July 28 – Fairhaven, MA

Acushnet Safe Boating Club Marina

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” ―Paulo Coelho

We took it easy most of today. Touring and sightseeing every day can wear you out. We spent a slow morning onboard and then ventured out for a short bike ride to check out Fort Phoenix and the hurricane barrier. The park was full of people wandering around looking at their phones. I guess the area was full of Pokémons and these young people were there to catch them. It made me wonder how crowded it would have been before this latest game became popular.

We walked out on the hurricane barrier and had a great view of the harbor...no people or Pokémons there. On our way back to the boat we stopped at Margaret's for lunch. Everyone at the marina has told us about this place and now we know why...gourmet food and diner prices. Our lunches were wonderful, the best meal we’ve had out in a very long time. We spent the rest of our day onboard trying to stay cool. I watched movies and read while Stan set up his new computer.

Fort Phoenix

Fort Phoenix is an American Revolutionary War-era fort located at the entrance to the Fairhaven-New Bedford harbor. It stands on a granite ledge overlooking Buzzards Bay. It’s now a public park owned by the Town of Fairhaven.

The first naval battle of the American Revolution took place off its shore in May 1775, when the local militia captured two British sloops in Buzzards Bay. Shortly afterward, the town petitioned for the construction of a fort to protect the harbor. The original fort was built between 1775 and 1777 and was outfitted with eleven cannon, several of which had been captured in the Bahamas by John Paul Jones. It was decommissioned after the Civil War.

A view of Fort Phoenix from the water as we came into the harbor on Tuesday. 

A view of Fort Phoenix from the hurricane barrier

The hurricane barrier from the water

The New Bedford-Fairhaven Harbor is protected from tidal flooding associated with hurricanes and coastal storms by a hurricane barrier. It was completed in 1966. The dike is closed a dozen times or more each year for storm events that bring southerly gales and tidal surges, but a closure for a hurricane is rare. The barrier consists of 3.5 miles of dikes and gates, creating a wall roughly 20 feet tall. A 150’ wide opening allows ships to move in and out of the harbor under normal conditions. It’s said to be the largest stone structure on the East Coast and the largest hurricane barrier in the world.   

The view of New Bedford from the hurricane barrier

Looking out to Buzzards Bay...you can see the fog rolling in.

Looking back at Fort Phoenix 

Margaret's, a quaint wood-shingled house that serves up dishes that could pass at some swanky hotel on the Cape.

This is the lunch specials for the day...look at those prices and the prices on their regular menu were just as nice.

My lunch of sautéed shrimp with mushrooms, asparagus and tomatoes in garlic-tarragon butter, with a nest of sweet potato sticks.

Stan lunch was grilled yellowfin tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes, snow peas, grilled red peppers and ginger mango jam.