Adrift at Sea —Dan’s blog on dankim.com

Dave and I took the Pretty Gee out on Buzzards Bay for the first time this evening. Even though our original plan was to get some sailing in on Buzzards Bay—the wind just wasn’t there. So we ended up motoring both ways, but we did get a chance to see the sunset while we were out on Buzzards Bay.

We left the marina about 1815, under power. As we got further out on the Acushnet River, I deployed the amas on the Pretty Gee. The Fairhaven-New Bedford swing bridge is about 1.6 nm from the marina. We called them on VHF Channel 13, and asked if they would open for us. The replied that they had just finished closing a few minutes earlier and it would be a few minutes before they would open again. When they opened the bridge, we took went through the western channel, and headed for the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier.

The New Bedford Hurricane Barrier, completed in 1966, was built by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s, and is 9,100 feet long and twenty feet above sea level. It has two 440-ton gates that can close off the 150 foot-wide navigation channel during severe weather. It is the largest stone structure on the East Coast of the United States.

Once past the hurricane barrier, we were on Buzzards Bay—normally home of some of the finest sailing in New England—at least, during the summer months it is. Today, the wind died completely as we got out onto the bay. I think the weather goddess was laughing today. Dead calm….almost nothing in the way of waves either. There were several other sailboats, but they were motoring back into New Bedford harbor as there was no wind for them either.

After taking time to take some photos, we decided it was time to head back. Going north into New Bedford harbor, we saw several fishing boats heading out, including a lobster boat, loaded with crate-like lobster pots. Again, we called the Fairhaven-New Bedford bridge, and had them open for us. When we got back to the cove the marina is in, there was no wind, so getting the Pretty Gee back in her slip was much simpler than the other day, where we were fighting a 15 knot wind.

I’d have to say, it was a beautiful way to spend the evening…even if we didn’t get a chance to sail.  Sometimes, a bad day on the water beats most everything else hands down. There’s always tomorrow, and the weather forecast looks promising.