Puffin Travel Adventures at Cuttyhunk Island

Our first longer overnight getting used to the boat before our Great Loop venture in the Spring- May 2017.
We ventured outside the hurricane barrier about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from New Bedford Harbor to a little island, Cuttyhunk, at the western  end of the Elizabeth Islands, a chain of islands extending west from Woods Hole in Falmouth,.  This island is close to Cape Cod (Woods Hole), Martha's Vineyard (8 miles) and a little further, to Nantucket. On a clear and bright sunny day, one can see from the Bourne Bridge connecting the mainland to Cape Cod, down the shore line to Rhode Island. The trip was great, beautiful weather, motoring at about 6.5-7 knots, for approximately 14 miles total.
Several ledges, Phinney Rock, Great Ledge, and Wilkes Ledge to name a few, appear along the course to Cuttyhunk forcing the skipper to stay  alert to keep the boat in deeper waters until you reach Penikese, a small island in front of Cuttyhunk, and the mouth of Cuttyhunk Harbor. There are two separate mooring fields to use in the Harbor, some in shallow water. We decided to bypass these and go in to Cuttyhunk Pond. Incidentally, Penikese was formerly used as a leper colony, then a home for troubled boys.
Once in the harbor you can see an opening leading into Cuttyhunk Pond with moorings and dock slips to the very small town of Gosnold.  Cuttyhunk Island is part of the town of Gosnold. We arrived on a Friday afternoon after the busy summer season and made our way through the narrow and shallow channel to the pond. We picked up a mooring, had dinner on the grill then dinghied into town for a little tour. Gosnold has under 20 residents in the winter, yet offers Library, Schooling, Methodist Church, Post Office, Town Meeting Hall, and Cuttyhunk Market.   During the summer  the town swells with seasonal residents, both on land and in the water. There are rental homes and apartments during the season plus Cuttyhunk Fishing Club Bed & breakfast Inn, and Avalon( The Inn at Cuttyhunk). Many homes are multigenerational dating back to the early 1900's. Cuttyhunk Ferry brings visitors to the Island at 9:00 am and leaves at 3:00pm weekdays for New Bedford. One needs to check with the Ferry company for weekend times. Transportation on the island is mostly by 4 wheel ATV's and golf carts, or bicycling or walking. There are very few cars or trucks on the island

Cuttyhunk Island has a small beach, a great harbor, good fishing, some beautiful hiking trails- I have pictures from the top of the hill.
Shellfish Farms "Floating" Raw Bar delivers to your boat. Cuttyhunk Oysters delivers meals to your boat also. Cool!!
There are a few other places to eat, Cuttyhunk Corner Store, and of course, Ice Cream.










New Bedford Hurricane Barrier

Tidbit of Information for those who don't know the Hurricane Barrier History

Largest Hurricane Barrier in the World

Started Planning in 1957, Construction in 1962 and Completion in 1966, creating one of the safest harbors for commercial and recreational boats on the East Coast.

High and Wide as the Great Wall of China

The New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier lies across New Bedford and Fairhaven Harbor. It is approximately 50 miles south of Boston. The project protects about 1,400 acres in New Bedford, Fairhaven, and Acushnet from tidal flooding associated with hurricanes and coastal storms. This acreage is thickly settled with industrial and commercial properties, particularly along the waterfront and the shores of the Acushnet River. The area represents about 80 percent of land flooded in the September 1938 and August 1954 hurricanes, the latter storm causing $8.3 million in flood damages.

Construction of the New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier began in October 1962 and was completed in January 1966, costing $18.6 million. The project required the relocation of power cables, modification of sewerage and drainage facilities, and acquisition of a small boat yard, several buildings, and about 36 acres of land. The city maintains the project, with the exception of the navigation gates and the barrier extending across New Bedford and Fairhaven Harbor which are operated and maintained by the Corps. The project is divided into three principal features: a barrier extending across New Bedford and Fairhaven Harbor with an extension dike on the mainland; Clarks Cove Dike in New Bedford; and Fairhaven Dike. The project has prevented $24.1 million in flood damages and coastal tidal surge since it was built (as of September 2011).

The barrier extending across the harbor consists of a 4,500-foot-long earthfill dike with stone slope protection. The barrier has a maximum elevation of 20 feet and a 150-foot-wide gated opening to accommodate commercial and recreational navigation. It also has two gated conduits that are each nine feet high and six feet wide. The extension dike starts at the western end of the main dike and stretches for 4,600 feet along Rodney French Boulevard East. It has a maximum elevation of 22 feet. The extension dike has three circular gated conduits with diameters of two, three, and four feet, and a street gate on Rodney French Boulevard East. 

Clarks Cove Dike consists of earthfill with stone slope protection. It is 5,800 feet long and extends around the north and east sides of the cove, tying to high ground at both ends. On the north side the dike has a maximum elevation of 22 feet, and on the east side the maximum elevation is 23 feet. The dike also has street gates at Rodney French Boulevard West and Cove Road, and a pumping station.

Fairhaven Dike consists of earthfill with stone slope protection. It starts at high ground near the foot of Lawton Street and runs easterly about 3,100 feet, with a maximum elevation of 20 feet. The dike also has a four-foot-diameter gated conduit.

Courtesy of US Army Corp of Engineers/New England District website

---