Should We Stay or Should We Go?

The past few days have presented some weather challenges.  We never experienced ‘the heat wave’ that we heard so much about. Even though a hot air mass did push into the area, we were floating in a huge body of water with a temperature of 68 degrees.  There was at least a 20 degree difference between the inland temp and the temp a few miles offshore.  In fact, we have had our sweatshirts handy ever since we arrived in New York.  At this moment (Wednesday evening) we are anchored in Hull Bay just outside of Boston, and it is a beautiful and calm 68 degree evening.

Tonight’s sunset...that is Boston

However, a few days ago things were not so calm.  For several days we were aware that Tuesday might pose a problem.  We were scheduled to transit the Cape Cod Canal on Tuesday, and travel north to Boston.  We go to great lengths to analyze all available data to make the decision “should we stay or should we go?”  Our first hint comes with the wind predictions...

Winds will be blowing out of the NNE over 20mph...that will make some big waves 

6 foot waves...really?

Yep...6 foot waves (this one is in meters)

I’m sure you are asking yourself “what is causing this?”  Good question...

Ohhhh...a very well defined low pressure system converging right off Cape Cod.  If you overlay this with the wind prediction picture you will see that low pressure center with the calm winds and the crazy winds on both side of the front...INTERESTING!  The decision is clear, we will not move on Tuesday!

We stayed in a great Anchorage in Bourne, Massachusetts where we got slammed by two storms (one of which caused a very uncommon tornado on Cape Cod), but we were safely anchored so the storms were wonderful to watch.  It rained all day on Tuesday, and as predicted we had very high winds.  We were able to relax, cook, clean, do engine maintenance, and play with a rain collection idea. 

I received Sugru (cool stuff) 

as a retirement gift (thanks Amy)  with the challenge to find creative ways to use it on the boat.  I wanted to collect rain water to use for laundry and the outdoor shower. The brow, in front of the bridge, deflects a lot of water during rain events, but I needed a way to channel it into a bucket.

By Tuesday night the signs were good that the bad weather was gone and we were free to continue our voyage.