WINTER COMES TO THE HARBOR

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Well winter has finally arrived and the docks that were filled with power boats are now empty and so is much of the harbor that was filled with hundreds of boats.

Even the moorings are gone. Leaving no trace that sailboats like BIANKA where ever in the harbor. But, not all the boats have gone into hibernation mode. They boatyard was still pulling the boats of the commercial fisherman:

 Cleaning the bottoms, replacing props, engines and whatever else has to be done. One would think winter time would be a time of scarce resources for much of the wildlife of the harbor. But, different species of ducks from the north have replaced others that have moved south. Sightings of Arctic Snowy Owls have been reported. Meanwhile, the local Seagulls have been enjoying a seasonal treat in the town marina parking lot. Where the marinas floating docks have been hauled out to ride out the winter on the pavement.

The sides and flotation packs are coated with plump mussels and barnacles and the seagulls have all winter to gorge themselves on the easy pickings:

So though the activity has changed there are still things going on in and around the harbor and why I still enjoy coming down and being on the boat no matter what the season.

SUNSET BLUES

I took the dingy to shore and went and picked up some mussels. Another cold front blew through yesterday and the chilly northwest wind made me want to cook up a steaming bowl of Mussels Posillipo for dinner. Though summer still has a few more days left on the calender the chilly northwest wind and the fact the sun was setting before 7 PM had made me a a little sad. I know that soon it will be time to pull the boat for the winter. But, as I tied the dingy to the stern just as the sun set I heard the unmistakable splashes of a school of Bluefish:

Ironically, the local fishermen who often patrol the harbor gazing around the mooring field looking for these powerful fish were no where to be seen. The chilly winds had seem to keep them nice and cozy on shore. Only I was there to witness their return to the harbor in such large numbers. Even in the fading light I could see the silvery flash of their sides just below the surface. I watched them for a few minutes. Which made me think about pulling  John Hersey's book on the fish Blues  from BIANKA's bookshelf. But, then the chilly wind soon had me thinking of heading to galley and start cooking those mussels. Still it's nice to see the Bluefish back in the harbor even though it is one of those signs that means the sailing season will be ending here in the northeast in another month or so.

BARNACLES AND BENETEAUS

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Another day of warmth arrived last week. So I once again took advantage of it and went down to the boatyard to check on BIANKA.  A couple of the guys from the boatyard  had a 36 foot Beneteau in the marine lift and were working hard on the bottom with scrappers. The boat was being voluntarily repossessed and had been sitting at a dock for three years. Here is what the bottom looked like after three years:

There were barnacles and other growth of course. But, most of the bottom was covered with thousands of nice sized mussels:

Somewhere in the above photo is a mussel covered sail drive. Below is another view:

I was severely tempted to gather a pound or two of the mussels and whip up some Mussels Posillipo for dinner.

But, I instead left them all for the Seagulls who with several hundred pounds of mussels piled up next to the dock will have thought they had died and went to heaven.
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YOU CAN LEARN A LOT FROM BIRDS

I often anchor in waters where the bayman work. They head out in their workboats and skiffs with long aluminum clam rake poles. They spend hours scratching Davey Jones back for clams, mussels and oysters. I hear the jangle of the shellfish and rocks they pull up when they dump the rakes contents onto the sorting table as I have my morning coffee. It's a unique sound and one that you will only hear if you are on or near the water where the bayman are working. It looks like hard and lonely work. Except maybe for this bayman who seems to have a friend on board pointing out the way to the next mussel bed:

As those who fish on these waters know. You can learn a lot from birds.