Newport to Woods Hole

Shelduck
Neil Hegarty
Mon 15 Jun 2015 08:25
Newport to Woods Hole
Sunday 14th June
41:31.434 N 70:40.262 W
Distance sailed 64 miles

On Monday 8th Shelduck left the mooring at Newport at 09.15 and sailed North
up the East Passage of the Providence River round Conanicut Island to
Wickford where we arrived at a Brewer marina at noon and took on diesel. I
had booked two days here to provision and to avoid strong winds and rain
forecast for today and tomorrow. We went shopping to the supermarket which
is on the edge of the village and a long walk from the marina. A kind woman
gave us a lift back with our goods. Next day Anne did the clothes washing
and I did the blog. We also went shopping again and had little to carry so
did not mind the long walk which was good exercise. Later the boatyard
lifted the famous yacht Carina which it seems belongs to the Vice-President
of Brewer.
Early start on Wednesday leaving the marina at 06.00 for Cuttyhunk, a 30
mile passage. The wind was light as we set the main just outside the harbour
and sailed the West Passage out to the Atlantic which had a leftover lumpy
sea from the recent strong winds. Shelduck rounded Brenton Reef and I set a
course for Cuttyhunk Harbour. Soon she had to head South to avoid a huge
fish trap area of floating nets. It was like the old days in Ireland. The
wind then increased to 18 knots so Shelduck ran towards the Elizabeth
Islands and arrived in Cuttyhunk at 13.00. The harbour entrance and a large
square area in the centre have been dredged to allow entry and possibly 100
moorings for visiting yachts set out in a grid pattern like soldiers on a
parade ground. The top is at gunnel level to connect your own rope.
On Thursday 11th Shelduck departed Cuttyhunk at 09.30 and sailed downwind 14
miles to Hadley Harbour, a beautiful all weather anchorage where we enjoyed
brunch. It had been a dead run in 15-20 knot winds. On leaving Hadley
Shelduck headed into Woods Hole to look at the famous place and on leaving
for a passage to Chappaquiddick Island she was hit by a squall where there
is a meeting of strong currents and brushed off a channel buoy which was
over at an angle from wind and current. I thought I felt the rudder touch
something, maybe the chain, so with the winds help headed inshore towards a
small secure harbour area outside an opening bridge. I received assistance
from a small boat nearby who pulled the bow around for me and I was able to
back into an empty berth. I immediately went ashore to the Port Office
where I met Dutch who told me Shelduck was docked at the world famous Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution. I was then introduced to Doug Handy
Dockmaster/Mechanical Services who told me Shelduck could stay in the berth
because their boat that uses it was away in New York. Soon a diver, Zaneck,
arrived who reported the keel and the prop OK but there seemed to be a small
crack in the rudder which otherwise was turning perfectly. Then Doug cleared
us with reception which is the entrance to a laboratory and introduced me to
the bridge operator and pointed out aspects of the village including
grocery, pub and best restaurant. He also gave me the names of boatyards for
a lift out so I could check the rudder myself.
A number of those working at the Institution including scientists came to
have a look at us and admired Shelduck. One, Leo Fitz from Lithiuania but in
the U.S. for 16 years stayed for tea after which he took us on a tour of the
research vessel Knorr, one of the largest ships in the U.S. academic fleet.
Knorr's mission is that of the Institution: to increase human knowledge in
the world's oceans. She has a compliment of 22 officers and crew and 34
scientists including shipboard scientific services technicians. After so
much excitement in one day I decided to take Anne out to dinner to Doug's
recommended restaurant Quicks Hole, which was excellent, and we indulged in
a Bombay Sapphire at the pub afterwards.
Next morning Friday 12th Shelduck had a visit from Robert Munier
Vice-President for Marine Facilities and Operations of the Institution who
invited me to his office nearby and introduced me to Kimberly Grodski his
Executive Assistant. She helped me with the paperwork for a boatyard who
agreed to lift Shelduck on Tuesday 16th. When hearing this Doug told me it
was best to stay at their berth until then. A visit to Shelduck then by
Diving Safety Officer Edward F O'Brien who offered to drive us to Falmouth
at 15.00 on his way home. I bought a pilot, propane and visited the boatyard
lifting Shelduck. Eddie then drove us to his home where we met his wife
Fiona and daughter Ella. We all walked to the local Yacht Club where Eddie
invited us to dinner after which we enjoyed a leisurely walk back to their
house and Eddie then drove us back to Shelduck. Another eventful day.
Next day Saturday, Anne and I took a bus along the coast to Hyannis, holiday
town of the Kennedy's, had a light lunch and visited the JFK Museum where
there was good exposure of Ireland. The bus was the best value ever, one and
one half hours for just one dollar. There is great public transport here in
Cape Cod. Today we took a ferry to Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard and a bus
round the island visiting Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and returned to Woods
Hole from there. The island is beautiful with magnificent holiday homes many
dating from the middle of the nineteenth century. Anne thinks the islands
here are very like the Maherees in Tralee Bay from the sea.