I took this shot the other night while pulling out of the harbor. I was struck by the old look of this ship against the backdrop of our new and ever changing waterfront skyline.
The ship is the Roseway, a historical schooner which is used for cruises as well as educational purposes. The ship sails all over the Eastern Seaboard, but spends the summer in Boston Harbor. You can use the following link to find out how to get out for a day sail on this beautiful tall ship. The ship should be available for Boston Harborfest and the Tall Ships Celebration this summer.
Gloucester Harbor and its surrounding area makes a solid day trip from Boston Harbor. I did this trip with my family on a Saturday last summer. Depending on your speed, Gloucester is usually a little over an hour voyage from the outer Boston Harbor. The distance from Boston Harbor (as of the beginning of the North Channel at Deer Island Light) to Gloucester is approximately 19 Nautical Miles.
A fishing boat passing Ten Pound Island in Gloucester Harbor:
Once there, things to do for those arriving by boat include tying up and exploring the historical downtown, throwing anchor behind the Dogbar (the large breakwater protecting the Harbor) for a picnic and making a trip a further 2-3 miles north up to the twin lighthouses on the legendary Thatcher Island off the neighboring town of Rockport. Here is a video of Thatcher Island which I bet will make you want to go!
A view of the Gloucester Harbor’s Eastern Point Lighthouse from the end of the dog bar breakwater:
On clear nights, this light from this station can be seen as far south as the cliffs off Jerusalem Road in Cohasset.
There are several points of caution to keep in mind as you make this trek. (This link provides an overview). Refer to a chart so that as you leave the end of the North Channel out of Boston, you stay far enough from shore to avoid the many obstructions North of Marblehead and Salem, such and Tinkers Island and the surrounding rocks. With that being said, you also need to be mindful of the restricted area offshore where the ship terminals are located. However, this is quite far offshore and well marked. The only other thing to keep in mind is that on a pleasant summer day with a typical SW wind, you will be heading right into the wind and chop as you go back toward Boston. If you are not up for the entire haul up to Gloucester, Marblehead Harbor is quite nice, but I find the places to tie up are limited.
Source: NOAA. As with all chart clips, these are not an official chart intended for navigation, and users should read the disclaimer.
The conditions became ideal last night for a nice sunset cruise out to open water, with calm seas, clearing skies and very calm seas. I travelled out the Nantasket Roads channel, and ended up parking about a mile offshore of Hull to watch the sunset last night.
While I was out here, I thought of a potential danger than I should have added to the recent post about top dangers to avoid in Boston Harbor. This would be Harding Ledge, an isolated rock outcrop off Nantasket Beach. While fairly well marked, this ledge is such a danger as it is in a very open place. Boaters leaving Boston Harbor for a trip to the south shore or Cape Cod may feel like they are in fully open water and may become complacent once they get outside of Allerton Point in Hull. Harding Ledge lies just beyond.
The chart clip below gives some perspective of the location of the ledge (right center) relative to Nantasket Roads and Hull:
Again, this should just be used as a reference point and not for navigation. See the NOAA disclaimer and refer to the official version for Navigation. Safe boating!
Big cargo ships are a frequent sight in Boston Harbor. In fact, the Conley Terminal in Boston is one of the largest on the East Coast, handling 1.5 millions metric tons of cargo annually, according to their website. These boats are highly visible most of the time to boaters, so they don’t pose much of a danger, but boaters should take caution to stay well clear of them as they enter and exit the harbor through President Roads. They then head for the vicinity of the “B” Buoy before heading into a shipping channel and on their way. These ships make pretty cool spectacles as they enter and exit the terminal. If its a foggy day, remember that these cargo ships could be out there, so if you get caught out on your boat in the fog, take it slow and watch that radar.
A large container ship turning to exit the terminal with tug boat assistance before heading out to sea:
Passing a large container ship in the narrow part of the channel. These are some of the largest ships that come into Boston Harbor, as can be seen from the perspective in this video, which was taken from a commuter ferry:
Up close to the cranes at The Conley Terminal. I took this photo from the Reserve Channel next to the terminal. This is where the cargo ships load and unload.
An aerial view of the cargo terminal against the Boston skyline, taken while on approach to Logan Airport:
The view of a large cargo ship up close, as seen from the nearby Black Falcon Terminal:
The beautiful oceanside town of Scituate, MA makes a great day trip from Boston Harbor. In addition to the scenic Scituate Harbor, another major boating attraction is “The Spit” which is a beach on the North side of the North River Inlet. This is located at the very south end of Scituate and is a place where South Shore boaters frequently congregate on weekends. This year, down on the Scituate Driftway, there is a new wind turbine, which makes for a great reference point for navigating in Massachusetts Bay given its huge size and visibility from many miles offshore.
Scituate Harbor in peak summer season:
If you tie up in the Scituate Harbor, there are several transient slips available at the Scituate town marina. For day boater, the inner harbor has a good boat ramp as well. If you go further down the coast to The Spit, it can be a fun place for a picnic or party, but watch that current. Its tough to dock a boat with the heavy crowds and fast moving current. Safety first!!! From Boston Harbor, The Spit is about a 25 mile trip, with the main Harbor slightly closer.
Scituate Inner Harbor:
Scituate’s Charter Fishing Fleet:
Scituate Light House and Breakwater:
Looking East over the North River, toward The Spit at dusk:
Navigating from Boston Harbor:
From the Boston Inner Harbor, The Spit is approximately 25 miles, with the Scituate Harbor being about two miles closer. Upon leaving the Outer Harbor through Nantasket Roads, head Southeast toward Minot Light, carefully observing all markers and keeping the lighthouse to starboard as you go. Scituate Harbor’s entrance is clearly visible another 2-3 miles past Minot, given its lighthouse and large rock breakwater. Further down, the North River approach is a bit trickier in a current, but is well marked. The entrance is close to the Scituate wind turbine, which is clearly seen many miles out to sea.
The chart images contained herein were obtained by the NOAA and are being used in accordance with their terms of permitted use. Altered and redistributed charts such as those shown below should not be relied on for navigational purposes. Please download the full version from “www.charts.noaa.gov” and please see terms of service at http://www.charts.noaa.gov/RNCs/Agreement.shtml?13270.
Graves Lighthouse is one of the best sights to see in the harbor, and it can only be seen up close via boat. Located on a rock outcrop about four miles NE of the harbor entrance in Winthrop, this lighthouse is one of the furthest east parts of Boston Harbor- it is essentially in open water. The lighthouse is over 100 years old and unlike the functioning Boston Light three miles to the Southwest, Graves is no longer in use. However, it looks very beautiful (and a bit spooky) out there on its distant rock outcrop. I found this website about Graves Light which contains a great amount of interesting information.
Take the south channel and approach very carefully- being cognizant of the Devil’s Back and Roaring Bulls if approaching from the West/SW, and of the Graves Ledge if approaching from the North/NE.
