August 26-31                       Fairhaven, Massachusetts

The news was filled with warnings about Hurricane Irene and our marina staff was busy with boats, many of them large yachts, coming in to be placed in dry dock on the shipyard.  All spaces in the water were filled so owners were forced to pay for their boats to be pulled and placed on supports.  This appeared to be precarious in strong winds but apparently no danger existed as boats continued to be pulled until well after 7:00 PM.  David spent the morning removing cushions, securing curtains, and re-tying lines.

As we had the rental car for most of the day, we went to the grocery store and hardware store to replenish supplies.  Lunch was at another local favorite, Margaret’s, a small family-owned seafood restaurant.  David had sautéed crab strips that he deemed exceptional and my salmon with dill sauce was also very good.  We returned to the boat to find another large yacht had moved into the space behind us.  With two massive shipping vessels on our side facing the river, a large dock and building in front of us, and  two yachts behind us, our exposed areas to the wind and waves were now completely shielded.

On Saturday, the sun was gone and the sky had turned gray.  We sent messages to family and friends  we were in a safe place and would remain there until all possible danger was past.  SGA projects and computer work filled our time.  We enjoyed a great movie classic, The Razor’s Edge on television.

We awakened early Sunday to strong wind and rain.  The rain quickly subsided but the winds continued and, at times, seemed to be deafening.  The boat rocked but it was never unpleasant. The gates on the hurricane barrier had been closed and the surges were strong in the river but much weaker in the marina.  Fortunately, we had television reception and could keep informed of the progress of the hurricane.  It was now called a tropical storm but the widespread damage was impressive.  We comforted ourselves with good food—a frittata for brunch and beef stew with cornbread for dinner.  By bedtime, we were aware the winds had subsided and the worst was over.  Weather reports for the rest of the week were optimistic for our cruise to Boston.

We stayed in port on Monday, a lovely cool sunny day, to avoid debris from the hurricane that would have floated offshore.  Our beautifully clean boat was now covered in a film of salt and grit.  I spent considerable time washing the exterior.  The marina was busy with boat owners checking their vessels and washing away accumulated salt. 

Our plans to leave on Tuesday were abruptly changed when we discovered two significant problems:  our steering was gone and one generator would not start.  Fortunately, our marina was part of an operating shipyard and an electronics repairman was available (Bring Out Another Thousand). He determined the problems and presented us with possible solutions.  New parts would have to be found and acquired.  This was a challenge as our boat is more than twenty years old and some parts are no longer available.  After several hours, we were told the parts were enroute and the repair should be completed on Wednesday.  Our planned trip to Gloucester and Marblehead would be cancelled.  We were now hoping we could arrive in Boston in time to meet Stephanie and Joe on Friday.

Using our unexpected delay time, David and I began working on our project to cover some peeling paint areas around the exterior side panels.  It was not a difficult job but it had taken considerable time to come to a manageable and inexpensive solution.  We would cover the peeling areas with aluminum molding.  Working together, we almost completed one side before SGA work interrupted. We are very pleased with the result and will continue the project as time and opportunity permits.

Our electronics expert arrived as promised with the needed parts (UPS Red Label is a valuable resource for stranded boaters).  Hours later, the new starter was installed and the steering had been repaired.  We were finally ready to start for Boston.  A long day of cruising through Buzzards Bay, the Cape Cod Canal, and the Atlantic Ocean would take us to our marina in downtown Boston a day before our kids would arrive.