Construction: Week 32 - Engines and Plans

I was on Cape Cod visiting with Lesley, Scott and Amelia when I received my Week 31 Friday photos (8/2) and was a bit disappointed as there appeared to be little progress.  Missing also were photos of the engine room and lazarette.  This promoted a call to Mike at Outer Reef requesting an update on when the boat would be finished and shipped.

Monday, I received a note saying that the engines has been installed that morning.  That was big news and a major milestone.

Cat C9 ACERT engines viewed from above with port engine still attached to the crane

View of engines looking forward

The note further explained that sea trials would be in early November with expected completion at the end of November.  Assuming that a ship is available, we could expect delivery in Fort Lauderdale around Christmas.  Commissioning will take at least three week so we have a reasonable expectation of starting to cruise in late January. 

This news allowed us to start making plans.  The first was a decision to allow Outer Reef to show the 63 in the Miami Boat Show on February 14.  This is a win-win for both parties as I am contractually committed to 4 boat shows.  Our version of the 63, the LRMY (Long Range Motor Yacht), is the first of its kind in the US.  All other have been delivered over seas..  The second was a call to Sarasota to book our Palm Air rental home (which was available) for the month of December. 

The next decision involved our summer 2014 New England cruising plans.  While this had nothing to do with the boat's completion and/or delivery, the fact that I was in Boston area afforded the opportunity to research marinas.  We have decided to use the Boston area as a cruising base and have committed to stay in Hingham Massachusetts and the Hingham Shipyard Marina. 

The marina was built on property that once held the Hingham Shipyard where 227 war ships were build during World War II.  Today the shipyard is home to a multi use development that includes the marina, condos, homes, restaurants, a six screen movie theater, retail stores and a Fresh Market (competitor of Whole foods).  Click the link below for AN AMAZING history of the WWII shipyard.  The photos are extraordinary.

http://www.hinghamshipyardmarinas.com/history-page.html

The Boston Harbor Ferry operates from the east end of the marina.  A trip to Boston takes 35 minutes.  The ferry docks at Rowes Wharf in downtown boston.  The fare is $8.00.

Click below to watch a video of the marina presented by New England boating magazine.

http://newenglandboating.com/news/video-visiting-the-hingham-shipyard-marinas.html

The marina holds 500 boats and has floating docks, which is necessary as the Boston area has 8 feet tides.  More importantly, the marina is situated in the Weymouth Back River in very protected waters, which is great at all times and especially if the Boston is hit by a hurricane.  In fact the Back River in considered a hurricane hole.  It also has deep water (14 foot depth at low tide).  The marina will provide us with a 63 foot slip allowing for a bow-in starboard tie.  Our aft deck will face the Stodder's Neck park and there will be only one dock to the west with small boats.  We will have a spectacular view.

My sister, Myrna, and the view we will have from the aft deck.

Stodder's Neck park is an off leash dog park  and people love it.  Just north of it (and across Route 3A) is Bare Cove Park. 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/stodders-neck-hingham

Bare Cove Park consists of 484 acres located along the banks of the Weymouth Back River in the town of Hingham, MA. Set aside as a wildlife sanctuary and a place for public recreation, the park is an exceptional area of river shoreline, wetland, open fields, dense woods, and diverse animal and plant life. The many wild animals that inhabit Bare Cove Park include coyote, fox, and deer.  This was originally the site of the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot, which supplied munitions during WWII.  Over 2,400 people were employed there in its peak year of1945.  The Depot was decommission in 1961.

http://hingham-ma.gov/barecove/

This location gives us access to one of the best cruising grounds on the east coast.  The map below shows the Boston waters.   The marina is located two "green blocks" to the left of Hingham (lower right side of photo)

Click on the map (to expand it) and note BH-11 (Weymouth Back River).  That is the precise location of the Hingham Shipyard Marina.  From Hingham we can cruise all of Boston Harbor's relatively protected waters.  Portsmouth New Hampshire to the north is 70 miles and Maine's cruising ground is just north of that.  The Cape Cod Canal with its access to Cape Cod is 80 miles to the he south.  Between Boston and the canal are the harbors of Cohasset, Situate and Plymouth.

Of special significance is Hull Massachusetts just a short dingy ride across the bay from the marina.  Hull is where I spent 10 weeks with my family every summer from age 5 to 18.

By car (which we plan to have with us) we are as close as 10 minutes and as far as 2 hours from family and friends.  Lesley, Scott and Amelia in Cumberland, RI are within an hour.  My sister in Cambridge is within 40 minutes.

Week 33 photos will be posted shortly and they show considerable progress. 

Post Script: During WWII, the Hingham Shipyard built a Destroyer Escort, a 289 foot 1,360 ton vessel with a 35 foot beam and 9 foot draft, in 23 days from the day of laying the keel.  Outer Reef take notice (just kidding).  

Written by Les.