August 28 and 29 -- Scituate to Redbrook to Cuttyhunk, 42 and 32 Miles

The passage from Scituate on Boston's south shore across the west side of Cape Cod Bay, through the Cape Cod Canal and to Redbrook is always problematic, consisting of three legs: to the Canal, in the Canal and from the Canal to the destination.. Last year it was our roughest ride of the cruise. The solvable part of the problem is timing the departure to arrive at the Cape Cod Bay end of the Canal when the tide has turned to ebb, the favorable tide. This was solved well with a 7:45 am departure with the tide turning fair at noon. We sailed, on a close reach and arrived at one pm. We were going very fast, 7.5 knots for  awhile, and Lene asked if we should depower the sails to slow down to not get there too early. But I replied "Let's put these miles 'in the bank' in case we slow down later", which we did. The forecast was for the wind to build in the afternoon , so we wanted to get the passage done before it got too strong.
Here is a photo of the entrance to the Sandwich Marina to the left and the local restaurant which we enjoyed while outbound. 
The second problem with this passage is that the prevailing winds in Buzzards Bay are from the SW while the ebbing favorable tide current is to the SW, causing big choppy waves close together. If there is no wind of light wind, this can be easily handled, but with strong prevailing winds, most every afternoon, the second half of the canal is very hard on the boat and its cats. I had always thought that the canal ran from Sandwich to the Mass. Maritime Academy near the railroad bridge.

This is the part seen in the photo with land on both sides. But the railroad bridge (I think it is always "up") is the midpoint of the Canal which also includes the more open waters at both sides of the well- marked Hog Island Channel, out into Buzzards Bay. And that part is where the water gets so violent. I took us out of the channel, to its side, a bit shallower, where the seas were less violent but Alfie gave a scream of frieght and was consoled by Lene. 

We had another problem within the Kingman Yacht Center, the marina where we have stayed four or five times before. We entered at near low tide with a full moon, making for lower low tides. We made it through the long twisting marked channel but in the mooring field, proceeding to our assigned mooring, with sails down, of course, and a lot of wind, we heard a knock and came to a stop. I was able to grab a different mooring so we were held roughly in place if we came off of whatever we hit, but while all the other boats close around us were facing the wind, we were broadside to it. Lene called the marina which sent out a man in a workboat with a powerful outboard. He used out spinaker halyard to tip us a bit, causing the "rock" to loose its grip on our keel. He explained that the moorings are large concrete blocks and in trying to reach our ball, we had contacted the block of the adjacent mooring. In such tight spaces we were going very slowly so I doubt much damage was done to our keel. But in tipping us, the halyard rubbed against and broke our radar reflector. We will need a new one. Not too expensive.
This was our third consecutive dinner with friends. Lee and Patty are from home. he is in my book group and we visited their home in Hyannisport two years ago and met them at Redbrook last fall. Neither two day friends not half century friends, but 21 year friends. I've been very guilty of late of failing to take enough pictures. Lene has been doing a good job as ILENE's Communications Officer and I would like her to become the boat's Photographer as well.
Next day was an all sailing day. We left the twisty channel at near high with an extra three feet of water under our keel and then covered the 18 mile "route" to near Cuttyhunk by four passes across Buzzards Bay, with our "track" measured at 29 miles. The first crossing was west, then south, west and south again. The first crossing was with main and Genoa but as you know we have to furl that sail to make each tack and Lene asked for the small jib on the remaining three tacks and we gave up some heel but not much speed with it. In Cuttyhunk, we took a mooring but did not lower the dink or go ashore. So I'm not a Gentleman afterall because Gentlemen don't beat to windward, but is was a lot of fun. Six hours underway, with 1.4 of them with the engine on.