Misery Islands.....

[Ron J]

[attachment 89450 100_1144.jpg][attachment 89445 100_1150.jpg]A couple of weeks ago, got the bug to buy a small boat with an outboard, so i searched on Craigslist, till i found a good deal. I wanted something i could trailer easily. Ended up with an older, 84, 16ft Starcraft with a 1999, Mercury 40hp, 4 stroke, on a decent trailer. Figure, instead of keeping it docked at my float, i may trailer it to different areas to go snooping. I still have my 25ft Pontoon boat,on a trailer, but its a bit too big to trailer to various places. Being on vacation this week, Al and i took the Starcraft for an hour cruise on Tuesday. Water was decent, but the wind was a tad nip. Yesterday, weather was warmer, so figured i might as well drop the boat in,and go for another cruise. My buddy Frank,came over, so off we went. Drove to the Bowl-o-mat boatramp, about ten minutes away,and dropped her in. Once we were out of the river, we could see the water wasn't too choppy, so we headed out to Misery Island, about 5 miles or twenty minutes or so. Once there,we tied up to the ribs of the old "City of Rockland". She was scuttled here many years ago, stripped and burnt. guessing in the 1930's? Still interesting to see, no matter how many times you visit.[attachment 89446 100_1134.jpg] She is on the "Little Misery" side. At low water you can wade across to "Big Misery". Its a beautiful area.[attachment 89447 100_1143.jpg] We walked up to the top of Little Misery, to look at the scenic view to Bakers Island.[attachment 89448 100_1135.jpg] Bakers still has a lighthouse.[attachment 89449 100_1137.jpg] Its the only public land on that island, but has no public access! It is surrounded by private property,and i do mean Private! If you even attempt to land a boat, someone will promptly show up to remind you of trespassing. Here on Misery, its owned by the Trustee's of Reservations, a conservation group,so its open to the public.Rj

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

I am assuming that they do and if so, you would have unlimited places to explore. I wonder why folks did not take that old boat apart and then burn it rather than burn it out on the island. I also wonder how much treasure or relics could be hidden on those islands. Say, it still looks cold up there, not summer yet. I wonder why folks do not have access across the private part of that island to the public section of the island? Ron, you folks have so much to explore that I question if you would ever run out of places to visit...so interesting. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[George-CT]

to prowl around on. Enjoy following them up until they are just marsh land with the creeks in them. Good ducking hunting in the fall, great blueshell crabbing in summer. We like the push the canoe up in them. Lots of area to explore. Even the old mosquito drainage ditches offer some neat inroads. Pretty island and killer lighthouse. I think all those light houses should be protected and restored. They sure are a heritage and history of our area. I think the fog horns should be kept running also.... Love that sound.
I see the island in the second to last shot has our favorite bush, poison shumack or poison oak... Not a fun bush for non natives to mess with. Any good claming in those rivers? Pretty decent in the local ones in this area..... If you like shallow diving with just a face mask at slack low tide lots of cherry stones in the gravely areas where they get washed to as seeds. Drooling just thinking about a boat load of cherry stones, horse radish and ketchup......

Nice shots and neat boat. Starcraft makes a great little run about and pretty trouble free......

Geo

 

[ojm bc]

n/t

 

[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

Won't cost an arm and a leg to run but will still get you to most places you're interested in. Looks in good shape as well. That water looked sparkling clean at the shore's edge. Beautiful scenery !!

 

[Ron J]

if you do a search, Misery Islands, Salem Sound, Salem Mass. you can read some interesting history. When i was a kid,my Dad had a lobsterboat, an older Novi. We used to bring friends out there, and have Lobster bakes, and cookouts on this spot.[attachment 89529 PICT1876.jpg][attachment 89530 PICT1877.jpg] Where it all overgrown, there is or was a cement pad, with a large airplane hanger.[attachment 89531 PICT1881.jpg] There were railroad rails forming a ramp from the bank to the water. They are long gone now. In fact, my Dad and a neighbor, brought a few of those rails, so that Pete, (neighbor) made a smaller ramp at his house, so he could haul his boat on a cradle, out of the water, for Winter. That was in the late Fiftys! Check out the remains of a former porch.. Yes i would like to hunt it, but extremely thick brush![attachment 89532 PICT1874.jpg][attachment 89533 PICT1868.jpg][attachment 89534 PICT1868.jpg]

 

[Ron J]

n/t

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t

 

[George-CT]

the planked keel on it? Good boats, a little wet in the back but they would bring you home safe. Moved easy thru the water. We were having some built in Novi Scotia but the American shipping people said that was a no no. so my father had the same boat built in Eastport Maine on the Bay of Fundy. We would buy the hulls with no decks and finish them back at our boat shop. I gotta get my scanner out, I have some pictures of them all stacked up on the trailers.... Ever detect that island for relics?

Geo

 

[ojm bc]

n/t

 

[Ron J]

outside pipes under the hull for the tanks. My Dad was always repairing something on her. The "Maris Stella", was quite old.

 

[George-CT]

I remember the weak point was the planked, that seemed to be where they went. Just a natural place for the water and sludge to collect. Most of those were cobble planked also so you had the usual caulking each year unless they stayed in all year. I always like the lines of them. They look great sitting on the water....or moving thru it..... I have and old picture of one I'll have to post that my father liked and kept hanging in the boat shop office.... beautiful looking Down East hull.... Those were the good old days huh. I spent many a winter day making lobster pots out of oak lath. Even got good at bobbing the lobster pot nets. I still have the tools here somewhere.
Now I seldom see wooden pots, all fishing with the coated wire pots. I remember as kids we were always looking for lost lobster pots washed up on shore. On the island we camped on, we would get them off the beach or junk ones they gave us from the boat yards to burn. With all the minerals in the wood, they would give off all kinds of great colors in the fire, like the drift wood did also....I can still hear the sound of the crackling fire, and surf breaking on the shoreline. Just a bunch of kids camping and island all summer and no one ever bothered you. Today, I'd be pretty worried about my kids staying on and island all summer. Times have changed.... I had and old Amesberry skiff with a 15 hp Evenrude on it. That boat gave me years of enjoyment.... Hurricane Carol in 1954 almost got her but we managed to get a line on it and pull it up into a field with our jeep. Ah, more good memories...

Geo