January 9, 2004 marked the beginning of the coldest January in 86 years. A predawn northwest wind blew a heavy blanket of seasmoke around Cape Ann where it settled in front of Thacher Island. These images are from a 50 minute encounter with this unusual weather phenomena; they span predawn into a fiery display of sunrise over a low cloud bank, the twin towers and the foreground seamoke lingering nearshore.

More Amazing Natural Light Photography by Leslie D. Bartlett

We had just finished breakfast at the Sea Garden Restaurant when some guests asked if they could join in a conversation my friend and I were having about the beautiful rocky coast line of Rockport. Somehow, to the delight of our guests, we got on the subject of the three islands located a short distance from the Seaward Inn.
I mentioned that originally, Capt. John Smith had named these as the "Three Turk’s Heads", signifying the three Turkish joust champions in Mesopotamia whom he alleged to have challenged and decapitated.

Today the islands are known as Straitsmouth, Thacher and Milk Island.
These rocky islands were host to countless shipwrecks, perhaps the most noted of these was the shipwreck of the Watch and Wait. In 1635, the vessel, on its way to Marblehead from Ipswich, was wrecked near Thachers during a ferocious storm the likes of which no one had ever seen. Anthony Thacher and his wife Elizabeth were the only survivors who were miraculously carried by some debris and cast by a big wave on a higher rock. 21 people were swept away and perished including Rev. Avery, his wife and six children, Thacher's 4 children by a previous marriage and some of their friends. As compensation for that great tragedy, the General Court granted Thacher the Island, " Thacher's Woe".

It remained in Thacher's family for 80 years until in 1771, Mass. Colonial Government purchased back this 50 acre island and erected twin lighthouses, nicknamed "Anne's Eyes" 160 feet above sea level. These twin Lighthouses, built in 1789, are the longest surviving multiple lighthouses on the entire U. S. coastline.

Another lighthouse was built in 1835 on Straitsmouth Island which announces the entrance to Rockport Harbor.

At this time an older gentleman jumped into the conversation and said that he recalls a nephew of his coming to Rockport to dive and explore the wreck of a mine sweeper, the USS Grouse that had gone aground in 1963.

Oh yes, someone recalled, she went aground on Flat Ground inside Dry Salvages which is near the Breakwater but not on one of these three islands. They tried everything to move it but it wouldn't budge. A helicopter was used to take the last crewmember off of the vessel and then she was set on fire.

It's massive engine still remains on Flat Ground and can be seen at low tide.

Some other shipwrecks in Rockport were the California, a fishing vessel, in 1955, the Chelsea, a tanker in 1957, the Charles S. Haight, a freighter in 1946.

Just then another guest mentioned Milk Island and how she loves to go kayaking there. Then someone else mentioned that is a great area for striper bass fishing as well, and it is not unusual to see sports fishermen casting their lines right from Pebble Beach which is just a short distance from Milk Island.

We looked out the window and were amazed to see how softly a fog bank had formed and totally obscured the ocean. Then we heard the mournful and haunting sound of the fog horn and realized it as an appropriate conclusion to our conversations.

Labels: fishing, Islands, kayaking, Leslie D. Bartlett, lighthouses, Rockport, Seaward Inn, shipwrecks, Thacher Island, twin lights

posted by Seaward Inn @ 11:00 AM 0 Comments Links to this post

Labels: Cape-Ann, Massachusetts, Rockport, whale-watching

posted by Seaward Inn @ 4:09 PM 1 Comments Links to this post