We had to wait until noon to leave Plymouth at high tide, to head back to Provincetown for Independnece Day weekend. We thought celebrating in a town that embodies many values of American Democracy, and where the Mayflower Pact was signed would be appropriate, not to mention a population that likes to party! We had perfect sailing conditions again. With a heat wave, we also found cooler temperatures out on the open water. So we decided to make a detour and visit the Stellwagen Bank, a marine sanctuary north of Cape Cod.
This area was featured in the book and film “A Pefect Storm”, but under less idyllic circumstances. It’s a notorious feeding ground for a varietly of whale species and a popular location for whale-watching tours leaving Gloucester, Boston, and Provincetown. Sandy looked for the whale watching boats on AIS in order to help find whales. Ironically, it was only after they dispersed and we found ourselves alone that we began to spot the telltale geysers of whales (aka whale snot)! We spent a beautiful moment surrounded by a pod of humpback whales exhibiting various behaviors, including a breach, when the whale jumps out of the water and does a loud belly-flop on the surface.
We enjoyed another perfect sail back down to Provincetown where we tied up at dusk, showered, had a light dinner, and crashed after a long and exhiliarating day on the water.
