August 30 -- Cohasset to Plymouth

After the hotel’s continental breakfast we returned to ILENE, stowed our stuff, hoisted the dink, fed the felines and were underway by 8:15.  Like yesterday, it was overcast and grey. Yesterday we entered Cohasset heading south via the Western Channel, thereby leaving Minots Ledge Light well to port. Actually this is the second light with this name.

The first was built on steel tubes and blew over in a big storm killing its keepers. Ah, infrastructure maintenance. This new Minot Light is over a century old and going strong. We exited Cohasset heading east via the Eastern Passage and again left the Light to port.  The trip consisted of  three segments. The first, exiting Cohasset and its rocks, was 2.8 miles of motoring. Once out of the rocks, we headed rather straight for Plymouth Light with only a few small course changes as the coast curves a bit, We were able to turn off the engine and sail under full sails on a close starboard reach throughout this 17 mile segment until we turned in to the town of Plymouth, after Plymouth Light.

The last segment, 5.1 miles, was under motor again. There were some big swells coming toward our port side, from the east, and the wind was from the west, making waves, in other words, confused waters. During the long sailing segment, with winds variable we made an average speed of over six knots. But the fun was the relative speed -- relative to another boat, about 1/4 mile off our port beam. We raced, though neither knew the other's name or communicated with the other. The competition induced me to trim our sails correctly, after which we pulled away. Alfie was not excited by the race.

Half way through the wide body of water leading to the channel to Plymouth, the chart showed good deep water on both sides of a green buoy, in fact, more on the left side than the right. So I directed Lene to steer to that side. But after a while she looked at the depth finder and it showed us rapidly shallowing out. So a quick sharp turn to starboard and we kept the greenie on the correct port side of the boat. Thanks once again Lene! We left Duxbury Pier Light to starboard.

We were assigned one of the Plymouth YC’s five guest moorings by 1:15. After lunch the YC launch brought us to the Club, at one end of town, to register, and then to the other end of town, where the public dock is, by 2. We walked the mile back, stopping and detouring to see some of the sights.

Sailing vessel ILENE is in good company. 

We were lucky that this 1957 replica of the Mayflower has returned to her dock after a lengthy repair, and that it was Fun Friday -- the $10 admission fee waived. How over 100 souls, men, women and children, were able to live on that small ship for the entire lengthy voyage of more than 60 days is quite a feat. Docents dressed in period clothing of seamen stayed in their roles and answered questions.

Here are both Ilenes from the aft deck of the Mayflower.

Nearby is Plymouth Rock, perhaps the most underwhelming historical landmark in America. It is a small boulder, perhaps six feet by four, lying on the beach, with “1620” carved into its top.

They built a monument around it to enshrine it and make it seem more substantial (and perhaps to keep tourists from standing on it as well), but underwhelming leaps out at you.



The monument from the land and from the water.

We also took a long bus ride with a driver who pointed out myriad sights that we should visit on our next trip, when we have more time.

Lene with Massasoit, who helped the Pilgrims

Monument to the Forefathers, celebrating Liberty, Education etc.

Leyden Streeet, the oldest in town, is named for the Dutch town which influenced the Pilgrims.

Ours was the driver's last tour of the day and we were her only paying passengers. We got back to the boat shortly after six. There is a lot more to see in Plymouth, next time, including at least three museums. Plymouth is a town filled with respect for its own history. The Mayflower Compact,in a sense an early version of our US Constitution, in that by signing it the people agreed in a document to pledge their mutual support for a system of non-Royal self government, is what I took away. Lene noticed how many of the tourists here appear to have been foreign born -- like the Pilgrims. A good dinner aboard.