August 17, 2026 New Bedford, Mass.

 Friday  August 14, 2026  Block Island, R.I. to New Bedford, Mass.  53 miles 6.3 hours

Nice day for another open water cruise.  Dropped our mooring line around 9AM and headed out New Harbor.  Not much to see today on the water.  Once we pass the North Light on Block Island it's a straight shot across to New Bedford.  Clear skies, light winds, calm seas. Land is always visible on the horizon, but we know historically these were dangerous waters when the weather kicks up.  Many a Block Islander survived a long cold winter by scavenging items from a salvaged shipwreck. Fighting a slight current as we cross Rhode Island Sound and into Buzzards Bay.   New Bedford is an interesting harbor.  Twenty-foot-tall hurricane barrier and gate can be closed if a storm approaches.  Protects the large commercial fishing fleet stationed here. 

Civil War era Fort Rodman at the entrance to New Bedford was completed
in 1863 and remained an active Coastal Defense Artillary through WWII

Heading through the Hurricane Gates protecting New Bedford harbor

Palmer Island Lighthouse built of stone rubble in 1849  was discontinued
after the hurricane barrier was installed in the early 1960's.  

 This is the home to America's most valuable commercial fishing port, landing over 100 million pounds of seafood with a value exceeding $400 Million.  Other ports have bigger hauls but the scallops, cod, lobster, quahog clams that make up much of their catch bring in a higher value.  It's also home to a fleet of fast passenger boats to the tourist hubs of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Cuttyhunk.  Stopped here thinking we would go over to one of them. Saturday trips have been pretty well booked in advance, so we'll use the day to explore the historic town.

Surprising number of vessels in port

Colorful boats lining the docks on both sides of the harbor

Most are "draggers" going after the local scallops

Scallop season doesn't start until October so most boats
 are in port and getting maintenance and fresh paint

We start Saturday by heading for the Whaling Museum. Spent 4 hours inside and could have spent a few more.  Obviously have lots of information regarding New Bedford's whaling history.   During the peak in 1847 there were 327 whaling vessels out of New Bedford with another 50 in Fairhaven across the harbor.   At the time it was the wealthiest city in the US per capita.  Museum was purpose built in 1905 by a whaling captain's daughter to honor her father.  Main building included a 1/2 scale replica of his whaling boat Lagoda including fully rigged 50' masts. 

The Waling Museums original building stands just a few blocks off the wharfs

Half scale replica of the square sailed whaler Lagoda in the museum

Tall barrel roof to accommodate the Lagoda's full rigging

Expansions to the museum now have rooms display skeletal remains of several species of whales, chase boats and tools of the trade, huge scrimshaw display, history of the town, it's change from a whaling center to an industrial center with massive cotton mills and glass making factories, artifacts showcasing the far flung destinations whalers went in pursuit of  whales - Japan, China, etc .   All very well done. 

Skeleton from a Sperm Whale that washed up dead on a nearby beach in the 1930's

There was an entire room with display cases of scrimshaw

An original whaleboat loaded with original supplies in preparation for the chase

Late afternoon libation and meal at Moby Dick Brewery.  Toured through the Seamen's Bethel which was a nondenominational church next to the Mariner's Home.   As a 21-year-old, Herman Melville left out on a whaling ship from New Bedford and used many of his memories from the town and his whaling experience when crafting his legendary novel "Moby Dick".  The town just unveiled a monument to the writer next to the Bethel.

Seamen's Bethel with the yellow-sided Mariner's Home next door.

The new Herman Melville statue

In "Moby Dick" Melvin fictionalized a pulpit shaped like the bow of a ship.
Visitors kept coming to see it and were disappointed until 
the Bethel had a local shipwright create one.  

Memorial plaques line the walls of the Bethel
attesting to the dangers involved in whaling. 

