Chip Ahoy's 2008 Maine Cruise
“Seafaring” to Chebeague Island, Casco Bay, Maine

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Description

Along the way to Portsmouth I called Prescott Park to arrange a slip at its dock, but got an answering machine.  With my message not returned a few hours later, I decided to go for broke and made arrangements with the expensive Wentworth by the Sea Marina just outside the mouth of the Piscataqua River, justifying the decision by the advantage of an early and shorter start its location would provide. (Aug. 9)

Chip Ahoy's slip at the Wentworth by the Sea Marina.

The next morning I awoke to more thick fog that was forecast to lift by mid- to late-morning.  I waited it out until 10:00 am, then took off into light fog.  It only got thicker, all day.  I ran the 15 nm route blind in dense and denser fog.  NOAA radio called for the fog that was supposed to lift to provide a visibility of only a quarter of a mile in some areas.  In 2-3 foot following seas, I measured it by GPS as I approached a sea buoy off Hampton, NH, when it came into sight at .27 miles.  The entire day I navigated blind, entirely by GPS and chart, dodging lobster pot buoys in a universe of gray.  (Aug. 10)

Chip Ahoy and I finally broke out of the fog as we came in from sea and approached the Merrimack River breakwater, heading up the river to Newburyport, MA.

I pulled into the slip I'd arranged earlier with Newburyport Harbor Marina at 3:45 pm, with a hand or two waiting for my arrival with the current.  I was advised to tie off Chip Ahoy with additional spring lines due to the strong and changing current, to tie up Chip Mate separately.

Between the wind and the relatively mild incoming current, it was already roily, but I got settled in quickly.  It's something, always being the smallest boat around.

Chip Ahoy at its slip for a night or two, with a downriver view in the background.

After a rough and bouncing, jerking night at its slip in changing strong currents, the morning's forecast called for more downpours and thunderstorms.  After earlier suggesting that I might want to take off this morning, Jay the dockmaster suggested that it was "snotty" out there, and I confirmed I'd be staying for another night.  The photo on the left shows Chip Ahoy straining at its dock lines in the river's powerful outgoing current.  (Aug. 11)

For the first time ever, running the bow line over the anchor chain became a problem.  The strain from the current was jerking the bow line into the anchor chain, driving it into the deck, gouging the gelcoat.  There was no way to loosen the bow line in that current without losing the boat to it, so between jerks I jammed a towel beneath the chain to cushion the blows, the best I could do until the current slackened.  A new lesson learned:  The bow line will now always go beneath the anchor chain.

I did a nice job, if customized after observations and many permutations, of tying off Chip Mate behind Chip Ahoy on the dock.  I've used the outboard as a "cleat" before but never in such a strong current, and that had me concerned -- but it held.  Next spring, Chip Mate gets some of its own cleats added!

Later that afternoon an even bigger yacht pulled in behind Chip Ahoy, the 117 foot "Sandrine" from Ft. Lauderdale at slack tide, filling two slips.  It felt as if I was living in a small cottage surrounded by skyscrapers!