Out of bed by 3:30am.  On the road at 4:12am.  Driving through fog driving down routes 11, 16 and 95.  Then it suddenly cleared as we approached the Massachusetts state line.  We arrived on site around 5:30am and waited for the first signs of color, which we missed not knowing there was a berm between us and the ocean.  I mean, it was quite dark out, no stars.

About fifty minutes before sunrise we walked out toward the beach, discovered the berm (sand dune) and quickly set up the tripod and camera.  I was difficult to find a composition in those dark hours when the light was faint.  This point is where the Merrimack River empties into the Atlantic Ocean so in the end I chose to align myself with the position of the sunrise and the channel opening.

This is a twenty second exposure using a ten stop ND filter to smooth out the water
and bring out the sky's reflective color being painted on the surface.  In the
foreground are the remnants of an old pier since destroyed by weather and waves. 
The bright lights on the horizon are fishing boats illuminating their decks.  Just below
the horizon line are the north and south breakwater jetties that protect this part of
the island from wave action during storms.

The sun never made it's appearance this morning.  The low cloud cover spinning in
from the southeast blocked the sun allowing only it's illumination to shine through.

Sunrise was at 6:42.  This shot was taken at 6:03am, a full 39 minutes before sunrise.