A refreshing beer for me.  Some jumbo sea scallops for Martha

Things just never worked out for a trip over to the islands on Sunday, so we spent another day exploring New Bedford.  As whaling declined the ship owners, merchants, bankers, etc. of the town diversified their business.  They noted the expanding textile industry in Mass. and Rhode Island and decided to invest in that technology.  Importing cotton from the south, they spun and wove fine cotton cloth.  At its zenith in the 1920'-1930's over 70 mills were operating and employing over 30,000 workers.  That business declined as mills moved south due to the economic benefits of cheaper southern labor and proximity to raw materials.  Another industry was glassware.  In 1870 Mt Washington Glass moved their operations from Boston to New Bedford producing fine artistic glassware. Their peachblown and Burmese styles patented in the 1880's remain valued by collectors.  Through mergers the company name changed to Pairpoint Glass and eventually the Gundersen-Pairpoint Glass Works. The plant closed in 1958.  The New Bedford Glass Museum has an extensive collection of pieces they produced including cut glass, pressed glass, art glass, reverse painted lamp shades, etc.  

Elaborate cut glass displays were shown at the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exhibition

A collection of reverse painted glass shades and lights. 
The shades are painted on the inside and then the outside
was given an acid wash to diffuse the images.

Mt. Washington Glass made the shades.  The back side of this one
 is a view across the harbor to Fairhaven. Pairpoint were silversmiths 
who made the bases and eventually took control of both companies.

A collection of Burmese glassware on top and Peachblown items below

An elaborate art work piece.  The surface is "painted" with colored glass.

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Next up was a tour of the Greek Revival style Rotch-Jones-Duff House aka (RJD Museum). Built in 1834 for whaling merchant William Rotch Jr.  It encompasses a full city block and epitomizes the "brave houses and flowery gardens" described in Melville's "Moby Dick".  Property passed to Edward Jones from 1851 until 1935.  He was another whaling merchant with whole or part ownership in 16 ships. His wife and oldest daughter died from scarlet fever within a year of moving into the house and Edward raised his 3 remaining daughters there.  His youngest daughter Amelia lived in the house until her death when it passed to Mark Duff from 1935 to 1981.   The Duff family historically had handled whale oil but expanded into coal and oil transportation, banking and hospitality. The Waterfront Historic Area League purchased the property in 1981 and opened the house and gardens as a museum in 1983. The house is located on County Street which was an area where the wealthiest residents lived above the harbor away from the dirt and smells. Many of the houses remain authentic on the outside although most have been converted for commercial use or into apartments. 

A side view of the Rotch-Jones-Dunn house and gardens

Interesting roof line, porch and tower may have been later additions

Outdoing your neighbors was always in fashion 

Note the brick house next door has many of the same details. 

Had to get a picture of this house as the color scheme is what we used on our very first house

Time for food and drinks.  We opt for the funky Pour Farm Tavern and Grille. Narrow inside consisting mainly of a long bar, but they had a nice shaded outdoor courtyard with tables.  Not a brewery but a very extensive list of craft beers on tap. Pizza and sandwich to fill our bellies.  Got to watch as an artist was working on a mural.  All the walls facing the courtyard were covered with murals.  Goodly number of them scattered around town too.  Worked our way back to the town dock stopping at numerous statues along the way.  Then another stop at Acushnet Creamery before the launch brought us back to the boat.

Mural at Pour House Tavern.  They do like their whaling heritage 

I really liked this.  Captures the drama of the seas. 

This is the one the artist was working on while we watched, drank, ate.

Historic downtown area is quite scenic with its tree-lined cobblestone streets

New monument on the waterfront of seaman preparing to leave his family.

The whalers monument honoring a harpoonist riding at the bow of a whaleboat.
 Inscribed " A dead whale or a stove boat"

Honors Lewis Temple. A freed slave who became a blacksmith in New Bedford
and designed the pivoting harpoon head which revolutionized capturing whales. 

No plans for Monday as the weather forecast was calling for winds and rain.  Had a spot of rain overnight but other bands seemed to split up or dissipate before getting to us.  Winds continued strong until late afternoon.  Gave me a chance to do an oil and filter change on the generator.  Spec calls for that service every 100 hours which seems to come up quickly when we do much anchoring and need to run the generator for several hours in the morning and evening to keep the batteries charged up.   Rest of the day just catching up on the blog. 

Caught a decent sunset behind New Bedford Saturday evening

 

Journey for August 14, 2026