May 30- June 1st Onset Harbor/New Bedford-Fairhaven/Mystic

     Sunday morning we loaded the dinghy with laundry and headed for the town of Wareham, whose waterfront is Onset Harbor.  We are early risers and noted that the sleepy town seemed rather dead and then realized it was Sunday.  The laundromat didn’t open until ten.  The post office and hardware store were closed.  We debated waiting for things to open but decided to try our luck at the Onset Harbor Marina instead.  The Marina graciously allowed us to use their laundry facilities and their showers and we spent an easy morning getting all cleaned up.

     We set off about three-thirty in the afternoon, intent for Cuttyhunk in the Elizabeth Islands but the weather conditions weren’t exactly as predicted so we made for a mainland harbor instead - New Bedford/Fairhaven.  This is an incredible working harbor, with a long history of fishing and whaling, and is still filled with fishing vessels.  It also has a very large gate at its entrance, designed to close off the seas and keep the entire harbor and the two town waterfronts safe.  We spent a very snug night listening to the howling winds, happy to be riding at anchor.

     Monday dawned chilly and overcast, with the promise of rain.  However, the winds were from the Northeast and would give us a good push as we continue our way to Long Island Sound and New York City.  We made good time at about 6 1/2 knots - covering 50 miles from New Bedford/Fairhaven all the way to Mystic Connecticut, passing Rhode Island right by.  It was raw and we were wearing full foul weather gear, but it didn’t really rain until we were already at anchor. We had a nice chicken pie from the leftover roast chicken; it’s toasty warm with both the oven and the heater going.