July 31-August 2                   Beverly, Massachusetts

The morning was sunny and the tide was up.  Without extra dock help, we untied the lines, disconnected the electricity, and brought the ladder on board.  David was moving about well and he was pleased to once again be able to manage these tasks.  The narrow river channel was filled with water and we easily cruised past the marinas and boats to the mouth marked with double stone walls.

We had to go past the three mile limit to clear the large land hook below Portsmouth.  Cape Ann is a legendary place in maritime history.  It was the scene of many disastrous shipwrecks and its rock ledges, extending far out into the water, still present hazards to the unwary boater.  The sea was choppy and the light and sky melded together to make a haze that hindered visibility. We took turns piloting during the six hour journey to Beverly Point Marina in Beverly, Massachusetts.  After leaving Salem a month ago, we had determined this would be a good place to leave the boat when we returned to Texas.

Beverly is across the bridge from Salem and is a blue-collar town.  The marina is lacking great scenery but we liked the people and thought they would watch over our boat.  When we encountered some problems with the internet, they immediately responded.  After several hours of trying this and trying that, they were successful in providing us great internet reception.  We were impressed with their diligence and perseverance.

A local fish market, located about a block away from the marina, was highly recommended by one of the dock hands.  We found it to be exceptional.  Rowand’s Fish Market (Motto: “We have live lobsters and dead fish”) provided many great choices of fresh and prepared seafood.  Their friendly staff suggested the mussels because they were large and sweet.  They were right.  We had a delicious dinner of mussels and garlic bread.  David is already planning to visit Rowand’s again before we leave Beverly and stock our freezer.

The thunderstorms finally ceased and our final evening before leaving for Texas was calm, clear, and enhanced with a gorgeous full moon that occasionally peaked out from the clouds.  Leaving the boat is always a bittersweet experience.  We are reluctant to leave but eager to return home.