Newburyport, MA

On Saturday we got an early start for Newburyport. The weather was foggy, cold, and rainy (a New England trend we are starting to recognize!) To get to Newburyport, we had to go around Cape Ann since there is a fixed bridge in the Anisquam River (the “shortcut”) that sv Mary Elizabeth cannot fit under. The ride to Newburyport was not a pleasant one. Bill stayed topside while I “rested” down below. I am never seasick – but I did not feel well at all on Saturday. The waves were rolly and big and the fog was dense. And amazingly enough, there were still lobster pots everywhere! The whole trip took about four hours.

Getting into the Merrimac River in Newburyport was also a very interesting experience. The Coast Guard issued a warning since both the wind and the current were strong, which created even bigger swells than usual. Bill and I were both very surprised to see literally hundreds of small fishing boats in the Merrimac. Most had one or two people per boat who were reeling in big fish. Anyway, Bill had his first experience docking the boat while dealing with a strong (3 knots) current.

We are staying in Newburyport Harbor Marina, which is right downtown and beautiful. Jay (Capt' Dave's long lost twin) and Linda have been very gracious and extremely helpful. On Saturday, after getting warm again, we hung out, ate dinner and watched the Sox. The weather never improved.

Sunday we got up explored for a few hours before my father and sister picked us up. We met the rest of the family at my grandparents’ house in Kingston, NH to celebrate my grandfather’s 81st birthday. It was a great cookout – especially since it didn’t start raining until late in the afternoon.

And we are very lucky to have a guest on board with us tonight. Colin my 10 year old godson is spending the night. Bill had a fun time showing Colin the different parts of the sailboat. We are hoping we finally get nice weather tomorrow so we can take Colin out on the dinghy and explore more of Newburyport!

As Bill and I sit topside writing this, the strong sound of the current literally sounds like a boat (or several boats!) going by. As of right now, we plan on staying in Newburyport a little longer than we initially expected. We scoped it out briefly this morning, and there are just too many things to do here - never mind all the great restaurants that we want to check out. Newburyport really is an incredible place. And it is nice having my family relatively close. In addition to my godson Colin, my grandparents, uncle, cousin and his wife all plan on stopping by and seeing our home on the water.