At 5 am the clock beeped with it charming sound for us to awake and embrace the day.. Ready to go and out of port by 6am.. The seas were about 2 to 3 ft coming from the north east , not on our tail.. Yeah... It was a great day of motoring as the winds are still on the nose.It was overcast but never rained on us.. I was even able to cook without wearing any coffee. We  arrived at New Bedford Mass at about 12:30 PM. They have something we have never seen before it called a hurricane gate. Its a stone wall about 15ft high  with a gate that closes, it encompasses a major part of the city from the sea.  I tried to take a picture of it but it is hard to get in a photo, but you'll get the idea. Also there was  a fort called Ft Phoenix that you could barely see. It looked like a big rock. Who ever built that was using there heads not easy for the enemy to detect..Also there were 6 power boats racing by , but I wasn't fast enough with the camera to get their pictures. Once inside the wall there were fishing boats all around,back in the day this was the biggest port for whaling in the Northeast.  We called our friends Dick and Rita  who are from this area up on vacation, and were put on the phone with Barry, Dick's brother in-law. He lives here and we were directed to a mooring ball we could stay on.. How cool is that.. No anchors and way inside the harbor great spot. Just a short trip over to a boat ramp where we could get out and take our dingy.. This port is off to a great start.. Dick and Barry picked us, I was so happy to see Dick I kissed his face all over, don't tell Rita. They took us to Barry and Elaine's house where Dick and Rita have their RV. What a wonderful home this is... They have 10 acres so it was like being in the country while in the city.. I ran to give my buddy Rita a huge hug and kiss, I missed her so much.. It is the biggest treat of all to spend time with good friends from home.. Bella was real happy too, she remembered them and was able to run all over the place and have a great time. Wide open spaces..That's the life for her...A fire was built and we sat around it and talked the day away. Elaine and Barry are long time sailors from here and were giving us some good advise about the extreme tides and waterways we are yet to encounter. Carl spent time in the basement with Barry going over charts. So much to learn..glad to have their help. We have certainly picked a challenge for our first big trip..As night loomed in the air and a large rain storm came it sent all inside for shelter. Once the rain had stopped it was time to head back to the Windward Spirit for some well needed sleep. All this fun can wear a person out.. We still have a few more days of fun with them. So I do need my rest..Oh happy days...