Hingham Adventures - The Boston Harbor Islands

The 63 has only moved three times since arriving in Hingham; a Boston Harbor cruise and two visits to Spectacle Island.  However, that does not imply that I have not been boating.  In fact I've had a great boating summer with the tender.  Since arriving in Hingham the tender has covered well over 300 miles including a 20 mile round trip into Boston.

The 63's tender is an AB DLX13 with a 60 HP Yamaha.  This is an amazingly competent little boat.  It has a top speed of 36 MPH with me aboard and 34 MPH with myself and a guest.  Even loaded to capacity, five persons and 825 pounds, the AB can get on plane and achieve a top speed of 26 MPH. Note: My old Caribe DL11 with a 30 HP Tohatsu would not plane with 3 adults.  I normally cruise comfortably at 30 MPH with two persons aboard.  Additionally, the AB is surprisingly dry and can handle waves up to 2 feet at speed. Driving the dingy is like driving a sports car.  Great fun. 

AB DLX 13 anchored off Grape Island with the boarding ladder deployed

Amelia loves riding in the "dingy" and this has led Lesley and I to begin exploring the Boston Harbor Islands.

As reader know, I spent my summers from age 5 to age 20 in Hull Massachusetts, a summer community on the south shore of Boston. Starting when I was about 16, I had access to my uncle's 18 foot Old Town runabout with a 75 HP Johnson and spent considerable time cruising Hull Bay, Nantasket Roads and Nantasket Beach where I passed many of the Boston Harbor Islands.  However, I never set foot on any of the islands.

This changed this year when Lesley proposed exploring the islands in search of Monarch butterfly eggs.

First a little background.  I spend lots of time growing up collecting butterflies as a kid growing up in Hull.  Butterflies were abundant 65 years ago and I and my friends, Richard and Paul Levinson, amassed collections including large butterflies like monarchs, viceroys, black swallowtails and yellow swallowtails.  Fast forward to 2015.  Butterflies have virtually disappeared.

Meanwhile, my daughter Lesley teaches high school biology (and chemistry) and is interested in butterflies.  After unsuccessfully attempting to find monarch eggs in Hingham and Hull we decided to see if we could find them on the islands.

Boston Harbor Islands - Hingham Shipyard is just south of Grape Island
The dotted line indicates ferry service

More background: The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreational Area was established in 1996 by the US National Park Service and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation Resources.  It consists of 34 islands and peninsulas.  Most are uninhabited.

Seven of the islands are accessible by ferry either from Hingham or Boston during the summer months.  What distinguishes these islands are substantial docks that allow the ferry to discharge and pick-up passengers (remember, this area has 10 to 12 foot tides). Peddocks and Georges Islands contain forts. The fort at Georges island, Fort Warren, was build in 1847 before the Civil War and was operational through 1947.

My one complaint is that private boats are not allowed to tie up - period.  The Park Service/DCR allows private boats to touch and go for the purpose of discharging or picking up passengers. Hence, while access is unlimited by private boat, the operator of the boat has to wait offshore for passengers or swim in to join in the exploration.  Great in the mid July through mid September when the water is warm.

Our island explorations this summer included Grape (twice), Bumpkin (twice), Peddocks (once) and Spectacle Islands (three times - two with the big boat).

I'll plan to write articles on each island with a photos.  Stay tuned.

Les