You'll See... Lynch Park!

In light easterly or westerly winds, FAME often sails north out of Salem Harbor in the direction of Beverly, tacking off Lynch Park or Hospital Point [see Hospital Point blog].

Beverly was a port town in Colonial days, although never as busy as Salem, Marblehead, or Gloucester. The location of its small harbor, half a mile up a winding channel, led to its being selected by George Washington and John Glover as the base for their fleet of schooners in 1775. These schooners were intended to capture vessels that were bringing supplies to the British soldiers in Boston [see Hannah blog]. Beverly Harbor was used extensively by privateers throughout the Revolutionary War. Along the north end of Beverly Channel, batteries of cannon were placed at Woodberry Point to deter British vessels from attacking.

Long after the war, when the railroad made its way north from Boston to Beverly, Woodberry Point became an exclusive private estate, as did much of Beverly’s beautiful but rocky coastline. By the turn of the century, the “Gold Coast” between Beverly and Gloucester boasted some of the most exclusive summer properties in the country. The eastern parts of Beverly became the wealthy enclaves of Beverly Farms and Prides Crossing.

President Taft rented the Woodberry Point estate, then owned by the Evans family, to serve as his summer White House in 1909 and 1910, but the owners asked him to find another property after 1910 — they disliked all the attention the President attracted.

Later Beverly Hospital owned the Woodberry Point property, and sold it to the Town of Beverly which had recently been gifted $400,000 by David Lynch for the establishment of a public park. Thus, the property was named after Lynch, and remains a public park featuring an Italianate Garden with a tea house; a Carriage House which is available for private rental; two beaches; a children’s play structure; and more.

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A sailboat is floating on top of a body of water.

Five Top Things You'll See on your Salem Cruise

February 3, 2025

1 - You’ll see the sails go up… and the captain turn off the motor! Yes, we really do sail our traditional wooden schooner, and we love the reaction we get when our guests realize that the wind alone is powering our progress through Salem Sound! One of our skippers calls out “Welcome to the 19th century!” as he cuts the motor. As long as the weather is reasonable, guests are welcome to take a turn at the tiller and feel the pressure of the water on the rudder as FAME sails along. The schooner’s eight-foot-long locust tiller is a thing of beauty, handcrafted especially for FAME at the local boatyard where she was launched in 2003. 2 - You’ll see lighthouses — lots of them! We generally can see five or six lighthouses on a typical trip. The Derby Wharf and Hospital Point lighthouses we usually see quite close up, as they are right in Salem Harbor. But after that it depends on where the wind is coming from, because the wind determines our route for each trip. If the wind carries us to Beverly, you get a good look at the Hospital Point lighthouse. If we end up sailing to Marblehead, you’ll see the hundred-year-old steel tower of the Chandler Hovey Light. Either way, off in the distance you’ll see the lighthouse at Baker’s Island, once an important landmark. And if you’re joining us for a sunset cruise, you’ll see all these lights come on as the sun nears the horizon. You may even sight the distant blink of the Eastern Point Light, 12 miles away in Gloucester. See our other blog entries for more on each light! 3 - You’ll see islands — and each island has its own story. Misery Island was named by a stranded, miserable boatbuilder; Children’s Island has had at least two other names and got its current one because it hosts the Marblehead YMCA camp. Winter Island is no longer an island, but archeology has shown that it was the site of indigenous settlements for thousands of years before European settlers arrived here. Misery, Bakers, and Children’s Islands all hosted resorts back in the heyday of the “Gold Coast” when wealthy Bostonians flocked to the shores of Salem Sound each summer. See our other blog entries for more on each island! 4 - You’ll see over a thousand boats, in the marinas and on the moorings of Salem and Marblehead Harbors. Between Salem, Marblehead and Beverly nearly 2000 private yachts are kept here each summer, making the North Shore one of the boating capitals of the East Coast. Most of these boats rest quietly at the dock during the week, but on a sunny summer day you can see dozens and maybe over a hundred vessels “underway, making way.” Marblehead boasts some gorgeous private boats. It is also the site of six yacht clubs and a sailing regatta seemingly every weekend all summer, featuring everything from small dinghies to large cruisers! 5 - You’ll see our competent, experienced, personable crew, who are there to answer your questions, make sure you’re comfortable, and tell you more about lighthouses, islands, forts and beautiful waterfront homes we are passing. They’ll be looking for volunteers to raise the sails and take the tiller. They’ll explain how our vessel works and how our ancestors used wooden sailing ships to explore the known world, trade with distant lands, chase the valuable shoals of codfish and mackerel, and in FAME’s case, hunt down and capture enemy vessels in times of war! Our crew are wonderful sources of historical information and local knowledge — don’t hesitate to ask them questions. They may even explain how the cannon works — and give you a live-firing demonstration!