September 7-12                               Wickford, Rhode Island

Wednesday was sunny with little wind and we finally were able to depart from Newport.  Wickford is opposite the western side of Conanicut Island and a short one hour cruise past lovely scenery and homes.  Almost immediately after passing the island, we encountered Wickford Shipyard, the first of a number of marinas in the wide channel leading to Wickford.

Wickford Shipyard is a large facility which remains privately-owned by an 88 year old who comes to the office daily.  Everything is pristine and orderly.  The marina held almost 200 boats and the owners we encountered raved about the people who worked there. We were delighted to be in such a lovely place and felt confident they would take care of our boat.

That evening, our friend from Maine, Miller Dupuis and his precious little son, Miller, Jr. came to the boat and transported us to their home in Warwick, Rhode Island.  We again reunited with Ava, his wife and met other members of the family.  Miller cooked fresh lobster from Maine and steaks we had brought from Texas.  We had a feast and a great visit in their lovely home.

The following day, we took the dinghy across the channel to Wickford, a small village with many 18^th and 19^th century homes.  The shops and restaurants were charming and people were very friendly.  We had only a brief visit but look forward to returning to see more in the spring.  This is a beautiful area with considerable historical interest and we will rent a car to do some exploring.

After cleaning the boat and making preparation for our departure, we packed bags to leave.  We were fortunate to have the help of Miller.  He came as promised, carried the luggage to his vehicle, and then transported us twenty miles to the airport near Providence. Leaving our boat is always a bittersweet event.  We were eager to return home but we treasured the memories of months of happy times and great experiences.  We were grateful we had not done any damage to ourselves or to our boat.  It had been a good summer!