We rode our bikes around downtown Wickford. Paul, the older fellow running the marina, asked where we were going and we said we were headed to Maine before heading to Florida. He urged us to get up to Maine and get out because the weather would turn cool and the water could get rough and it could get foggy. The next morning we decided to make our way towards Maine bypassing many ports, thinking we would catch the ports we were missing on our way down.
So our next stop heading towards Maine was Onset, MA. It is located on the southern end of the Cape Cod Canal. This canal allows vessels to bypass going way out and around Cape Cod.
Above and below are Onset Bay in the morning. Not much of a town here but we did manage to ride our bikes around and see what was there.
Entrance to the Cape Cod Canal. There are 3 bridges on the canal and the first one is a railroad bridge. 
Below is the northern end of the canal where it opens up into the Atlantic again. From here Boston is just 40 miles to the northwest, but we headed basically 60 miles straight north to Gloucester.
The entrance into Gloucester. Everyone has heard of Gloucester, MA. It's mostly a commercial fishing port. 
This is a picture looking across from the marina where we stayed at Gloucester.
We stayed at this marina. 
We had to back the boat in past the red striped boat on the left, making a left turn while backing up and backing into the slip. It was difficult because the fairway that I was backing into was narrower than the length of our boat. Below Live Wire in her slip - whew, no scratches.
Since we entered saltwater in the Hudson, we have encountered tides. The further north we get, the greater the tidal heights. Here at Gloucester, it must have approached 12 feet. I was standing next to Deb in the picture below when I took the picture of our boat above. Later that day, this floating dock and our boat was almost even with the fixed dock we were standing on.
Downtown Gloucester. Once we entered Long Island Sound, between Long Island and the mainland, we started seeing multi-colored floats, sporadically, in the water. The further north we get, the more prevalent they become. They are about the size of a grapefruit, and at first I didn't know what they were for, but it didn't take us long to figure out that they were at the end of the line of a number of crab pots. From Gloucester north, there were thousands of these. I couldn't drive the boat straight for very long, I was constantly dodging these floats. 
They have a nice memorial here in Gloucester for all the lost fishermen dating way back. They have a series of placards with all the mens' names.
Below is a nice beach for the kids at one of the parks.
Brad and Rich must have been in Gloucester on tour with their Strokers band.
Above is a shot, across the harbor, of the marina where we stayed. We were sitting here having seafood for supper.
Gloucester is on the southern side of a point of land. There are 2 ways to head north from here, one being a canal and the other is to go 10 miles out around. We chose to go out around, both going up and coming down.
These 2 lights are on that point just north and east of Gloucester at Cape Ann.
Below, the next 4 pictures, we are heading up the Piscataqua River to Portsmouth, NH.
Portsmouth is the home of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Later in this post, we met 2 couples that work at the shipyard, one being a nuclear engineer involved in refueling nuclear subs.
Below, looking up the river, Portsmouth, NH is on the left and Kittery, ME is on the right. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is actually on the Maine side. The marina where we stayed for 2 days was just past this bridge on the right in Kittery.
We stayed here. Vinny, the harbormaster, was very helpful.
Below is a picture of the state run fuel dock at Portsmouth. We were told we could purchase cheap diesel fuel there, so I took this picture of it. The only problem was that our boat was pretty much full of fuel, so returning south from Maine, we timed it so we could be close to empty and pull in here and get fuel.
Next is a series of picture in and around Kittery/Portsmouth.
We took in Peter Pan play at the park in Portsmouth. What I consider outstanding about this play was that all participants had wireless microphones. I could actually hear clear out in the crowd what they were saying.
Below we had left Portsmouth heading for Boothbay, ME.
A couple of pictures of the many lighthouses along the shoreline.
Entrance to Boothbay Harbor is to the right of the lighthouse below.
Next 7 pictures are of Boothbay Harbor.
Stayed here at Brown's Wharf Inn for two nights. The town of Boothbay is a great stop, nice quaint town, lots of shops, very touristy.
Deb had lobster at Boothbay Lobster Wharf.
When I picture Maine, I picture it as foggy and rainy like in the picture below.
We left Boothbay and headed back south. It was the 26th of July and we needed to pick up our Aunt Lil and Uncle Jim on the 4th of August in Boston. We had bypassed a number of ports between Boothbay and Boston so we thought we should not continue north.
Entering Portland, ME's harbor.
Below, many of these ports have old forts; some were constructed and never used. Portland had several of them, two that we could see from the marina where we stayed.
Next series of pictures are in and around Portland.
The docks at Spring Point Marina where we stayed.
Sitting on the back of our boat here at Portland, this Liberian oil tanker came into the fuel depot dock just to our left and offloaded in 24 hours.
Below is the primary lighthouse guarding the entrance to Portland's harbor. We passed very close to it heading south that morning.
The marina where we stayed at Portland, ME - Spring Point Marina.
We wanted to stay at Kennebunkport, so we could stop by and visit with the Bushes, but quite frankly many of the ports here on the east coast only have private yacht clubs. Many ports have little or no facilities for transient boaters.
