One of the enjoyable aspects of cruising Maine is all of the wildlife that one is able to observe. But, during our 3 months in Maine, we did not see a whale. Leaving Maine waters on our retreat from the northern latitudes, as we entered Massachusetts waters, a whale came alongside Last Dance and crossed our stern. They are amazing creatures. Another wildlife species for the list.
Rockport, Mass
A long off-shore day ended at the small protected harbor of Rockport. The tiny harbor is crowded, filled with mooring balls, most requiring boats to be moored fore and aft, so that no swing room is required.
Some claim that the most photographed spot in the state is this wall of old, wooden lobster buoys. The building is located on an ancient stone wharf that juts out into the harbor. The wharf does have room for about 3 boats to tie to the wall, providing an easier walk to town than a dinghy trip from a mooring. The stern of Last Dance can be seen at the end of the wharf. But, being tied to a rough rock wall in an area with 10 foot tides creates an impossible task of adjusting mooring lines and boarding the boat. Lines required adjusting in the middle of the night. This photo was taken near high tide. When the boat was 10 feet lower, boarding was a challenge.
Rockport is a tourist town, complete with the requisite seafood restaurants and gift shops, though enough different and varied to be interesting.
There is more to Rockport than the tourist street along the waterfront. The small town retains much of its historical buildings.
Rockport offers a protected harbor along the Atlantic Coast, where there are few, and some interesting spots ashore.
Leaving Rockport, the route south is around Cape Ann and past Thatcher and Milk Islands. For some difficult to fathom the reason, the small island of Thatcher required the construction of two lighthouses, one near the east side and one near the west side. DeFever 48 Whichaway leads the way down the coast of Massachusetts.
Onset, Mass
Onset is conveniently located at the end of the Cape Cod Canal next to Buzzards Bay. Stopping here allows the cruiser to time the current through the canal, which can be quite rapid, or to hide from the often rough waters of Buzzards Bay. While the town itself does not have much to offer, another colorful sunset was added to the collection at Onset.
New Bedford and Fairhaven, Mass
Buzzards Bay lived up to its reputation, getting rougher as the day progressed. Plans changed and the port at New Bedford was chosen for a protected harbor for a couple days. To isolate the harbor from the sometimes rough waters in the bay, a hurricane wall has been constructed across the mouth of the harbor. The long wall serves as a breakwater at all times, and when the water gets particularly rough, there are gates that close the harbor completely.
Waterborne commerce has always been the major economic factor of New Bedford and Fairhaven, from the days of whaling ships to today's fishing fleet. The harbor is home to hundreds of large fishing boats and the industries that support them. The harbor is filled with these colorful and interesting boats.
The town of New Bedford is located on the west side of the harbor. It boasts the whaling museum and has many monuments and much history of the whaling industry. This has made it the most famous of the two towns on the harbor.
New Bedford has interesting old architecture throughout the downtown area, which is thriving and filled with business and commerce.
Fairhaven
The town of Fairhaven, located on the eastern shore of the harbor, held much more interest for the Last Dance crew. Fairhaven was the home of Henry Huttleston Rogers, one of the lesser known of the Standard Oil barons. He and his wife, Abigal, were very generous to their hometown. Abigal donated the building above to the town, which still serves as the town hall. It is an architectural marvel.
The town library is located across the street from the town hall. It was built by Henry Rogers as a memorial to his daughter, Millicent. Again, another architectural marvel.
Fairhaven High School, another building donated by Henry Huttleston Rogers. Glen attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Florida. Hillsborough is a red brick and stone, gothic architecture building with stained glass windows and a clock tower. Fairhaven, too, has an amazingly beautiful, historic building still housing its oldest high school, complete with a clock tower.
One of the benefits of cruising is finding the local restaurants with different and delicious foods to offer. In Fairhaven, the small Elizabeth's Restaurant, located on a back street, has a reputation for outstanding food. Chuck and Fabin, the Whichaway crew, and the Last Dance crew decided to add Elizabeth's to their culinary experiences.
A fun decor and lively atmosphere greeted the diners. It was only a beginning to a great meal and great times shared.
A pear salad might be a common offering on a restaurant menu, but this pearl salad was anything but common. The menu items all had a variety of ingredients, different from the traditional, and filled with flavor, texture, and color.
Many of the fishing boats in the harbor are scallop boats. And, many of the dishes offered at Elizabeth's are scallop recipes. A wide variety of scallop dishes, all delicious and more than could be sampled by the crews. A good reason to plan a return trip.
Fairhaven: a visit unplanned, but thoroughly enjoyed on the revisit to Massachusetts.
