Woods Hole

Hi everyone,

We spent five nights in the Woods Hole area - one anchored and two moored at Hadley Harbor, then two rafted on a mooring at Eel Pond.  The latter put us right in the centre of Woods Hole allowing us to explore the village.

Inside Eel Pond at Woods Hole

Our second night at Hadley Harbor saw nasty weather coming through with the weather radar showing the prospect of intense rain and lightning.  We moved onto a free mooring further in the harbor.  It appeared they'd been recently serviced, being very clean and tidy.  We had winds gusting to 27 and a lot of rain. The following morning was foggy.

Hadley Harbor mooring

We spent the following night on the mooring and awoke to a lovely sunny day.  We had arranged to raft up to an OCC boat in Eel Pond, so we motored the 1.5nm through the Woods Hole Passage and into the Pond.  We went through the passage at slack tide but it turns rapidly and there were a few whirlpools in the channel.

In the sun

Woods Hole Passage at slack tide

We timed our run well, arriving at the bridge just in time for its 1000 opening.  It was low water but we found a minimum of 2.1m.  Navionic's SonarCharts show a lot less at the bridge but we were assured there was at least 2m - exactly what we need.

Approaching Eel Pond Bridge (aka "the drawbridge")

That afternoon we dinghied ashore to the Town Dock and walked around the village.  It has a real University campus feel to it - not surprising since that's basically what it is!  The famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Chicago's Marine Biological Laboratory dominate the village.  'Tis a cool place.

Rafted-up with sv Apogee

On the drawbridge

WHOI's Research Vessel Neil Armstrong

We visited the WHOI Discovery Center which is small and a bit of a labyrinth but packed with interesting displays.

WHOI Discovery Center

WHOI's Alvin submersible interior

WHOI Ice Tethered Profiler research system

WHOI Shark Research AUV

There are at least a couple of good pubs in Woods Hole - the Leeside and the Captain Kidd.  We had a good lunch at the former, adjacent to the Ferry Docks.  And we had very nice round of beers at the latter which overlooks the Pond.

Leeside Pub

Captain Kidd's 1865 40' Mahogany Bar

Thanks for OCC PO Bob for making us so welcome in Woods Hole!

Trust all's well where you are.