Above and below are pictures of President Bush's home at Kennebunkport. You can see one of the security zone buoys, although this local boater was well within the boundaries.
From Portland, we headed past Kennebunkport and stayed at Newburyport, MA.
Approaching Newburyport.
Stayed here at the city's park on the wall for three days.
Newburyport had a week-long city festival going on that we happened to stumble on right in the middle of.
Newburyport is a town transient boaters would like to clone. It has to rank as one of our most enjoyable stops this year. Not only is it a nice town with a lot to offer, but we met 2 great couples who work at the naval shipyard in Maine. They were on vacation travelling together with their boats.
Counterclockwise from bottom right: Deb, Katie, Debbie, Tim, Bert, John and his wife. Deb and Bert; Tim and Katie worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Every night while we were there, they had a concert at the park.
Saying good-bye to Deb and Bert. They were heading back to Portsmouth with their boat. We left 1/2 hour later for Salem.
Arriving Salem, MA.
Stayed here on the right at Pickering Wharf Marina.
Pictures around Salem, famous for the Salem Witch Trials.
Salem is just north of Boston, about a 45 minute ferry ride. The Detroit Tigers were playing Boston so the day before we took the boat to Boston, we jumped on this ferry with our bikes and rode out to Fenway Park and watched the ballgame. I rode with the captain in the cockpit the entire way. He asked me what kind of boat we had and as we entered Boston's harbor the next morning, he was just leaving Boston headed back to Salem and gave us a big wave.
Next blog, the city of Boston and further south.
We stayed here. Vinny, the harbormaster, was very helpful.
Below is a picture of the state run fuel dock at Portsmouth. We were told we could purchase cheap diesel fuel there, so I took this picture of it. The only problem was that our boat was pretty much full of fuel, so returning south from Maine, we timed it so we could be close to empty and pull in here and get fuel.
Next is a series of picture in and around Kittery/Portsmouth.
We took in Peter Pan play at the park in Portsmouth. What I consider outstanding about this play was that all participants had wireless microphones. I could actually hear clear out in the crowd what they were saying.
Below we had left Portsmouth heading for Boothbay, ME.
A couple of pictures of the many lighthouses along the shoreline.
Entrance to Boothbay Harbor is to the right of the lighthouse below.
Next 7 pictures are of Boothbay Harbor.
Stayed here at Brown's Wharf Inn for two nights. The town of Boothbay is a great stop, nice quaint town, lots of shops, very touristy.
Deb had lobster at Boothbay Lobster Wharf.
When I picture Maine, I picture it as foggy and rainy like in the picture below.
We left Boothbay and headed back south. It was the 26th of July and we needed to pick up our Aunt Lil and Uncle Jim on the 4th of August in Boston. We had bypassed a number of ports between Boothbay and Boston so we thought we should not continue north.
Entering Portland, ME's harbor.
Below, many of these ports have old forts; some were constructed and never used. Portland had several of them, two that we could see from the marina where we stayed.
Next series of pictures are in and around Portland.
The docks at Spring Point Marina where we stayed.
Sitting on the back of our boat here at Portland, this Liberian oil tanker came into the fuel depot dock just to our left and offloaded in 24 hours.
Below is the primary lighthouse guarding the entrance to Portland's harbor. We passed very close to it heading south that morning.
The marina where we stayed at Portland, ME - Spring Point Marina.
We wanted to stay at Kennebunkport, so we could stop by and visit with the Bushes, but quite frankly many of the ports here on the east coast only have private yacht clubs. Many ports have little or no facilities for transient boaters.
Above and below are pictures of President Bush's home at Kennebunkport. You can see one of the security zone buoys, although this local boater was well within the boundaries.
From Portland, we headed past Kennebunkport and stayed at Newburyport, MA.
Approaching Newburyport.
Stayed here at the city's park on the wall for three days. 
Newburyport had a week-long city festival going on that we happened to stumble on right in the middle of.
Newburyport is a town transient boaters would like to clone. It has to rank as one of our most enjoyable stops this year. Not only is it a nice town with a lot to offer, but we met 2 great couples who work at the naval shipyard in Maine. They were on vacation travelling together with their boats.
Counterclockwise from bottom right: Deb, Katie, Debbie, Tim, Bert, John and his wife. Deb and Bert; Tim and Katie worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Every night while we were there, they had a concert at the park.
Saying good-bye to Deb and Bert. They were heading back to Portsmouth with their boat. We left 1/2 hour later for Salem.
Arriving Salem, MA.
Stayed here on the right at Pickering Wharf Marina.
Pictures around Salem, famous for the Salem Witch Trials.
Salem is just north of Boston, about a 45 minute ferry ride. The Detroit Tigers were playing Boston so the day before we took the boat to Boston, we jumped on this ferry with our bikes and rode out to Fenway Park and watched the ballgame. I rode with the captain in the cockpit the entire way. He asked me what kind of boat we had and as we entered Boston's harbor the next morning, he was just leaving Boston headed back to Salem and gave us a big wave.
Next blog, the city of Boston and further south.
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