Around Cape Cod: Day 1

We launched in late afternoon of 6/19 from Hoppy's Landing in Fairhaven.  I had never used that ramp before, preferring the more protected ramp in New Bedford Harbor, but the Landing, being outside the New Bedford Harbor hurricane barrier, did not require a motor to get out on an incoming tide.  The wind fair and a little brisk, with mainsail reefed we shaped our course eight nautical miles across Buzzard's Bay for Woods Hole, the widest passage through the Elizabeth Islands. 

Leaning channel markers show the speed of the current.

Nobska Point light marks our exit from Woods Hole.

Primer on safe passage through Wood's Hole.
With a strong current under us and the wind still fair, we sped out of Woods Hole like a pinched watermelon seed, and headed down Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds in the gathering darkness.  In trying to make up our beds while we could still see, Trevor made the discovery that our sleeping bags had somehow become wet (it seems the cap covering our third mast step had leaked).  He would do without a sleeping bag for the entire trip.  The vhf radio had chosen about the same time to stop working, denying us both ship-to-ship communications and updated weather forecasts. 

 My customary sunset photo.

Nineteen nautical miles out of Woods Hole I began following the gps route that would see us safely to our anchorage.   Lights aft soon informed me that a ship--probably the Nantucket Ferry--had the same route in mind.  At this point we were running before the wind and surfing down waves, and I hoped the channel had room enough for both of us.  His horn disabused me of that notion, and I gave him a wider berth, trying to keep near enough to the gps route to keep clear of the invisible shores and shallows.

 After the ferry was well past, we came to the last gps waypoint, swung into the lee of Point, and dropped anchor near shore at about midnight.  I had confidence in  my over-sized claw anchor, and slept well.