A view of Gloucester’s harbor entrance from my run

We sailed from a town with a long history of yachting to the quintessential fishing town of the northeast.  I was expecting Gloucester to be a different world.  I was thinking about the movie The Perfect Storm, which was set in Gloucester and based on the “Andrea Gail”, the boat lost in that wicked storm (the title of this post is from the movie, btw).  But I was also thinking about the movie “Mystic Pizza” for some reason, and the down-to-earth way of life on the docks.  I was even a little intimidated, thinking that maybe sailors would be looked down upon by the hard-working fishermen here, for which boating is not recreation, but a way of life.

The Gloucester Welcome Wagon/Boat

I could not have been more wrong.  From the moment we hailed the Harbormaster on the VHF, to the moment we left the harbor two days later, we were surrounded by lovely and helpful people.  After getting our mooring, which was only $25 for the night, the Harbormaster came alongside Patronus to say hello and give us a welcome packet to the town.  He ended up staying for 20 minutes, telling the kids what it is like to be a Harbormaster and giving us directions on where to go for dinner, where to tie up the dinghy, and where to find the best beaches.

We dinked into the Rocky Neck area and Chris spotted “Hard Merchandise”, the fishing boat featured in the National Geographic television show “Wicked Tuna”.  He was duly excited and I snapped some pictures.  It struck me how ironic it was that we were taking paparazzi pictures in the least “Hollywood” place imaginable.  We had trouble finding a place to tie up.  The docks towered 30 feet above us and are meant for major fishing boats, not inflatable dinghies.  We finally took a chance and tied up to the floating dock behind a deserted restaurant.

Once on hard ground, we discovered ourselves in the middle of the artist colony for which we had come searching.  Streets and alleys full of working studios and informal galleries kept me in my glory for a few hours.  The kids and Chris hung in there and we played “pick your favorite painting” in each studio.  We had a nice chat with a couple we had seen on a boat in the harbor.  They were excited to hear about our trip and ended up finding us online.  Hi Jamie and Sandi!!!

When we entered the studio of E.J. Lafavour, Porter quickly noticed the fantasy paintings that covered one wall.  E.J. seemed thrilled to have a visit from children who were interested in learning about art, so she told them the history of her paintings and explained that she was publishing a book based upon them.  We told her about our trip and she was thrilled for us.   She insisted on taking a picture of us and told us she would write an article about us in GoodMorningGloucester, a well-read blog about the town’s happenings.  We had a great time with E.J. and were excited to see that she indeed wrote about us the very next day.  So here’s a shout out to our favorite Gloucester artist and all our new Gloucester readers who have joined us through GoodMorningGloucester!!!

We also toured a little woodworking shop on the water where they make Dories, which are small, wooden boats that epitomize the beauty of wooden boat construction.  The man who ran the shop gives classes in boatbuilding to the local high school students as an after-school club.  His grand-niece was in the shop, showing us around like a little mayor.  She was adorable and she and Reese explored the tiny, packed shop, which was full of all kinds of treasures.

feeling at home in gloucester

We got back in the dinghy to find the beach, the entrance to the Annasquam River, the greasy pole, and the Fisherman’s Memorial, which pays respect to all the Gloucester fishermen lost at sea since the 1600’s.  The greasy pole is a telephone pole that extends over the water at a height of about 20 feet.  Those who dare can walk out along it and jump off for a chilly swim.  At their annual festival, the pole is greased and a flag is placed at the end.  The first person to walk out and get it wins bragging rights for the year.

The Harbormaster had suggested that we might take the Annasquam River to Marblehead, but upon further inspection, we decided that the multiple drawbridges, the narrow channel, and the current made an outside passage preferable.

We went onto the beach and climbed up to the Fisherman’s Memorial.  We were sobered by the plaques that surrounded it, listing all the people who had been lost to sea in this tiny town.  Some years had an especially long list of names.  Our imaginations took hold as we pictured the terrible storms that must have raged in those years.  Fishing boats were a family affair, so some years listed up to ten people with the same last name.  It was hard to imagine the trauma of losing ten men in one family on one day and the agony of waiting and waiting for a return from sea that doesn’t happen.

Here were men who grew up on these waters, who knew them well, and yet were overcome by the power of the sea.  We have had lovely weather and seas so far, but I, too, know what the ocean can do and am filled with awe and respect.  I do not think of the sea as a power to dominate because the sea will always win with that perspective.  I like to think of sailing as borrowing the power of the wind as we move gently with the waves, sharing space and time with Nature for a few precious moments.

We decided we just had to have a fish dinner while in Gloucester, so we followed recommendations and ended up at Captain Carlo’s.  We ate outside on the deck, with the fishing wharf right behind us.  The fish literally comes in to the wharf, gets sorted, and is delivered straight to the restaurant several times a day.  The dinner was delicious and the view of Patronus out in the harbor was a special treat.  A quick stop at Walgreen’s for supplies and we went back to the boat for the night.

The next morning, I went for a run.  I ended up going past the memorial again.  A little further up is a memorial for the wives and children of those lost at sea.  The statue was beautiful and lonely.  Before we left Gloucester, Chris ran into town for a t-shirt.  We had met so many lovely people and wanted to remember this stop.  As we pulled away from the mooring, the assistant Harbormaster pulled up alongside us.  We had requested a pumpout, but the HM didn’t think they could fit it in, so we had started to leave the harbor.  In fact, the HM had rushed around to make sure he got to us in time.  He did the pumpout as we floated alongside his boat.  We left Gloucester even more impressed with the people who make it their home and look forward to returning someday soon.

“But you must at all times remember that the power of the sea is greater than anything else on earth; and that although many fleets have sailed over it, not one has conquered or harnessed it, and no one ever will.”  -Uffa Fox