* Scotty wrote, On 7/20/2007 1:21 AM:
"Jeff" wrote in message
...
* Scotty wrote, On 7/16/2007 8:53 PM:
What's the opposite of ''Bristol?

Funny you should ask! On July 4th we were on a mooring in
Salem for
the fireworks. The contrast between the boats on the next
two
moorings was so striking I had to take a few pics.

You have a good life, Jeff.

Well, for a few months in the summer we reap a some rewards.

Was the water calm enough to reflect the fireworks? One of
our fondest memories, was while anchored out, watching 3
different small town's fireworks and the corresponding
reflection in the water.

This year's fireworks were muted a bit by rain. The festivities on
shore (concert, speeches, etc) were pretty well washed out. We were
already on the boat doing a BBQ with friends that joined us for half
the trip. The location is rather neat, since the towns of Marblehead,
Lynn, Swampscot, Beverly, Danvers, and Manchester have shows within a
few miles so there is really an hour long display going on. We've
been coming for several years because its a lot more kid friendly than
the craziness in the city.

This year's trip was much the same as last. From Salem we went down
through the Cape Cod Canal to Martha's Vineyard where we "vacated" for
a week. Perhaps later I'll assemble some pictures.

Quote of the trip:
We arrived at Vineyard Haven on the busiest day of the year so a
coveted "inside mooring" was not to be had. We did, however, get one
of the last outside rental moorings. More and more boats kept showing
up, each requesting a mooring. All the harbormaster could advise was
to anchor various places. A large powerboat replied, "We're a Power
Cruiser. We don't like to anchor!"

OK, just a couple of pics:
Here's my daughter and her friend as we're going through the Canal:
http://www.sv-loki.com/IMGP1038_edited-1.jpg
About 30 minutes later we came out of the canal riding a 3 knot
current but with 20 knots wind on the nose. This kicked up a nasty
3-4' chop with the girls taking air on every bounce. The mothers were
a bit concerned, but it was safer to just leave them there, and the
girls loved it!

Vineyard Haven is home to a large number to classic boats, starting
with two tall ships owned by the Black Dog empire. Here are several
of the boats that were moored next to ours - another advantage of
being on a mooring is sitting in the cockpit enjoying sights like this:
http://www.sv-loki.com/IMGP1088.jpg