All but one of the boats got up and left Isles of Shoals just after first light. All heading south to tuck in somewhere safe before the storm arrived. We only had 28 miles to go, and the winds were brisk easterlies, so we knew we could easily make it to Gloucester with plenty of time. Trip called the Harbormaster, who said there were plenty of inner moorings available, and to book online. Unfortunately when we tried we got a denial in response (uh oh). While I started studying the outer harbor of Gloucester for anchoring possibilities (wouldn’t be pleasant but would still have basic wind and some sea protection, we’re a heavy boat and have ridden out storms before at anchor), Trip called the Harbormaster again. It turns out all the inner harbor moorings had been booked unbeknownst to him, but he put us on hold and called a local boatyard that owned one other mooring in the same area. He told us it was available but to call them immediately to book it which we did. Whew.
The weather was great, cloudy/sunny skies, good wind, seas just beginning to build a bit, so we had a great sail – reefed main and jib. Still doing over 6 knots, and we came into Gloucester just after noon. The mooring was easy to find and we settled in quickly. I had feared that we were going to arrive and then conditions deteriorate quickly, but the inner harbor provided quite the protection. The winds were holding off and there were no waves inside this little area. The launch picked us up and delivered us to Brown’s Yacht Yard. A no frills working yacht yard, it had everything we needed. Clean hot showers, wifi, storm mooring, launch service, and great local advice. We were only a 20 minute walk away from a CVS and Stop and Shop, so I was able to refill some prescriptions, get some cold medicine (pesky head colds were manageable but annoying), and some provisions. Our great surprise was on our way to the stores, we walked by the condo (an old converted church) where Trip’s cousins used to live. We had no idea we were in their old neighborhood and Trip immediately texted Mark.
The weather was still holding when we got back late afternoon, so we decided to risk doing dinner ashore. Val & Deanna from Browns had recommended The Studio over in Rocky Neck. Conveniently located on the water, the launch picked us up at the boat yard, stopped at the boat so we could unload the provisions, and then took us straight to the restaurant (passing one of the boats from Wicked Tuna on the way). The restaurant was an old converted artists studio, and we sat at the bar for an early dinner under what was the original lofted ceiling with a fair amount of light pouring in. Needing to stretch our legs a bit more, and the weather still holding out, we walked back through the artists colony (a lot of the galleries stay open on Friday nights) to the boat yard where the launch picked us up again and dropped us off at the boat.
We checked in with sailing friends to make sure everyone was tucked into good hurricane holes for the passing storm, and then settled in. The winds didn’t start till well after midnight, but there was no fetch to build. Comfortable as it was, I didn’t really sleep. The one problem with being on a boat during high winds is the creaking noise that mooring lines (or bridle if we’re at anchor) make while stretching to accomodate the boat swinging back and forth. I drifted in and out but that creaking kept waking me up.
By morning the winds were blowing in the high teens/low twenties and gusting higher, but there was still no wave action. We had spotty rainshowers, but nothing substantial. Everything started to ease mid morning so we caught the launch back ashore. Turns out there was a laundromat just a block away from the boat yard, and though we didn’t have much, I desperately wanted to wash the sheets now that we were feeling better (there’s nothing better than sleeping on clean sheets after feeling sick). We put the laundry in and wandered down the street to a vintage store (another Deanna recommendation). I managed to find a beautiful wool sweater for only $30 dollars, Trip found a great old linen shirt, and he discovered in chatting with the owners that they used to live across the street from Trip’s cousins. Small world.
We finished the laundry, dropped everything at the boat, and then took the launch across the harbor to the main side of town. By now the sun was out, the winds were dropping, and you would have never guessed that a major hurricane had just passed off the coast, racing north for Nova Scotia. We stopped at a liquor store to pick up Baileys (we’ve discovered that nothing is better on a cold night than hot chocolate and Baileys) and then popped in and out of shops. We wound up at Machacas (thanks yet again, Deana) for an early dinner of Mexican food while watching Serena Williams go down in defeat at the US Open.
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