Monday, July 31, 2017

Duxbury Beach Free Of Evil Red Seaweed... For Now



Duxbury Beach attacked the red seaweed problem on the residential beach today. The town beach by the bridge had already been done, and the Beach Park handled it privately. (M.E. Federici on the camera)

A smelly red seaweed from Japan has been all over South Shore beaches this summer. Duxbury buried it, but Marshfield, with her rockier beaches, is letting it rot in place. Given the tenacity of this seaweed, Duxbury may have just planted a new batch for all I know. Hopefully, everything works out.

The pictures with the seaweed are from less-responsive Nantasket Beach in Hull.

Heterosiphonia japonica was first identified off of Rhode Island in 2009. It looks like other red kelp swishing around, but it is smellier and more persistent. It can outcompete other seaweed and squeeze out life on any beach it hits. "The beach looks like cranberry sauce" and "It's like swimming in oil" are complaints we've heard.

Good riddance!



Harboring: Weymouth

Our series, Harboring, takes us up to Weymouth.


Weymouth does what they can with the space they were granted.


When you see a foot-high seawall, you know you're sort of sheltered as far as harbors go.

Weymouth and Quincy are pretty much the cutoff point of our coverage area.

Keep off the moors...

We add an extra B for "delicious"... oh wait, it was Botulism.


Coolest house on the harbor, for my money.

Not too bad for a few towns south of Boston.


I was up there rather early, and beat a lot of the pleasure-boatin' types to the dock, hence the inactivity.

This is the Moose, waiting her turn.


The way out to sea...

The most patriotic dock in town.

The Pru and the Hancock in the background, barely visible to my camera.

Stormy morning, to be fair...

The boat was named for a 17th century suffragist in England. She was once imprisoned for heckling Prime Minister Asquith.

If naming a boat the Stacey Ann or something isn't trendy enough for you, you can just use a symbol, like Prince did.




I only had so many vantage points to work with.

Got my own dock...

Thanks for having us, Weymouth!

Haboring: Harwich Port

Harboring goes to Harwich Port.


 We had three harbors in town to choose from, so we chose to start at Saquatucket.


Sasquatucket, Wychmere and Allen are the three harbors in Harwich Port's "Three Harbors, One Port" nickname.


Good harbor space on southern Cape Cod is rare, and the waiting list at this harbor is 12-15 years... which is about the last time they painted this boat, now that you mention it.
They have about 200 slips here, and they fetch a pretty penny for them. Cape Cod yachty life don't come cheap, player...



Saquatucket has plenty of working boats.

I'm guessing that's the difference between tides in these parts. I'm not sure. I sank the only boat that I ever owned, and am not the go-to guy in this situation.

Well, if you're gonna break a part of the boat...

A nice shot of the Rose Of The Winds, also known as a Compass Rose. 

The view exiting Saquatucket Harbor... sweet house, btw

I never trust aqua boats, I always suspect a Dolphins fan. This paranoia only increases when you factor in Cape Cod's tourist, washashore and snowbird populations.


"Rod Holster" sounds like that Putin/Trump joke that Colbert made a few months ago.

The good part about upper decks is that you can vomit down onto the captain if he drives so poorly that you get seasick.

History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man.

Harwich has more three-story-high boats than most harbors, and I go to a lot of harbors.

This may be the actual shack that Captain Bob worked out of.

US warships should have goofy names now and then... "USS Neurotic" and so forth.

Yankee I is probably out, and you notice the empty berth next to Yankee II... but "What happened to Yankee I?" comes to mind even before I consider getting on the boat.

There is a certain utilitarian beauty to "boat, motor, steering wheel... done" boat styles.

The Harwich Harbormaster has an open-door policy.

They kind of need a third and maybe a fourth flag. This isn't a ghetto town either, they really have no excuse.

That's more like it... after Saquatucket, we headed to Wychmere.
We also checked out Allen Harbor


You gotta get in where you fit in at Harwich Port.

Sea Win wins so much you'll get sick of winning, but you'll keep winning.

"Ah, the ladies, Chief... they hate you goin' out, but they love you comin' in."

The basic path out to sea... our pictures are 100% landlubber and will be for some time.


When your seawall needs a seawall in front of it...

The true players dodge the marsh-side dock.

Ready to get some fish...

Those houses probably go for one, maybe two hundred thousand or so.

After this, you're at sea...


This boat was actually asking me to get her in the water. Sadly, it isn't mine.


Person who knows why... please use the comments feature below.



Random Harwich Port Boat Names:


Debbie's Rival... 

Nothing says "Flop City" like a sweet boat in friggin' Harwich Port.

My lawyer's boat.

If a ship captain goes through too many Brown Eyed Girls, comparisons to Bluebeard may arise.

No idea

I had to explain to my co-pilot that day, who is ten, that Lovely Rita was a meter maid.

The only Jennifer I know, who actually can fight well, isn't Domme at all, so it was unnecessary for me to steal this boat to gain her approval.

I'd like to sail with this guy.




Thanks, Harwich!