We sit here in Onset Bay now having enjoyed a good night's sleep to make up for the overnight sail down from Casco Bay. The weather for the trip couldn't have been much better. We began at dawn with little wind but a tidal current favoring our direction. A light breeze arrived to allow motor sailing and a more stable boat. (Sails help to keep the rolling to a minimum.) The day was a bit cool but beautifully sunny. By nightfall, however, the wind died and the swells increased to from 3 – 6 feet on the beam. The weather was still pleasant, but we rolled quite a bit – pretty uncomfortable till about 1:00 AM when we got protection from the northern end of Cape Cod. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, but we slowed down so we wouldn't have to enter the Canal in the dark. We set the anchor by 7 in the morning and crashed into bed for a bit.
We are now in a very different sort of place from where we'd spent the last couple of weeks. During that time we noticed the birds flying about us, actually quite a variety that I couldn't identify. We did see the usual gulls, terns, osprey and a few bald eagles. In the water we saw seals, porpoises and millions of barnacles clinging to rocks everywhere. We also saw lots of mussels. (I was tempted to try them, but we didn't know if there were local issues related, so I resisted the temptation.) On our trip down from Maine we were greeted by a pod of dolphins and saw at least four whales spouting, one of which came fairly close to the boat before sounding.
Of course we did see other boats – sailboats, fishing boats and lobster boats. And there were homes along the shore and small and medium sized towns as well. The atmosphere down here in Massachusetts is different. The Cape Cod Canal is man made as is the road that runs beside it, the bridges that cross it and the built up areas on either side. Off the boat a short distance, one could be anywhere in Massachusetts and expect to see similar surroundings. The atmosphere appears to be set by civilization rather than Mother Nature. On the coast of Maine, the rocky outcroppings and the common sight of lighthouses reminds us of who is really in charge. On shore in the several areas we visited, we found reminders everywhere that the people on the Maine coast respect the power of the sea and depend on it in one way or another, not totally unlike the seals, birds and whales.
Now that we appear to be back in more modern civilization, we find life less determined by the sea other than as it attracts tourists. The village of Onset is really a quaint coastal community we find to be appealing, but it unfortunately has suffered in recent years, it seems. It's not a big tourist stop, since most tend to pass it up to go onto the Cape just beyond. Walking the side streets, one could easily imagine themselves in an earlier generation when beachside hotels and condos were less visible, and people stayed in cottages at the shore. Traveling a mile or two out of the village and one jumps to the present day. It's an interesting contrast.
I'll probably have more reflections to share as we continue to travel along the coast back to Virginia. We'll be traveling through Long Island Sound, NYC and the coast of New Jersey for the first time. It will be a different kind of trip, I think, with it's own special character. I'll look forward to sharing all that as we leave Onset in a bit more than a week from now.
Captain Bob
Carpe Diem
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