DRAMA ON THE CAPE COD CANAL

JULY 20, 2016

YOU JUST CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP!

AND THE FOG ROLLS IN

We left Orient Harbor and headed to Clarks Cove, off New Bedford, Massachusetts.  After one night we were ready to make the short trip to the Cape Cod Canal.  As the anchor was coming up a fog bank rolled in, down went the anchor again and we stayed put until the next day.  This was our first encounter with fog in the northeast and fortunately it didn't stay for long.  The next morning we were on our way, 18 miles to the Cape Cod Canal. 

ENTERING THE CAPE COD CANAL

The Cape Cod Canal Transiting Regulations are enforced.  It is known for its strong currents of up to 5 knots, timing is everything. We approached the narrow channel a little early, it was not quite slack tide.  The winds that had been light all day cranked up 25 to 30 knots, of course blowing against the current coming out of the channel, the water turned into a washing machine effect.  Waves were crashing all around us and strong current right on our nose. As Rod struggled to maintain control at the helm a huge tug was coming out of the canal towards us.  If that wasn't enough a sailboat came from behind us to pass in the narrow channel between It's Perfect and the tug.

COMPANY ON THE CAPE COD CANAL

All we could do was move over as far as possible and continue to try to stay on course.  The tug moved over and the other sailboat approached our port side to pass between us.  Pictures and words could never do this situation justice.  It was one of the most stressful times for us on the water.  Just as the two boats passed Rod checked the engine gauges and the engine was overheating.  What to do next????????  Rod turned out of the channel into 14ft of water and dropped the Rocna and all our 250ft of chain.  Immediately waves were crashing over the bow of It's Perfect and water was rushing over the decks.  The anchor was holding solid.

It was soon determined the seawater pump had lost it's prime again and Rod soon had it primed.  The engine cooled off, we pulled up the anchor and headed back into the channel.  Soon we passed the channel marker and were heading in again, but not for long.  The engine again overheated. This time Rod immediately pulled out of the channel and I took the wheel trying to keep the bow into the wind.  As he began to drop the anchor the anchor chain would not come out of the locker.  With Rod on the bow, the boat slamming up and down and water pouring over the sides he tried everything.  He soon decided the only thing to do was drop our secondary anchor.  Our 45lb Danforth anchor is lashed to the bow at all times and has 200 ft. of nylon rode and 30ft of chain.   It was a process to release the anchor but it finally went into the water.  Now will it hold?  It did and with the water churning around us Rod decided we would ride this out at anchor until the wind died down and the water calmed.  While It's Perfect took all the crashing water and rolling with the current in stride, Sea Tow came out to make sure everything was alright and we were not taking on water.  Nice to know someone was watching.  After more than an hour everything slowly began to calm. The sea water pump was primed and the engine cooled.  Time to finish our journey into Onset Bay.  Passages like this test the boat and the crew to the very edge of what you think possible. Then you finally pull yourself and the boat together and go back out there to sail another day.

ONSET BAY, MASSACHUSETTS

The last few miles were much more calm and we were soon in Onset Bay Marina on a mooring ball.  Time for a glass of wine and a beautiful sunset.  We stayed two nights on the ball and had a list, of course.  Rod first addressed the Rocna chain.  He shackled the main halyard to the chain and used the winch on the mast to pull the chain out of the anchor locker.  It was so rough when we pulled up the Rocna the chain rolled into a ball as it went into the locker, it was a huge chore to get it unrolled and finally back into the locker.  While Rod was busy, I began putting below decks back in order.  We secure everything below decks but obviously not well enough for the pounding It's Perfect took.  By the time Rod finished with the anchor chain I had below decks more presentable.

Rod researched the seawater pump problem.  This pump is suppose to be self priming, but it was not.  Rod had installed a new Johnson impeller, right size but a different brand from the original in the pump in Green Cove Springs before putting It's Perfect in the water.  At the time he had to prime the pump for it to work, he didn't think much about it.  After reading more, he took the old Jabsco impeller he had removed and reinstalled it in the pump.  It self primed first time.  The moral of the story, if you have a Jabsco pump, put a Jabsco impeller in it.  We now have 2 new Jabsco impellers on their way to It's Perfect. 

After our second night on the ball we left the mooring field and turned back into the Cape Cod Canal to finish our transit heading for Boston, Massachusetts.   It was slack tide and the winds were calm, the remainder of the trip down the canal was uneventful.  After an hour and 15 min we were out into the Cape Cod Bay turning north for Boston.  It was a beautiful day.