Friday, August 3, 2012

Two Sides of Gloucester's Eastern Point



Another work week wrapped-up in Gloucester, leaving me with the tide rising, sun shining, and a need to find relief from the heat.  At Pavilion Beach there was one parking spot left and within a very short time I'd paddled over to little Ten Pound Island and paused for lunch while enjoying this vista of Gloucester's Boulevard...

Here's the view from the island's other side showing the diminutive Ten Pound Island Lighthouse.


According to the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce 2012 guidebook, Winslow Homer lived here during the summer of 1880 when he was the light's keeper.

I next paddled over to the Southeast Harbor and followed its wealthy shoreline to the sheltered cove behind Eastern Point and the Dog Bar breakwater...


This side of Eastern Point is fairly tame due to the approximately 600 yard long breakwater.  I landed in a small cove before following the breakwater out to where it ends with the small Dog Bar light and horn...
This is where the traffic leaving and entering the harbor becomes a factor...
After rounding the breakwater's end, I headed to Eastern Point's ocean facing side...
The air conditioning was working great here as the wind was coming in off the water, and my boat was bobbing happily about in the lumpiness that always seems to be present here.

Trash was on the light side with small amounts being found at Ten Pound Island and the small cove at Eastern Point.  Also a plastic bag holding 4 containers was floating in the middle of the harbor.

On the way back a brief stop was made at Ten Pound Island to let everyone enjoy a refreshing swim at the top of the tide...
There were 9 recyclable containers (4 redeemable) and 19 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam cups, and an empty chip bag that found its way to the wrong Cape. 
YTD = 4527

As boat names go, this one is age subjective...

4 comments:

Will said...

I went to Gloucester today. Great day to go to Wingaersheek Beach, as well as to pick up trash on Cape Ann
-Will

Al said...

Will, Sure was a great day to be on Cape Ann! Wingaersheek must have been bustling as were all of the beaches that I saw. Life is good.

Paddle2See said...

Looks like a fun trip! I love your lighthouse shots. Ten Pound island is a cool name - what's the history behind that...something military maybe (10# cannonballs)?

Al said...

Paddle2See, Thanks and good question about island's name. Not knowing the answer, I googled it and found two possible answers: tradition saying it was price paid to local Native Americans for purchase; or late local author Joe Garland's belief that it was the number of sheep pens kept there.
www.lighthouse.cc/tenpoundisland/history.html
www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/ten.htm
The island is seen in the opening of the movie Perfect Storm as well as in a dream sequence late in the same movie.
For participants in the Blackburn Challenge it serves as a guide to the nearby finish line (Greasy Pole).