August 31 — Day 53 — Salem to Nahant — 12 NM

 I had wanted to visit Nahant Harbor during our last visit to Massachusetts, but the wind was wrong that year. Nahant Harbor is a shallow bay, totally open to the waves created by the prevailing southwesterly winds. It is located on the south side of the Nahant Peninsula (perhaps formerly an island). The much larger and more open water north of that peninsula is called Nahant Bay. But today the winds were predicted to be from the north, so this destination seemed perfect. 

The only problem was it’s nearness to Salem — too short a ride. And we spent the morning leisurely doing paperwork during which the winds were strong. I had contemplated putting in a reef but by the time we left at 12:30, the wind had moderated. We sailed with main and jib, gently, for two hours at up to six knots. 

We are the blue dot on this satellite view. We came from Salem, shown at the top, and abound Marblehead. Boston is in the SW, from us.

The cruising guide said we should obtain the harbormaster’s permission before anchoring and to anchor outside the mooring fields. It was tough to reach the harbor master. The listed phone number was wrong. The municipal number had nine extensions, none being the harbor master. I pressed one and was switched to public works, who said the harbor master was not in her department but she knew his number and gave it to me. Permission was freely and cheerfully granted, with advice that the bottom had good holding, possibly too good with abandoned lobster traps and cables on the bottom. So I rigged a trip line from the crown of the anchor to a float on the surface. If it gets caught, the trip line will permit the anchor to be pulled up from a different angle. 

We elected the most eastern of the three coves, which had only one moored boat, one empty mooring and lots of room. We are in 13 feet of later at low, plus ten more feet at high, with 70 feet of snubbed chain. This was our second drop here. On the first, after we drifted back on the anchor, which did not drag, we were too close to the rocky shore.

There is a dock over by where most of the boats were but we did not go ashore.

We were close to Boston, with a nice sunset view. The chart shows that Logan Airport and Revere are between ILENE and the city, but they are low agains the skyline.

And like the carved stone lions Patience and Fortitude guard the New York Public library, our own brace of cats guard ILENE.