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    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

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    March Meeting Info

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Leaving for Maine tomorrow!

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
My wife and I were asked to crew on a 42ft Niagara owned by the Commodore of my club. He and his wife are in their 60's and don't like to do the overnight passages alone anymore. Casting off at 6am 8/10/07 bound for Onset, MA to wait for the tide and then through the Cape Cod Canal on 8/11. Then pretty much a straight-line course for Penobscot Bay, Maine. My wife and I have never done an overnight passage before nor have we been that far from shore so it will certainly be an experience. Looking forward to it but with a touch of apprehension. We are taking the bus home from Maine on 8/13 if everything goes right. The owners are cruising Maine for a month. Wish we had the time.... cya! RT
 

Chris A.

Member III
Have a great time and let me know if you need any shore support / local info from Portland area / Casco bay.
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
Well, we made it! We left last Friday right into some really nasty weather in Buzzards Bay. Overnighted in Onset, MA and then through the Cape Cod Canal and straight to Rockland, ME on Saturday and into Sunday. Not much wind we ended up motoring most of the way. If theres one thing I can't stand its motoring on a sailboat. Still a worthwhile experience, we learned a LOT! Tons of marine life. Pilot and Wright whales by the score in Cape Cod Bay and beyond. Harbor seals, porpoises, etc. Rockland was neat. I had been there before but this time they were having a boat show! So on Sunday we went ashore for showers and the show. Then we came back by bus/train on Monday. Maine certainly looks like a fantastic cruising ground. A bit too far for us right now though. First I would have to find the time and then I would need a good AP and full canvas for the cockpit. Found out how worthwhile a fully enclosed cockpit it when it rains sideways at 25kts for hours on end..... Now I just have to get the E38 up to snuff. RT
 
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NateHanson

Sustaining Member
Tons of marine life. Pilot and Wright whales by the score in Cape Cod Bay and beyond.

Did you really see Right Whales?
If so, the CG would appreciate if you report all sightings to them, with a rough position and time. Right whales are endangered, and sightings are quite rare. The CG collects information for scientists who closely track the Northern Right Whale population.

We usually see Fin and Minke whales in those parts, and Basking sharks are a fun sight too. :)

Glad your trip went well. Better wind next time! :egrin:
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
Buzzads Bay

When I was a youngster in the Coast Guard, I was stationed on the Buzzards Bay Entrance Light Station as an Electronics Technician. This was way back in 1970. I understand that it was demolished and that an unmanned structure stands in it's place today. The station was one of only a few Texas Towers, built much like an offshore oil platform...when the ground swells kicked up, doors would swing open or shut...80 feet up in the air it was pretty exciting!!!
 

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NateHanson

Sustaining Member
Yep, now a LNB sits where the tower and the Lightship "Nantucket" were once stationed. The Nantucket is still in Boston Harbor sometimes. It's been refitted as a yacht, but still looks very similar. The owners have written "Nantucket" on the sides, instead of "Relief".
 

rwthomas1

Sustaining Partner
Did you really see Right Whales?
If so, the CG would appreciate if you report all sightings to them, with a rough position and time. Right whales are endangered, and sightings are quite rare. The CG collects information for scientists who closely track the Northern Right Whale population.

We usually see Fin and Minke whales in those parts, and Basking sharks are a fun sight too. :)

Glad your trip went well. Better wind next time! :egrin:


I have no idea if they were Wright whales or even Left whales for that matter! :p The consensus between my wife, the diver/marine archaeologist and the other experienced couple on board is that at least some of them were. I just thought it was really cool. And really friggin' huge. RT
 

Guy Stevens

Moderator
Moderator
Different Boats

The Lightships are named for their regions. The Relief lightships were the ones that were in position when the correct light ship was off station. For instance, the Lightship HURON has the name HURON in large letters on the side of it. The lightship NANTUCKET has the name NANTUCKET on the side of it.

If you were to put another ship in the same spot it would cause some great amount of confusion. Say put the HURON where the NANTUCKET should be because the NANTUCKET was being worked on, and you had an extra HURON. So the way to get around all this was to use the RELIEF lightships. They has the word RELIEF on them. When you got to the spot where the lightship NANTUCKET should have been, and you saw the lightship labeled RELIEF there instead, you would know that you were in the right place, just that the lightship was not on station, and that this was the relief lightship.

There were several relief lightships on both coasts just for the purpose of relieving the ships that were on station.

Guy
:)


Yep, now a LNB sits where the tower and the Lightship "Nantucket" were once stationed. The Nantucket is still in Boston Harbor sometimes. It's been refitted as a yacht, but still looks very similar. The owners have written "Nantucket" on the sides, instead of "Relief".
 

jkm

Member III
There is plenty of history surrounding the lightships and their stations.

The last Nantucket lightship, previously the Portland lightship, was in the busiest of the shipping channels, especially before the war.

In the 1930's the Nantucket Lightship was rammed by the sister ship to the Titanic, the Olympic, and sunk in minutes with the lost of most of the crew.

This was lonely and dangerous work. On the east coast the lightship service attracted many Irish into their ranks.

As a child I remember the lightship Portland passing in front of our home.

John
 

NateHanson

Sustaining Member
Well that makes a hell of a lot more sense! Thanks Guy!

I always assumed the Nantucket said "Nantucket" on the side, until I saw the above picture. :)

The Lightships are named for their regions. The Relief lightships were the ones that were in position when the correct light ship was off station. For instance, the Lightship HURON has the name HURON in large letters on the side of it. The lightship NANTUCKET has the name NANTUCKET on the side of it.

If you were to put another ship in the same spot it would cause some great amount of confusion. Say put the HURON where the NANTUCKET should be because the NANTUCKET was being worked on, and you had an extra HURON. So the way to get around all this was to use the RELIEF lightships. They has the word RELIEF on them. When you got to the spot where the lightship NANTUCKET should have been, and you saw the lightship labeled RELIEF there instead, you would know that you were in the right place, just that the lightship was not on station, and that this was the relief lightship.

There were several relief lightships on both coasts just for the purpose of relieving the ships that were on station.

Guy
:)
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Our very own... lightship

The former lightship "Columbia" that stood off the Columbia River entrance is on permanent display at the Maritime Museum dock at Astoria, Oregon.
http://www.crmm.org/index.htm
We have been aboard... no luxuries and the rolling must have been horrible.
IMHO, tough duty.

Loren in PDX
 
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