Day 10 - Cape May NJ - Beverly MA
Magic Friday
Phil, Di and Annelise
Sat 9 Jun 2018 17:14
A couple of alarms in the night - thankfully wind shifts and then in the early morning, as the gentle wind turned Magic Friday 180 degrees, an "anchor watch" alarm sounded - we had moved off the shallow bank and into deeper water (a change of 5m!) all on the space of the anchor rode, compass bearings on the land were unchanged - we were still holding on the anchors.
Clear blue skies, a gentle wind and a flat calm pond. The Great Salt Pond is approximately 1nm wide and almost as long. The entry was cut through from Block Island Sound into the Salt Pond in 1895 as several earlier attempts had failed. As a result, over the years it has become a popular destination with cruisers - the Islands inhabitants number approximately 500, whilst the summer months see up to 1,200 to 1,300 boats, reaching almost 2,000 over the fourth of July!
This morning however, most of the yachts appeared to be leaving .. all at the same time! Then a horn sounds and a regatta race around the island had begun.
A dinghy to the shore was a must across the calm waters to a marinas dinghy dock. A 2 mile walk into the local town, past quant houses along narrow country lanes and a sandy beach. Lunch at the Surf Hotel overlooking the beach and the small ferry terminal and the yacht regatta - becalmed just off the bluffs! The 2 mile walk back punctuated by small shops and a very welcome ice cream shack!
Back on board, the racing yachts only just beginning to return and fill the pond again. BBQ home-made burgers to round off the evening.
Phil and Di
