All Hands Sailing Charters

Tag: boston

  • A Slow Boat to Boston

    A Slow Boat to Boston

    We broke our rule. We had a destination and a time to be in that destination. We needed to be in Boston on a Friday Morning. We could have driven for an hour or sailed for 24-ish. We choose the latter. Because of the defined place and time, we had less than optimal conditions and so there was more motoring than we like (like anything > 0) and the sailing was slow.

    Leg 1: Wickford, RI to Redbrook MA

    Date:2026-08-11

    Engine Hours: 5

    Summary

    Left 0700 from Wickford for Redbrook – about 48-ish miles. It was a slow, hot ride in Buzzards bay with light winds until the last few hours. The trip finished off with some pretty fast downwind sailing (with all three wings out). Arrived redbrook around 1700 and anchored behind Basset Island. Unfortunately, not able to spend any time as we had to get moving early the next day.

    ⚓ Moorage

    Anched behing Basset Island in about 8ft. Four other boats in the anchorage – plenty of room.

    🔧 Equipment

    Fill valve for the head is sticking on. So we’re filling from the shower head and only using the flush button on this trip

    🌤️ Weather

    Very light air for most of the trip and when it did fill it, it was dead astern. Sea state got better once we got past Cuttyhunk and we were able to keep the sails more full.
    Loading track data…
    redbrook harbor
    Settled in to Redbrook
    Morning swim in Redbrook
    Redbrook
    comtemplation
    Contemplating a Sunset in Redbrook

    Day 2 – The slow progress to Boston Continues

    Dates:2026-08-12 to 2026-08-12

    Engine Hours: 5.5

    Summary

    We expected to leave redbrook at 0700 to get through the canal and then wait a few hours for predicted winds to fill in. But when we got on the other side, there actually was a bit of breeze already. So we just continued motoring north. Within 20 minutes or so, we had 11 kts at a great angle and we were sailing really well. We thought “ha – windy was wrong – in a good way!”. Well… it didn’t last. Within a couple hours, we were struggling to make 3kts so we went back to motor sailing – for a long time. Somewhere between Plymouth and Scituate, we got so sick of hearing the engine, we decided to just drift. We even considered swimming and probably would have if had a good boarding ladder. Our driving was actually at about 1.2kts so I engaged the autopilot in windvane mode and just tried to keep that at least in more or less the right direction (north-ish).
    Before long, our drifting turned into moving at 2, 2.2, 2.6, and oh my god.. 3kts! It kept improving until we got near Hull, MA and we motored from there to Peddock’s island to Anchor for the night. Our dock slip at Constitution Marina was nut until the next day.

    ⚓ Moorage

    Anchored off Peddock’s Island in about 11-19ft (big tide swing here)

    🌤️ Weather

    Dead in the morning (apart from the surprise just after we got through the canal). Picked up through the day way behind the beam. Very slow day.
    Loading track data…
    Approaching CC Canal RR bridge
    CC RR bridge
    galley queen
    The galley queen
    minot light
    Approaching Minot Light
    Boston Skyline
    linda on bow approaching boston
    Approaching Boston
    Motoring into Boston Inner Harbor
    tall ship east boston
    The Tall Ship bar in E. Boston (we were the oldest people here)
    boston skyline from east boston
    Night on the Town in East Boston

    Big City Day in Boston

    We love Boston. We live in Newport, RI now but I still consider it a “suburb” of Boston. This was our first time in town for a couple years. The weather was perfect for exploring so we got our steps in and walked from Charlestown to the “Pru”. Apart from a short Orange Line ride, the whole outing was on foot.

    Our Back Porch View while docked in Charlestown
    charles river locks
    Charles River Locks
    TD Garden
    TD Garden
    boston at night
    Boston Skyline from our slip
    guitar in cockpit
    Practice, Practice
    uscg hq in boston
    Mackerel Sky over USCG building
    boston sailing center
    Boston Sailing Center – where it all started for us
    sam adams grave
    Sam Adams Grave
    ma state capital
    Capital Building
    african festival
    African Festival Boston Common
    washington in boston
    Geo Washington Statue in PUblic Gardens
    Public garden Boston
    In front of the pond in public gardens

    Leaving Boston

    Date:2026-08-16

    Engine Hours: 2

    Summary

    Checkout time was 1100 so we headed off toward Scituate. Current was opposing leaving the harbor so we did a little motor-sailing at first but then had a brisk upwind sail for the rest of the trip

    ⚓ Moorage

    Rented a mooring from Cedar Point in Scituate.

    🌤️ Weather

    12-18kts SE turning slightly S. Brisk upwind sail.
    leaving boston
    Leaving Boston
    Upwind sailing
    Close Hauled in 17kts
    moored in Scituate
    Secure in Scituate
    Loading track data…