First Leg - Marblehead to Boston

Michael and Donna are writing this entry jointly after a harrowing day of sailing. Michael drove to Cambridge for the weekend. We were chauffeured to the boat in Marblehead by Kate. Corinthian Yacht Club was recovering from the Northeaster earlier in the week as well as winding down for the year. All of the launches were hauled for the year and we were taken out to Welcome in a 16' whaler. It was snowing. We approached the starboard side and were shocked to see evidence of a collision. Apparently, one of the boats which broke loose in the storm hit Welcome on the way to its grave. A double stanchion was twisted and destroyed, and the wooden toerail cap was split aft of the stanchion. There was also a huge dent in the toerail cap where the bow of the attack boat must have hit. There was very minor damage to the fiberglass underneath. We were less concerned about the damage to the wood, but the destruction of the stanchions means that the starboard aft quarter is without lifelines. Donna called Randy Krivitsky, our friend who knows everybody and how to fix everything. Randy was able to determine which boat hit ours by having us examine the boat for evidence of red paint, which we found. Monday will be devoted to finding a marine fabricator who can build a new post quickly, since it would be unsafe to take off without lifelines. The insurance company will also be hearing from us. We hope we can get an appraiser out to the marina before we cast off.

We stowed gear, took off the sail cover, and readied the boat for the trip to Boston. Total mileage for the day was to be a mere 20 miles. Small craft warnings were in effect. Wind was northeast 20-25 knots when we cast off at around 11. The temperature was in the 30s. We had two reefs in the main, flew the stay sail, and had to rig the running back stay for mast support. We were headed to the marina in Boston, and had to get there before it closed at 4 p.m. We had a port beam reach to Tinkers Island, and then jibed and were on a starboard reach for the remainder of the trip. Seas were 3-6 feet. Visibility was often less than one-half mile. We were grateful for the chart plotter. During the four hours it took us to get to Boston, we had snow, heavy snow, sleet, rain, and hail. It was a good shake down cruise for our gear. Both sets of waterproof gloves failed. We both changed several times during the voyage, each time adding layers, and never feeling warm enough. Toes were cold, fingers were frozen and inoperable, faces stung with the driving rain, and bodies shivered uncontrollably. Halfway there, the winds dropped to around 15 knots. We shook out the reefs in the mainsail. Slush and snow drenched Michael as the mainsail was raised. We saw a few fishing boats, one tug pulling a barge, a large dinner boat, and another small sailboat headed to Boston. Most of the time, though, all we saw was snow. It was so wet and dense that it covered the window in the dodger. It seemed like four hour watches could be arduous. The only happiness we saw was in a seal leisurely floating on its back. Was it laughing at us?

We were extremely happy to dock at the marina. The fellow at the dock didn't bother to take a credit card, certain that we would remain there until someone else could register the boat for the week long stay. Kate made her way to us in the snow storm to rescue us from the first leg of this puzzling adventure. Why are we doing this, we asked ourselves, knowing that there was too much momentum to do anything but continue.
Donna and Michael