Position           42:19.77N 071:01.34W

Date                2359 – Saturday 25 June 2011 (UTC -4)

A combination of issues; a good anchorage, a very hospitable yacht club with a launch service for getting ashore, some very indifferent weather, convenient shops and a chiropractor for the Mate; all meant that we delayed a week anchored off the South Boston Yacht Club (SBYC).

Monday was a cycling day; the water front on Dorchester Bay has an excellent foot and cycle path and we went round the bay to the JF Kennedy Library but did not venture in.  Tuesday was warm and sunny so after a visit to the chiropractor, Tom Fagan, conveniently a member of the SBYC, we purchased a 7 day Charlie Card at $15 each, and headed “Downtown”.  The Charlie Card gives the use of buses, subways and local trains plus the ferry;  but note the ferries will only accept 7 day passes, not dailies, and as they do not yet have card readers you do require the original receipt for the card purchase.

Boston has a well marked 2½  mile “Freedom Trail” which takes in many of the principal sights.  Starting at the State House:

and wending its way around the North End, via the King’s Chapel

passed the very poignant memorials to the Irish Famine

and the beautifully preserved, if somewhat overshadowed Old State House which bears the Lion and Unicorn of Great Britain giving a good indication of its antiquity.  It was in the Old State House that many of the meetings that lead up to the Revolutionary War were held.

Somewhat foot sore and late in the day we eventually arrived at the Naval Dockyard were we observed, but did not have time to visit,  the USS Constitution; the oldest serving warship remaining afloat.

A ferry and two subways changes got us back to the bus back to South Boston and some relaxation in the Club bar before taking the launch back to the boat.

At this stage we intended to leave on Wednesday or Thursday.  The weather dictated otherwise.  Wednesday was a day of torrential rain.  We bussed to the supermarket and walked back getting absolutely soaked in the process.  Thursday it was still raining but not as heavily so it was bus to the chiropractor and then off Downtown for retail tourism  in the process of which we discovered Sam LaGrassa’s Sandwich Shop for a “light” lunch Boston style – awesome and to be recommended.

Friday was still decidedly moist so we had another trip into the city t o walk around the Beacon Hill area and the parks.  We rather liked this example of a mixed race society, food being the common denominator.

Saturday was devoted to a major supermarket shop and resupply and a hospitable evening in the club.  The Commodore, Brandon Myrvang, has his own private bar were somehow we ended up.  The hat was put on at our request for the photograph, it isn’t that sort of club.

Suffice it to say that a good time was had by all.  Sunday we are definitely leaving!  Thank you to the South Boston Yacht Club, and its members for making us so welcome and giving us the run of the facilities, especially the launch service which made getting ashore in the rain and wind a practical proposition.