photo by Geoff Rand
Writing of his classic Rozinante the Marblehead designer L. Francis Herrshoff said "When an object is nicely proportioned and has retained some well-proven ancient quality, it is romantic looking." {LFH p97} This "Rozi" is moored with Great Misery in the background.
"Here one finds liberty and privacy, things most desired in modern civilization."
So Charles Hanks, President of the Misery Island Club, described the islands in 1901. {JEG/NS, p.222} To club members, a visit to Great Misery meant freedom, for the privileged, from the oversight of general society. A sailor today may be disappointed here in his pursuit of such liberty, but stands a reasonable chance of finding a little privacy.
Great and Little Misery Islands, less than a mile outside of Manchester, can be crowded with day trippers on a summer weekend. Mid-week or off season, however, these beautiful wooded and grassy islands owned by the Trustees of Reservations offer reasonably protected anchorages and an unexpected sense of seclusion.