Gloucester, Mas.

Wednesday 26th, 2015
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Cavara decided to stay the extra day, we decided to move on. We enjoy short running days with a small town destination. Plus there was a chance that the sun might break thru in Gloucester. (We desperately need some sun. The canvas canopy over the aft deck has turned green. Stainless steel railing are starting to rust. It feels wet when we get into bed at night - enough already.)

It was only a 30 NM mile run to Gloucester, and the sun did break thru about midday. The first 25 NM were in the Atlantic, the last 5 NM thru a ICW type river and canal that cuts of the end of Cape Ann, saving a few miles. After 1,000 plus miles of the Canadian wilderness, we were a bit amazed at the population and activity intensity of this approach. Houses lined the waterway, people were on the beaches (poor deprived people!) and boats were everywhere. The canal section is pretty old and pretty narrow in parts, but we made it thru OK and arrived in the old port by 1 PM - in the sunshine.

The entrance 

Houses along the way

The railway bridge opened for us

The road bridge was another mile along - quite small

We had called the harbor master a couple of times over the last 24 hours and were able to get a ball in the "inner harbor"which will give Deidre a better nights sleep. The tourist people claim that Gloucester is the "oldest fishing harbor in the USA" with a date about 1640. I am not convinced (What about St Augustine???) but it certainly has some history. This was the home port of the ship in Captains Courageous as well as the ship in "The Perfect Storm".

Big fishing fleet here too

We launched the ding at about 3 PM and went ashore to pay our bill, mail our checks and have a look around town. Quiet place.