Cape Cod Canal to Portsmouth, NH

     We left Cape Cod Canal at 7 am for what we thought would be a short day to cross Massachusetts Bay, Boston Harbor and land at Gloucester, NH.  Wrong!  Half way across Boston Harbour entrance the coast guard announced that the 18 foot high railroad bridge (we need 20 ft), which opens to the cut across Cape Anne was closed and no idea when it would open. This left no choice but to go around the cape and brave the ocean swells, so we changed course and set sights for Portsmouth, NH turning a 30 mile trip into a 80 mile trip. 

                                                                 By passing Boston.
                                                                                
     Expecting the afternoon winds to whip up the sea, I decided to bring Doc's Holiday up on plane and we flew across the water at 15 knots.  Finally the big Detroit's got to do what they are supposed to like best....run hard.  The boat ran smooth, actually riding the waves better than if we were going at our regular trawler speed of 8 to 9 knots.  Fuel consumption....who cares...I just wanted to get in where I knew we were going to be safe....so we held her at 2000 rpm for a couple of hours...until..I did an engine room check!
     I noticed the bilge pump light coming on a little more frequently but didn't realize why, until I did the engine room check....I had a water intake hose leaking!  Damn..out in the middle of the sea near a rough cape and I had to shut her down or risk blowing the hose all together.   What I needed was a quick fix so we could get to port before it got too rough.  Pulling out my best tool in fighting the mechanical gremlins.....DUCT TAPE!... I made a quick repair and we finished the trip at our regular 9 knots.  Whew...it was a little nerve wracking when I had trouble starting the engine after the repair ..(this part made Beth cry)...but we pulled through.
     Once at the marina, we used the loaner car to find a  preformed 90 degree bend radiator hose...thank you Pep Boys...and completed the repair properly. A low has settled in, so we may not be able to make it to Maine tomorrow.  There is a bigger front following so we will have to be in a protected cove by tomorrow night...to leave or not to leave?...that is the question.  At $3.80/ft for dock space, I think I know the answer.

                                                          
                                                               Portsmouth, N.H.