Block Island

New Harbor our destination is located on the west side of Block Island. We gybed just outside the breakwater and sailed up the entrance channel on a broad reach. Once inside of Great Salt Pond we sailed from one end to the other just looking things over and scoping out a good spot to anchor. We have visited New Harbor several times in the past. In fact Sally rode out hurricane Carol in 1954 with her family on a small boat anchored in Great Salt Pond. We finally settled down in a little cove on the eastern edge of the Pond.

A group of Cormorants also liked our cove. They were diving for fish in the relatively clear water. We could see the bottom in some detail at a depth of 8 feet. We dined on pasta and tomato sauce as the skies began to darken. In the morning the wind had not yet switched to the N and was just 5 kts from the SW. We decided to have a more relaxed morning as it seemed like we were almost home.

We stayed very comfortable though it was in the 50's by morning.

You can see it is broad daylight as I am packing up my sleeping gear. The new stove box is visible on the galley table.

 Raising sail around 8am. The mizzen always goes up first.

 The wind was light as we glided around the Harbor looking over the old Coast Guard Station.

 The skies are looking pretty interesting and we still have a 12nm crossing to make.

 This opening to the sea was dug in 1895. We slipped out with a light wind from the W. Several boats were coming and going.

We headed North along the Bock Island shore wanting to get a look at the North Light House.

 The North Light was built on Sandy Point in 1867. Much of the north end of Block Island is a nature preserve and it is incredibly beautiful.

 Right in here somewhere the wind began to shift to the NW and gust. The clouds seemed to darken and lower. We had been sailing within a hundred yards of what was becoming a lee shore. I decided to put a little sea room between us and beach while we discussed one reef or two.

I put one reef in the main and there were times over the next few hours that I wished I had reefed down harder. The wind began to build and continue to veer to the north. Just the direction we wanted to sail. One thing in our favor. The Long Island Current was flowing north along this eastern side of Block Island and the current was flowing east between Block Island and the mainland. We could see a distinct line of funny water paralleling the sand bar that extents about a mile from Sandy Point north towards the mainland. Even though we had plenty of water we did not like the look of that line and so we pushed further north. Finally we set our course for Point Judith just crossing the northern edge of the rip. I was plenty warm when we left New Harbor but now I was beginning to chill as the air cooled and we started getting wet from the intermittent showers and spray flying back at us as Skorpa shouldered into the building waves. The boat felt solid but I did not feel like I could relax as the wind was gusty. There was a tug towing a barge across our course and we helped each other keep track of it and other smaller traffic in the lowering visibility. There was a time when we were a long way from Block Island and Point Judith was just a smudge on the horizon and each tack seemed to bring us no closer. I brought up the line from the song the Walloping Window Blind.

 The man at the wheel was made to feel
Contempt for the wildest blow-ow-ow
Tho' it often appeared when the gale had cleared,
That he'd been in his bunk below.


 Well there was no hiding in a bunk below for us. Just tack and hike, and tack and hike and duck the spray, and trust that we were making progress. And sure enough first Point Judith Light came into view and then the breakwater was visible. We could see the ferry coming from Block Island and making in through the west gap. The wind grew light as we entered the Harbor of Refuge. I lit the stove and made some tea. The incoming tide welcomed us as we sailed through the breachway and headed for home.