Trouble at the Pump and Paddling to Shore

We arrived at the launch just before 11am and were off to the pumping station around 11:30. Once there, Ramon put the motor in neutral and we idled while we waited for space at the dock. Before the first boat departed, a small powerboat passed us and idled in front of us. We let him know that we were waiting to dock. He circled back, coming quite close to us and appeared to be getting in line. Within a couple of minutes he was back in front of us and another power boat was idled behind us, leaving us very little room to maneuver our 29’  boat. As Ramon hollered to the boat behind us to give us more space, we drifted sideways into a boat parked in a slip. Their anchor slipped beneath our lifelines but we were able to push off pretty easily with no damage done. Unable to compete for space with the small, easily maneuverable powerboats, we decided to skip the pump out and water fill and left the station. We now know to arrive at the pump station earlier in the morning to beat the weekend boat traffic…

Ramon preparing for our row back

We had an easy raise of the main in the lee of the Hyatt and headed out to our destination of Cohasset. The wind was light and we ended up having to motor most of the way to Deer Island Light. Just before the light, we were able to pick up a bit of wind, let the jib out and turn off the motor. The wind continued to be too light to pick up much speed and we decided to change our destination to George’s Island. We lucked out and a public mooring opened up in front of George’s and we avoided having to anchor.  We pumped up the dinghy, tossed it behind the boat and gently stepped into it. Once seated, I had a temporary moment of anxiety and thought about bailing on this new rubber raft adventure.  But instead of bailing, I took a deep breath and decided this was doable. Ramon began to row us… in circles :-). We realized I was better situated in the dinghy to row properly and we eventually made it to the shore of George’s Island.

Perfect view from grassy knoll on George's Island

Once on shore, we spent a couple of hours having lunch, walking the island and resting beneath a shady tree. Suddenly the wind seemed to pick up, and so off we ventured again in the dinghy. The return row was equally entertaining, as I am sure the folks on shore would agree, watching us get close to the boat only to lose our rowing rhythm and drift back two or three times.

The end of the day sail was fantastic. Plenty of wind. We sailed close haul all the way in as the sun set in front of us. If you can only find wind either on the way out or the way in; definitely better to have it carry you home.

                                                                                                  Ready To Set Sail