Long Beach

One day in early August, the Admiral suggested we take the boat and go to Long Beach for the day.  She bemoaned the fact that, although we live in a coastal community, she had only been to the beach once this entire summer.  Our neighbor friends, who have a 250hp Grady White powerboat, and a daughter who graduated from Stony Brook University (my workplace), had told her about this pleasant beach on the Wareham River that was only accessible by boat.  Time was of the essence, she insisted.  There was not a moment to be lost.  No sailing.  Just motor over there.  Orders from the Admiralty.

Long Beach Point is a sand bar that at low tide is an exposed spur of land on the eastern bank of the Wareham River, not far from its mouth.  It is a small and pleasant beach, with relatively few visitors, some of whom come to dig for quahaugs.  But the beach is there only at low tide, and one must plan a visit with due consideration of tides, and navigate the tricky channel at the mouth of the Wareham River.

From downriver, the channel hugs Cromeset Neck on the western bank of the river until navigation aid Red 10, off Nobska Point, where it turns to northeast.  Particular care is warranted in a keel boat when approaching Red 12, off Long Beach Point: at low tide the water between the red nun and the rocks on the Point is barely a foot deep.

Lee-Ann stands at the tip of Long Beach Point near ebb tide

My First Mate tries to remember the mantra, 'Red-Right-Returning,' but he sometimes confuses his right with his other right when verbalizing.  In practice however, he knows to keep red nav aids to the right (starboard) side of the boat when returning to harbor from the sea.  Around the northern side of the spur lies a shallow anchorage.  On most days, with the typical Buzzards Bay southwesterlies, that would also be on the more sheltered leeward side of the little peninsula.  A larger sailboat with a deeper keel could not anchor in such shallow water -- four feet or less at low tide, depending on the spot.  But our O'day 23, with a retractable centerboard that can be raised up inside the keel, can draw less than three feet of water.  

At low tide I walked out to the shallows south of Point,

the water never coming more than halfway up my shins.

Note to self: not a good place to bring the boat.

When the Admiral plans a beach outing, it sometimes seems to have the logistical complexities of marine expedition.  There is a cooler bag for drinks, and a cooler back for food.  There is a large beach bag with towels and various other assorted items.  There is a bag for beach toys.  There are "noodles" for the kids to use when swimming (which we now stow aboard the boat).  There is her personal bag.  There is her daughter's personal bag.  There is her daughter's personal beach towel bag, because she wants her own.  Fine.  Of course, I have my yellow backpack 'float bag' that I always take when I go about a boat.  It requires a whole trip to ferrying that stuff ashore in the inflatable dinghy, which we usually tow behind us during beach visits.

Lee-Ann rows the kids ashore.  Good form.  Lots of practice rowing those whaleboats.

At low tide, and the hours preceding and following, the sand bar is exposed high and dry.  If you arrive before low tide, you have to keep in mind that the water will continue to recede a bit, and be sure to leave yourself enough room to anchor safely, as the boat may swing in the breeze as it rides at anchor.  

Long Beach at Low Tide

Looking ESE from the Point

Long Beach at High Tide

Looking ESE from almost the same spot

The shallow protected anchorage is a great place to do some minor maintenance and cleaning of the hull below the waterline.  Standing chest-deep, it was easy to wipe of loose algae-like growth with a sponge.  The expensive ablative bottom paint I used doing an excellent job of keeping the hull clean and clear of barnacles and other growth.  However, I did not paint the bottom of the dinghy with anti-fouling paint.  In mid-August, we had to haul the dinghy out of the water, bring it home, and scrape clean its bottom, which had become encrusted with barnacles.  Someone advised me to pour a vinegar solution on them to loosen them.  It was nasty.

Our inflatable dinghly, 'Mein Kraft,' hauled out for a bottom cleaning

Barnacles.  Ouch.

Gonna have to do something on RufDrafts about Barnacles.  Stay tuned....

The First Mate gentle scraps away with a putty knife,

after boat bottom has soaked overnight in a vinegar solution

The kids love Long Beach.  It is easy to get to for us, doesn't require sailing ("aw, do we have to?"), and offers lots to explore.  They love to catch little crabs, shrimp, fish, shellfish, or whatever.  At low tide one can walk way out on the shallow flats to the south (seaward) side of the peninsula, while fish swim by your feet.

 Long Beach Point as the tide runs out

We had to move our inflatable dinghy further up the beach several times to keep it from floating away

Lee-Ann loves to collect beach glass.  I like sea stones.  We both enjoy gathering scallop shells. 

Disturbing the gulls on Long Beach Point as dusk falls.

Dylan after swimming back to the boat.

"Sorry, bud.  The dinghy is full of our stuff.  You have to swim out."

During one visit, we "rafted up" with our friends on their Grady White.  That was a first for me.  I think we handled it fairly well.

'Piao' and 'FundTimes' rafted together at Long Beach 

One problem with rafting to another boat in this anchorage is the fact that many powerboats come up and down the Wareham River at (arguably unnecessarily) high speeds, and throw up large waves in their wake.  I'm not sure if they do it intentionally, or out of ignorance and insensitivity.  But the effect is sometimes to produce a violent rocking that can jar together boats that are rafted together, creating greater risks of damage or injury.  In the 1700s, Wareham had been the home of the famous mariner Captain Kenderick (stay tuned to RufDraft for a post on him).  Today it seems to be home harbor for a lot of Massholes, as such folks are known in the Commonwealth.  One friend, who works in real estate, refers to Wareham as "Brockton-by-the-Sea."

 Lauryn said she was using the machine guns to protect the boat

Was it those rowdy Warehamites, running circles around our sailboat with their powerboat,

churning up big waves with their wake to make our boat roll?

Dylan and a friend play cards in the saloon during a trip home from Long Beach at twilight

We have made five trips now to Long Beach, and I'm sure we will be doing a few more before the end of the season.