The last two weeks have been fun, visiting with family and settling into this new lifestyle. Yesterday marked one month of cruising under our belts and we are loving the easy pace and simplicity. Westport was a blast, going to the beach, visiting family, eating lots of Woods Ice Cream, taking care of some boat projects and stocking up for the next stretch. We left Westport on the 3rd, aiming for Jamestown, but the wind and waves made Cuttyhunk a more attractive destination, so we anchored there instead. Tried to paddle out to the nice right hand break off Canapipsit Channel, but the current was too strong so we checked out some cows on the beach and headed back. It was a decent swim and the weather was perfect. The next morning we waited for the fog to burn off and set out for westward destination TBD. With the fog in and out through the afternoon and the wind fluking out, we opted for Dutch Harbor anchorage on the west side of Jamestown island. It was a challenging day in the fog, but with radar and enough wind to sail into anchorage, we enjoyed the day. The fog lifted just enough for us to come into the anchorage before it socked back in for the evening. We waited out strong winds the next day, doing some engine maintenance and swimming and had a beautiful sail to Block Island the following day.
Block was crowded but there always seemed to be room for one more. TOMKAT and BANSHEE arrived the next day, and we enjoyed a nice shrimp and chowder dinner while catching up with our folks. We closed out the day with a spectacular sunset. The next morning was the perfect beach day, we arrived early enough to have the beach to ourselves and Kathy B. ranked it as one of the top five beaches in her experience. Took a stroll down the beach to town for lunch and headed back to the boats to prep for our potluck dinner on the beach with a sunset. The next morning was warm and we spent the day lounging around BANSHEE swimming and reading then put some clean duds on for dinner ashore at the OAR. The next day it was time to part ways, BANSHEE headed home and TOMKAT and NAVIGATOR headed west to Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island...New York! See the pictures section for lots of pics of our Block rendevous.
The sail to Coecles was exciting, we sailed into our first thunderstorm. First came the rain and we took advantage of it to swab the decks and get the salt and sand off. Then came the wind and near zero visibility, but we quickly reefed down and energized the radar and put down the hatches to keep the torrential downpour out of the interior. We got soaked, but it was comforting to see the boat handle so well in stronger winds. After the front passed through, the wind picked up and shifted, forcing us to battle a headwind for the last few miles to anchorage. We arrived just at dark and dropped the hook a stone's throw from the beach and from TOMKAT and enjoyed the tranquility of an anchorage with only half a dozen neighbors. This quiet spot is a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Block Island and we plan to hang out for at least a few more days. The water is wonderful for swimming, we have internet on the boat and have been sharing meals with TOMKAT. Today we are venturing ashore, hoping to catch a glimpse of Billy Joel's boat building mecca, or at least pick up some supplies and enjoy a bike ride through Shelter Island. Stay tuned for more pictures and video.
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