Coasting Fort to Fort

 

As tempting as Children's Island looked in Tuesday morning's sparkling sunshine I continued hugging the coast of Marblehead and pulled into a serene Dolliber Cove where little Crowninshield Island offered an ideal spot to land...

I'd launched 2 hours before high tide from Winter Island Maritime Park (Fort Pickering) in Salem, MA and paddled across the mouth of Salem Harbor to Marblehead's Naugus Head.  Headed southeast from there rounding Peach's Point before reaching Dolliber Cove.  The cove offered a few glimpses of days gone by:

This lobsterman's shack...

...and this banks dory...

...that I'm guessing has never been shrink-wrapped.

Emerged out of the protected cove and looked across the mouth of Marblehead Harbor to the tip of Marblehead Neck...

 Hard to my right was Gale's Head...

...where the guns of Fort Sewall decided who could and couldn't enter Marblehead Harbor.  The fort's biggest moment came during the War of 1812 when the USS Constitution was being chased down by two British frigates, HMS Tenedos and HMS Endymion.  The Constitution found refuge in the harbor while Fort Sewall's guns convinced the British ships to give up the chase.  

Retraced my steps back to Naugus Head and then entered Salem Harbor following its east side to its southern terminus at the mouth of the Forest River...

  Followed the harbor's west side on the way out passing Jeggle Island...

...and several pocket-beaches until reaching Derby Wharf Light Station marking the entry point...

...to the South River where the Salem Maritime National Historic Site includes the Salem Custom House and a replica of the tall ship Friendship of Salem...

...the Friendship's figurehead at the ship's prow...

...perhaps an example of the idiom "putting your best foot forward".

Then it was back to Fort Pickering Light...

...and a post-paddle swim within sight of the little lighthouse.  Winter Island is a great spot from which to access Salem Harbor.  It offers parking (for a fee), restrooms, a beach, camping, and the remains of Fort Pickering.

A chart showing the areas visited...

Yesterday I launched into the Nashua River at Petapawag in Groton, MA and headed upriver.  At the Route 119/111 bridge it was noted that all the tree limbs and debris had been removed...

 

The river was quiet on this morning-after booming Fourth of July celebrations...

...such as the Boston Pops annual performance of the "1812 Overture".
 

Paddled into the Dead River, a cut-off section of river, where this green heron had the place to himself...

Tuesday's trash from the waters around Salem/Marblehead...

Trash from the Nashua on Friday...