the village of Gales Ferry. We anchored just off the Harvard boat house. Gales Ferry is the home of the annual Yale - Harvard rowing regatta.

Tuesday morning we dinghied into the dock at the Yale boat house and Enterprise brought us a rent car. It was time to do laundry and to do a major re-stocking of the larder. With the clothes washed and food purchased, tonight we went to Abbot's Lobster Pound in Noank for dinner. We are in the process of leaving New England and tonight's lobsters were the last ones we'll be eating for awhile. Abbot's lobsters never disappoint and tonight's were up to their high standards.

We got back to the dock at the Yale boat house in the dark but the moon was up and the water calm so the quarter mile dinghy ride back to the big boat was an easy trip.