After leaving Connecticut, our next stop was Boston, Massachusetts. John had gotten a job at a specialty hospital that started a month after departing Stamford.
It was a terribly cold and stormy sail to Boston with many days where we couldn’t move due to weather situations. We ended up dragging anchor several times in high winds and strong currents. We even switched anchors at one point but ended up switching back because it just got worse. A new anchor was definitely on our list by the end of this trip. We were overly excited to arrive at the marina where we would spend the next six months.
**Leaving Stamford, Connecticut**
**Happy to be headed north**
**Erik all bundled up**
**John’s attempt at staying warm**
**Harbor Seals in our anchorage**
**Block Island before the storm**
**A pretty fishing village**
**Plymouth, Massachusetts**
**Benny’s excited to see Boston**
Our time in Boston was probably typical of a tourist trip plus some fun sailing adventures added in. We walked the Freedom Trail, watched the 4th of July fireworks from the Boston Harbor, and took the boat out to do some whale watching (when John’s parents came to visit). We also tried out the local food, took in a Boston Red Sox game, got to see the Harvard graduates on their graduation day walk, made multiple weekend trips to the Boston Harbor Islands and Misery Islands (good places to escape the heat of the city), and visited surrounding towns by vehicle…one being Salem where we printed off a map to do The Walking Tour of the Great Age of Sail since we had recently finished reading Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (one of the boys’ favorite reads). This was one of the highlights of our Boston stay. We also ventured across the Canadian border to Niagara Falls for a long weekend.
**Salem Walking Tour**
**Super fun road trip to Niagara Falls, Canada**
**Trips to the Boston Harbor Islands and Misery Islands**
**Freedom Trail, fireworks, and whale watching**
**Trip to Gloucester, Massachusetts…one of my favorite places**
**Boston Red Sox Game**
There were quite a few changes that we made to our boat while in Boston. John replaced all of our heads (toilets) with brand new heads and new sanitation hoses. This made a huge difference in terms of flushing capabilities and smell. The years of charter use/abuse had taken a toll!
I retaught myself to sew since there were many items that were needed for the boat. John bought me a Sailrite sewing machine for my projects. I started simple with curtains for every room. I used outdoor fabric with blackout lining. The tracks that were already installed were still good, so we just purchased new hooks.
**A few of the new curtains…everyone chose their own fabric**
I also recovered the captain’s chair bottom and back. We have since replaced the foam on the bottom to make it even more comfortable. We purchased new foam and fabric to make outdoor (now complete) and indoor cushions (haven’t gotten up the courage for these just yet) as well.





**Anchor upon delivery and installed**
Thank you for the excellent writing. Your descriptions put me on the boat with you. I am so proud of you and your family for going on the adventure of a lifetime and sharing the ups and downs on Facebook. Always look forward to your posts.
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Thank you, Marilynn! There are many ups and downs, but this has been an overall great adventure. Thanks for following along with us!
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