Quick stop in Woods Hole

Almost 21 years ago I showed up in Woods Hole to begin grad school and while I’ve returned via land a few times over the years, this was the first visit via our boat! With no moorings that could accommodate our draft in Woods Hole, we headed to Quissett Harbor and I’m so glad we did. What a special place! 

Moorings offered by the boatyard were easy to grab in this peaceful harbor and we were entertained by kids sailing Optis and the locals sailing their beautiful Herreshoff 12 1/2’s. It’s a simple place—facilities include a dumpster, a port-a-potty, and a hose, and the $40 cash fee is collected by the launch around 5 p.m. “The Knob” offers a lovely seaside walk with great sunset views and nice beaches. It’s a 40 min walk to Woods Hole, or you can hop on the trolley for $2 during the summer. We walked in and took the trolley back.

We walked all around Woods Hole so I could show the kids which building my lab was in at WHOI, the bar I spent too much time in (Captain Kidd’s), and the bakery I used to work at (Pie in the Sky). The Sea Education Association’s boat, Corwith Cramer, that I took a week cruise on was also in port so they got to see that, too! It was a great trip down memory lane! We had a great lunch at the market, beers at Captain Kidd, and the kids had no trouble finding ice cream.

Today we are heading north! We were going to go through the canal this afternoon, but with the timing of some south wind and few good anchoring options close to the end of the canal, we are headed to Onset, MA for a few days! The kids have expressly asked for a “gentler” transit to Maine, so we will take our time and wait for it.