Hotter

 6/25- Sandy Bay, Rockport MA

  We crossed by the twin lighthouses that mark the end of Cape Ann in Massachusetts thus entering the Gulf of Maine. With nary a cloud in the sky we set off this morning hoping to do some sailing. We motored for an hour then sailed for an hour then motored for an hour. Anyway you get the picture. The wind was light and until the sun got high in the sky it was very pleasant. 

    Once we rounded Cape Ann and headed for shore it was like someone turned a heat gun on you. Last night the wind blew off the ocean and made for a relatively cool night for sleeping. Today, however, the wind was blowing over the land which was experiencing a heat wave. The breeze was like a blow torch. 

   It was, in fact , so hot that Alayne went swimming. Well let’s just say she got wet. That is the first time on this trip for either of us. I did manage to take a dip yesterday. 

   Rockport is home to a place I always called Motif #1. The harbor here is very small and narrow. With the tide out the walls are 10 feet high all the way around you. The tourists stand on the edge and watch you like you are in a fish bowl. There is a shack or barn on entering the harbor that is iconic. So many people have painted or photographed it that I have called it Motif #1. 

   We knew better than to enter that part of the harbor mostly from experience. We anchored in the bay right next door and tried not to melt. Man it was hot!! I’m hoping things cool off a bit tomorrow at least out here on the ocean. 

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