A short 25 NM sail south from Newport brought us to Block Island. This island is a very popular location for boaters and other visitors, brought by ferry from the mainland. The entry channel to the main anchorage in Great Salt Pond on Sunday afternoon is like rush hour in a big city. We dropped the hook in Great Salt Pond. After fishing for awhile, only to catch several sharks and a crab, we dinghied ashore to explore the two towns of New Harbor and Old Harbor.
That evening we had a barbecue and enjoyed sitting outside talking until bedtime.
That night a storm rolled through. Dan woke up to check the anchor. Although we didn’t drag, we were uncomfortably close to another boat that came into the anchorage later. Rather than wake everyone up to move our boat, Dan calculated that we’d be safe until morning when we moved the boat, only to have the culprit leave the anchorage a few minutes later!
The following day, it rained pretty much non-stop. Todd and Dan spent the morning in the engine room doing some troubleshooting and maintenance. Once the rain ended (or so we thought), we dinghied ashore and rented motor scooters with which to explore the Island. It has dramatic cliffs overlooking the surf, lush green meadows surrounding freshwater ponds, and many beaches. We particularly enjoyed a hike out to Sandy Point, a narrow peninsula at the northern extreminity of the island. There, we were being watched by dozens of seals hanging out just offshore of the beach.
During the scooter ride back to town, the skies opened and we all got drenched.
Back on board, after warm showers, and a dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers, we engaged in a fiercely competitive game of Code Names before retiring.
The next morning, Todd and Dan took the dinghy out on a fishing expedition. Todd caught a(nother) shark and that was it.
Later, we had a nice downwind sail back to Newport. There, Kathy and Sandy wandered around town while Todd and Dan made one of many pilgrimages to West Marine and a hardware store. We were all famished when we met up at a local lobster shack and enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner at picnic tables right on Newport Harbor.
We bid farewell to our guests the following morning, after which we cleaned up, did laundry and provisioned for the next phase of the trip.
Next stop… Martha’s Vineyard!
11 Responses
It looks like another great time was had by all! Keep living the dream. ⛵️😊👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks, Peter. Hope you’re enjoying the new vessel. D&S
Wonderful stories. Thank you so much for sharing. Block Island brings back so many memories.
Great place indeed, Jim. Thanks. D&S
Love the Blog and photos! Living vicariously through you both!
Thanks, François. Sorry we missed you in Florida. D&S
Wow I wish we were with you on the trip now
Well Maui isn’t too bad either!!! D&S
You have the best blogs! So interesting! Loving the pictures and seeing so many happy faces! What a boat!!! Do you have the engine figured out? I can see you two doing the Atlantic run some year? Spain, France, Iceland? Enjoy!!
Thanks, Don. Everything is working pretty well (knock on teak). We’re very fortunate indeed to have this experience. Hope you’re enjoying December Rose and will some day venture out of the lake too! Not sure about the Atlantic, but we might start with the Caribbean. See you soon. D&S
Interesting memories in my past and current lives. Initially about 40 years ago, sailed from Long Island to Block Island with friends in extremely heavy seas. What I remember most are the hundred of seals and eating delicious lobster dinner on a sunny evening. It was a Relatively quiet island. More recently Jim and I with his sister Ann and Michael traveled by ferry staying in a quaint B&B, I learned to drink coffee, and bike ride around the island avoiding the steep cliffs.
Beautiful pics, thanks