Mrs. Horne wanted us to test our boating skills without the assistance of any crew. It made sense to me. Of course, I’m reasonably sure I could handle the boat alone (although setting fenders and lines might be tricky.)
Rather than a crew, we brought our crazy little Westie Daisy.
Daisy had a rough winter. She picked up a persistent infection we couldn’t knock off until we got her into New England Animal Hospital.
The good news is that she’s back to her old self and returned to her normal 18-pound weight (she weighed in at 13 pounds when we checked her into the vet in January.)
Highway to Hull
Beyond boating with Daisy and only Mrs. Horne to crew, we planned to check out two new marinas: Safe Harbor Sunset Bay in Hull and Cape Ann in Gloucester.
We departed Plymouth around 10:00 on Friday morning.
Friday was the kind of day that would make any boater not on the water sick to their stomach – warm, but not too hot, and dead calm.
Safe Harbor Sunset Bay – Hull
The marina looks closer to the open ocean than Marina Bay or Water Boat on the chart. It may be, but there are still many turns and channels to get there.
Making the final approach for the first time is a little unsettling.
If you’re a good mariner like me, you’ll keep the Green Can #1 on your port side as you get ready to turn toward the marina. If you do (as I did), you’ll find yourself right on top of something called “Rumpkin I Shoal Rk.” This is right in the middle of Hull Bay!
It’s now clear that Grn.#1 has nothing to do with going to Safe Harbor Sunset Bay, and the proper approach is to leave the can to starboard.
To make matters worse, we were approaching at dead low tide and in Hull Bay, that’s ten feet less water!
This all conspires to produce a ~4.8-foot depth sounding (below the hull, less than 9 feet total) more than a mile out.
Hull Bay feels more like Lake Winnipesaukee than the ocean!
It looks like there is a long, open, straight dock as you approach the marina, but it’s actually a breakwater immediately in front of the narrow channel that leads to the dock.
I’m unsure how wide that narrow channel is, but I wouldn’t try to turn Amazing Grace around inside it.
Of course, we arrived safe and sound with about 7 feet of water all the way to the dock.
local 02045
One of the features of most Safe Harbor marinas is the presence of a fun bar and restaurant on site.
At Safe Harbor Sunset Bay, it is called local 02045.
It has a great venue atop the Safe Harbor Office.
The interior is classic Cape Cod, with walls of windows looking out at Hull Bay.
Mrs. Horne and I sat at the bar and ordered three appetizers to share.
cocktail sauce, lemon
Mrs. Horne was very impressed by the quantity of shrimp we received for $18.
The food was well executed. The Seaweed Salad and Pickled Beets really elevated the Dumplings.
select from:
buffalo or sweet chili
bleu cheese or ranch
We ordered the wings plain with all the sauces on the side. We got a third sauce that tasted like BBQ. The wings were large and simply deep fried – the proper way to prepare them (in my opinion).
Hull Bay Walk
Miss Daisy doesn’t like boating; she’s petrified of water, but she loves all the walks she gets (to go potty.)
As we left the dock for the first walk, Mrs. Horne asked one of the dockhands where the best walks were, and they told us to go left toward the Yacht Club.
It is a charming and quiet street.
The most interesting feature was all these little decks on the bay side of the street.
We spoke to a resident, and apparently, each deck belongs to the home across the street. It’s permitted to enable safe access to the sea. Each was different, but I think one was the finest.
On the way back to the boat, we ran into Paul, the General Manager, and of course, I took his picture.
Daisy was beginning to relax back on the boat until she got stuck on the stairs.
I rescued her, and we retired to the Skydeck, waiting for our guests.
Evening with Jean and Russ
Mrs. Horne has always been a people person. Me, not so much, but she’s certainly made me more so. She loves to connect with friends wherever we go, and one of her California golf buddies lives in Cohasset, so she arranged dinner.
After a drink on the Skydeck, they drove us to dinner at Jake’s Seafoods.
My immediate impression was a larger version of Turk’s on the water.
Complete with a wrap-around bar packed shoulder with people eating dinner.
Miraculously, at 6:00 on a Friday night, we were immediately seated in a booth.
Jake’s offers a substantial menu with several unique dishes focusing on seafood, of course!
Fresh rope grown on P.E.I. plump and sweet!
lemon, garlic, shallots, white wine, and butter
Jean offered me a few. They were exceptionally plump but could have used more garlic. We should have ordered more bread for “mopping.”
Ultra fresh #1 sushi grade tuna diced with sesame & David’s soy sauce ~ market price
Mrs. Horne loved it – very fresh and top-of-the-line tuna.
Fresh Haddock OR Cod, based on availability with our buttery crumbs ~ market
I toyed with the idea of ordering a dish that wasn’t fried, but I knew Mrs. Horne had ordered a light appetizer, and she might help me finish it, so I went with the Fried Shrimp.
Large shrimp, deep fried golden brown (Buffalo Style add 3.95)
They were large and properly prepared. They are served with cocktail sauce or marinara, but I asked for tarter sauce, which was perfect.
Nantasket Beach Tour
When I was a kid, Nantasket Beach was famous for being the home of the beachfront amusement park Paragon Park. I think I might have visited the park in the summer of 1966.
After dinner, Russ took us for a little cruise down Nantasket Ave by the site of the old amusement park.
Our friends dropped us off around 8:00, and we discovered why it’s called Sunset Bay!
Sunset Bay is a beautiful little spot with a great seaside eatery. It’s a bit of a challenge without a car, but I think we’ll try it again and break out the bikes next time.
Up next – An Eventful Saturday…