Thursday, July 7th

Today, we travel northwest from Provincetown across Cape Cod Bay and into Massachusetts Bay. The Boston skyline, visible in the distance, passes on our port beam at lunchtime.  We continue northwest towards the town of Marblehead.  But instead of entering Marblehead Harbor, we continue north on a circuitous route through Salem Sound and into Salem Harbor.  Similar to other harbors, every square inch of deep water in Salem Harbor is covered with moorings.  There is no space to drop the hook.   

Today's weather is sunny, but not uncomfortably warm.  In fact, we have not experienced heat and humidity since our stay in New York City on June 9th.  Winds today are out of the northwest, which is a good sailing angle for our destination.  But wind speeds are 5 knots or less, so we opt to motorsail the entire 53 nautical miles from Provincetown to Salem.

[caption id="attachment_690" align="alignleft" width="223" caption="Sculpture of Elizabeth Montgomery from the television series Bewitched"][/caption]

Our evening stroll through Salem reveals a heavy emphasis on witchery, sorcery and other fright attractions.  Salem was a center of witchcraft persecution...a hysteria that swept through Puritan Massachusetts.  In 1692, nineteen men and women were convicted of witchcraft and hung on Gallows Hill.  One eighty year old man was crushed under heavy stones for refusing to submit to trial on witchcraft charges.  Hundreds of others faced accusations of witchcraft.  Several candlelight tours are underway in the historic district during our stroll.  The sidewalk cafes and restaurants in Salem are well-patronized on this pleasant summer evening.

[caption id="attachment_692" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Salem storefront"][/caption]