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Great Brewster Island, a drumlin of clay and gravel deposited by a glacier, offers hiking trails to a bluff overlooking Boston Light and the city skyline (see photo on previous page). Visitors will see a salt marsh, gull breeding grounds, and some small, abandoned military installations.
Great Brewster makes a wonderful lunch stop before the push to the Graves. Expect to spend at least 20-30 minutes exploring the island after your meal. As you paddle toward the Graves, don't forget to look back at the high sand cliff on the north end of the island.
The Graves is desolate and forboding, far from civilization. Jagged rocks surround the lighthouse, and the grey metal grating on the tower's glass seems meant to lock the keeper inside.
Landing is nearly impossible unless the sea is mirror-like. The adventurous can paddle around the north tip of the rock formation, but the shallows extend some distance from the tower, adding to an already lengthy detour.
After passing the rocky cliffs of Outer and Middle Brewster, you'll reach Little Brewster. When the island is open, land on one of the boulder beaches and try to get a tour of the Boston Light tower. Expect to spend 30 minutes or more touring the island and tower.
First constructed in 1716, Boston Light is the oldest continously-used lighthouse site in the country (photo at right). The original tower was destroyed by the British during their retreat from Boston during the Revolutionary War, and the current tower replaced it in 1783.
Boston Light is the last remaining manned lightstation in the country, so expect to visit with the Coast Guard keepers while on the island. Don't land if the island is not open, as Homeland Security does not take kindly to trespassers on Coast Guard property.
Weather Concerns
A significant portion of this trip is exposed to open-ocean weather. Any waves or swells from the east reach far into the harbor, and there is much fetch for southwesterly winds to blow up large waves.
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Therefore, watch the weather carefully. Keep in mind that the marine forecast for Boston Harbor tends to underestimate the waves and swells you'll see in the outer harbor, especially on a trip to the Graves. Pay close attention to the weather in Massachusetts Bay as well.
Finally, remember that if something goes wrong at the Graves, you are at least four miles from getting help. Only experienced, self-reliant paddlers with solid rescue skills should make this trip.
For More Information
HarborIslands.org has detailed information about many of the islands, including maps, history, and dates and times of operation. Spend some time perusing this site before leaving for your trip.
Using the HarborIslands.org web site, you can also plan innumerable variations for this trip: an overnight to Lovells, a stop on Peddocks, a tour of Hingham Harbor, etc.
See Tamsin Venn's Sea Kayaking Along the New England Coast or Lisa Gollin Evans's Sea Kayaking Coastal Massachusetts for more Boston Harbor trip plans.
The author is an instructor and guide at Charles River Canoe & Kayak in Newton, Mass.
In 2002 and 2003 he was the first visitor of the season to Boston Light.
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