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Boston Day Sail Adventure
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Boston Day Sail Adventure
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Boston Day Sail Adventure – It’s a Wrap!
The great experiment is over! Word of mouth of the participants was mixed but definitely leaning to the positive. The plan to have non sailing friends and spouses site-seeing while sailors sailed never happened – everyone sailed !
The John Jeffries House (JJH) was a gem, perfect for our stay at shore experience. The boats sailed, but needed some tender loving care – and biminis. Many of the crew arrived early on Tuesday afternoon – a good thing since The John Jeffries House is a little difficult to find in the dark. The great experiment is over! Word of mouth of the participants was mixed but definitely leaning to the positive. The plan to have non sailing friends and spouses site-seeing while sailors sailed never happened – everyone sailed ! The John Jeffries House was a gem, perfect for our stay at shore experience. The boats sailed, but needed some tender loving care – and biminis. Many of the crew arrived early on Tuesday afternoon – a good thing since The John Jeffries House is a little difficult to find in the dark. The festivities at the JJH started with a wine (Cecilia S) and cheese (Patty S) party in the hotel’s lounge and was well attended. Commodore Mia arrived in time to wrap the party up – we were only missing Marianne Mc and Eleanor P (Eleanor arrived around midnight). Wednesday started with an 8:00 AM meeting and fog with a threat of rain with light winds. The walk to the boats covered a mile and a half of Boston’s renowned narrow & crooked streets. We met with Mark Healy, president of Boston Harbor Sailing Club, with the news that Morning Gloria (Cal 33) was to be replaced with Sheet Music (Pearson 36 – the only boat with a dodger AND bimini). Steve & I were happy – biggest boat of our fleet.
After a lengthy First Mate briefing by Mark while sitting in the launch near the Barking Crab restaurant, we were back at the boats and met by our skippers. The dinghies appeared to be missing, but were soon discovered deflated in the forward vberth, with the motors stored in hanging closets. After inflating the dinghies, Steve & I tried the Traverse City method of mounting the motor, with the stern of the dink on the gunwale, then launching the dinghy over the side. It worked very well on Sheet Music with its wide entry gate, and a very light dinghy and motor. We were off by 11:00 and motored by the USS Constitution – its top masts removed and upper gun deck covered by a tarp (to keep the visitors out of the weather – Starlet O’Hara (Jack B) and Kaching Kaching (Mia M) did not have that luxury. Sails up and we were off at 4 knots in a lifting fog past Logan Airport. The closest of the Harbor Island was Spectacle Island with it’s beach and visitors center. It provides a breathtaking view of the Boston Skyline – but not today. The fog came back in and the only thing we could see was Spectacle and the faint outline of Long Island (not that one) beyond it. Our destination was Georges Island, with Fort Warren standing guard over the approaches to Boston Harbor.
At the moorings, we had to stow the motors and put the dinghies on deck. Kaching Kaching provided the entertainment as Mia did a pratfall in her dinghy while removing the motor. Thanks for light motors and soft landings! Cecilia S bought the first round at the Black Rose and we stayed for dinner – great and inexpensive food. Impressions after the first day – boats not impressive but the all women crew aboard Kaching Kaching enjoyed themselves without the usual dose of testosterone usually present. Thursday started off with our 8:00AM meeting and an ugly forecast. Shore leave! We broke up into groups for various tours and activities including the Freedom Trail, Old Town Trolley Tours, Aquarium and IMAX Theater. Patty & I discovered that without the sun or stars to guide me, the streets of Boston can be a maze. We covered a lot of ground in an unknown direction. Jack’s daughter arranged for a group dinner at the Chart House and most took cabs for the journey. The restaurant was a little pricey, but the food, staff, chef Jose and present company were great. Jim H was hilarious trying to do the tongue twister “rubber baby buggy bumpers” – film at the End of Season Party. We closed the place at 11:00 and walked back to the JJH. Friday - the promised great weather – sunny, hot and 8-10 knot winds. The 8:00 meeting rearranged crews with the idea of grouping people by the need to get home quick , not so quick or not at all. This time it was a wonderful sail back to Georges Island with it’s view of Boston and the surrounding Harbor Islands.
After lunch aboard it was Jack’s turn to provide Mia and her crew with some entertainment. Jack took a header while timing his entry into the dinghy among some boat wake. Last in the boat, Mia’s crew missed my misstep as I almost fell backwards into the water (hidden by the swing of Starlet O’Hara on her mooring). We all had a wonderful time checking out Fort Warren, one of the best run and humane prison camps during the Civil War. A little after 3:00, it was back to our boats and a wiser and more patient transfer of crew from the dinghies. The sail back started nicely, but the wind kept fading away, so the last few miles were with the ‘iron jenny.’ The boats were moored, dinghies deflated and stored and we were on the launch by 5:00 – the end of an interesting trip and experiment. For more about the very interesting group of islands that make up Boston’s outer harbor, visit www.bostonislands.org. For more on the B&B in Back Bay that we stayed at, see www.johnjeffrieshouse.com. Larry Sherwood – Trip Leader, First Mate
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