GEM 'n I

Transited to Salem (42d 31.0'N, 70d 52.5'W) on Friday, intending to get more protected for the predicted Nor'easter, which didn't amount to much. Spent three nights there, exploring town and history. Enjoyed our final NENTOA get together on the marina patio for cocktails and cookout - a great group of people and a great week with them. Well-organized cruise, Joe!
Departed Salem Monday, NENTOA turning to Boston and points south and we and two other boats ("Simone" left Sunday, and "Carrie Rose" traveled with us) north to Maine, via the narrow Annisquam River and canal with three bridges, two which open/close (photo). Arrived Kittery Back Channel, a picturesque Cove off the Piscataway River).

Transited the canal Thursday en route Provincetown, expected there two days. Weather happened - the Nor'easter that skirted CT - so we got out of P'town and had an easy, flat-water transit to Salem Friday.
Here in Salem three days.
This NENTOA group is great - eleven boats at the height at Block - and a good group, having a BYO cocktail party on a different boat each night, then dinner out or on our own. Not much drinking, but good comraderie.
We leave the NENTOA cruise Monday as they head back south and we head north.
[Lat/long at P'Town was 42d 02.97'N; 70d 10.93'W]

Laid over an extra day at Block Island because of weather, i.e. sea states. To keep on a reasonable schedule because of advance reservations, we by-passed Cuttyhunk ☹️ and did a 60-mile slog to Onset to stage for a canal transit. A perfect day to do that, so the extra day at Block was retrospectively smart. Up early and a transit of seven hrs today in favorable currents and ~flat seas (6" waves) got us to Onset early PM in time for housekeeping, swim, the daily cocktail get together, and dinner aboard.
Plan to transit the Cape Cod Canal Thurs AM with perhaps Bob N photo'ing the fleet en masse through the canal en route Provincetown.

"Underway on diesel power", joining the Northeast Nordic Tug Owners' Assn (NENTOA) annual two-week cruise. Departed GLP yesterday noon and arrived in Great Salt Pond at Block Island, with some nuisance seas off the port bow.
Great intro cocktail party last night aboard Nordic broker's 54' NT.
Lay day today in rain & wind.

With (most of) the necessary preparation tasks completed, we are scheduled to depart for ports in Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts Bay, and north to Maine on Sunday, 22 July 2017.
We welcome your comments to the on-going blog, with a new post at each port. Gail & Ray

We took three days of R&R at Block Island, with mixed weather - rain Thurs, so-so then clearing Fri (photo - our best sunsets have always been at Block), great today, but sailed home today to avoid a rainy tomorrow. Best sailing of the trip was in Fishers Island Sound. Arrived at GLP for some terra firma time - great to be home!
Some stats for our total trip - to Maine last Aug/Sep and return this Aug/Sep:
Total miles - 913.8 nmi
Total time underway - 155.5 hrs.
Fog during the return trip - 7 straight days - steering or navigation/radar 100% of the time - tiring, but no near-collisions on the return, compared to three on the way up.
Several marine mammal sightings - some seemed to seek us out. The highlight was a finback whale crossing our bow south of Booth Bay, literally a few hundred yards from where one flirted with us eight years ago!
Rain only two days during the return, and not while underway.
Our cross-over point (same date/place up & back - Portsmouth NH / Kittery, ME, so the boat was in Maine exactly one year, to the day!
Sailing time - only 16% :-(
Warm Water! - Water temps ranged from 72F to 77F throughout Maine, fully 10+ degrees warmer than our trip there last year (plus two outliers of 62F and 82F). Swam almost every day!
The trip was enjoyable and worthwhile, but it was a lot of time away from home and not something to do every year.
We hope you enjoyed this on-going weblog of the trip, and we welcome your comments.
Gail & Ray