The sail down to Provincetown was a rough and tumble affair which both of us were glad to see end. We motored out of Quahog Bay expecting some breeze but what we found was light and required motoring to keep the boat moving. With swell coming from several directions, and little wind pressure, the boat was reminiscent of the inside of a washing machine. We persevered, however, and were grateful to see the lights of the Cape before dawn and downright gleeful when we entered it’s lee. We had the anchor down in the harbor at Provincetown by eight AM and were off to explore the town. We hit some new spots and old favorites, lunch at the Lobster Pot, shopping at the Stop and Shop, and were back to the boat for an early night.
The next morning found us motoring across Cape Cod Bay and we hit the canal at the ebb and were shot though by the tide. We pulled into Onset for a day or two of rest. We made a couple of trips to the laundry and one to the grocery. An old favorite, Marc Anthony’s Pizza was busy being the Holiday weekend and left us disappointed for the first time. The lobster bisque was delightful , but the pizza, usually as delightful, was ordinary.
On Sunday we headed over to New Bedford, a place we’ve not been. There is no anchoring space there so we have avoided it in the past, but this being the year of the smelling of the roses, we decided to stop for a visit to the whaling museum. Entering the harbor there is like going into a fort, as they have a walled hurricane barrier, with large gates that can be closed in the event of a storm. It’s probably something we’ll be seeing more of along the coast now that sealevel is rising and the storms are getting stronger. We picked up a mooring at one of the marinas and set off to explore the town. It is an old whaling town, with a very diverse population from all over the world and a reputation of a more worldly view and history of tolerance due to its large immigrant population and the fact that the seamen were so well traveled. It was one of the most prominent destinations for the underground railroad in the times of slavery and many former slaves became involved in the whaling industry. As whaling declined it became a center for the textile industry, and that continues today. It is filled with historic buildings and cobblestone streets, and is the home of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. This is a definite must see, especially the over 2,000 pieces of scrimshaw, and many other treasures from the past.
We had been following the track of hurricane Dorian and with it getting closer decided to head further west to get as far from its forecast track as possible. We were very sorry to hear of the destruction that was occurring in the northern Bahamas, and were concerned about Florida and the Southeast US. We left New Bedford behind and sailed over to Block Island for a night and then on to Orient Harbor on eastern Long Island, where we sat out the passage of a cold front. Then the next day we sailed on over to Port Jefferson and found anchorage behind the barrier island in Setauket Harbor, where we sat out the hurricane as it passed by far out in the Atlantic. Even though it was far away, we saw 40 knot gusts and several rain squalls during the night, and we felt very fortunate that it was not close.
The morning brought clearing weather and lessening wind. We plan to stay here for a few days to visit with Lisa and then we’ll carry on south and west back toward the Chesapeake. Look for some pictures in the Gallery.