May 28-June 8                    North Kingstown/Wickford, Rhode Island

Rain kept us on the boat until Joe and Stephanie’s departure on May 29.  We were excited to discuss plans with them to meet on June 12 for our European trip.  Their visit to The Bottom Line had been different from that originally planned, as we did not travel to Maine, but they had graciously adapted.

We were surprised and delighted to receive a call from Jerry and Jill, our boating friends who live in Boston.  They drove through heavy traffic to visit and introduce us to a delightful restaurant on the south shore, Matunuck Oyster Bar. The place was crowded but we were soon seated and the food was amazing as promised.  Jerry and Jill are great conversationalists who have led interesting and diverse lives.  They sold their boat but still enjoy being with the many boating friends made through the years.  We encouraged them to plan a trip to Texas in 2020 to escape the harsh winter of Massachusetts.  We would love to show them Fort Worth.

I focused on cleaning the boat for another surprise visit from friends.  This time from Fort Worth!  Beth and Frank Wilson, who were visiting their son and family in Wellesley, made the short journey to Wickford to spend a few hours with us on the boat.  It was a windy day and we remained docked but enjoyed visiting with our dear friends, son Andy, daughter-in-law Miralee and handsome grandson John.  It was fun to show them our “floating summer home.” Unfortunately, camera malfunctioned so I have no photos to post of their visit.

David enlisted the help of Rupe Bodden and his crew to make many small repairs in the paint and fiberglass of the hull needed to restore areas of wear and tear.  They proved to be skilled and knowledgeable.  Painting was properly done and the exterior never looked better. 

Days were busy with projects but we often made short forays to explore other areas.  Jamestown proved to be an awesome experience with its many large, shingled mansions lining the waterfront.  Narragansett was a pristine village with magnificent beaches and hundreds of lovely homes and condos overlooking a vast ocean scene.  Here, we dined at the historic Coast Guard House, a lovely restaurant in a beautifully restored building.  It was next to a picturesque ruin, now a famous landmark, from a long-gone Narragansett resort.

May 27                                              Nantucket, Massachusetts

We made an early departure from Sandwich and followed the tide through the Cape Cod Canal to Buzzard’s Bay.  Wind was favorable and we made it to Woods Hole before 11:00 AM.  This narrow and dangerous passage into Nantucket Sound requires careful piloting and alertness as the shoals are treacherous and the tide can be detrimental to maintaining course.  David and Joe were up to the challenge and we emerged without incident.  This small area is home to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, several spectacular cliffside homes, and traversed frequently by ferries from the mainland to Martha’s Vineyard.

We arrived at Nantucket Boat Basin in time to experience darkening skies and increase in wind.  Unfortunately, we were assigned a slip that was much too narrow and dock help that was much too inexperienced to handle the lines of our large boat in the wind.  David carefully maneuvered into the slip but we had forgotten our width had increased by the ladder attached to the starboard side.  The ladder was struck by a pole and damaged.  It could not be used for boarding although we hoped it could later be repaired.  The dock help disappeared and was not seen again.  Others brought steps that served us well.

Nantucket was relatively quiet. The weekend regatta had ended and all the sailboats which had filled our marina had departed.  Although ferries were bringing in crowds of college students and other tourists, boaters were few.  After another great seafood lunch, we boarded the small tour bus to explore this charming little island.  Later, Joe and Stephanie took time for additional exploring and shopping while David and I made new plans.

Tuesday would have good winds but Wednesday would be rainy and difficult with 15kt-20kt winds.  Joe and Stephanie would leave from Boston on Thursday.  We would stay in Nantucket only one night and return to Wickford to be sure they could make their flight.  Another early departure (without incident) and we made the journey back to Wickford Shipyard.  Our assigned slip had an even better view of the harbor and we were greeted by great dock help.  It was good to be back.

Our plans to stay in Rhode Island meant changes in plane reservations for the cruise.  We were scheduled to fly from Bangor, Maine to Philadelphia and return by the same schedule.  Considerable time was spent on the phone with American Airlines but we were very fortunate to get changes made as needed without extra charges.  We would depart from Providence to Philadelphia and return that way to the boat in July. 

May 25-26                                        Sandwich, Massachusetts

Stephanie and Joe were awed by the beauty of this area.  Charming homes are surrounded by lush greenery and acres of stone walls, constructed by early settlers and now called “the ruins of New England.” I refer you to Robert Frost’s poem, Mending Wall, but I digress.  The rhododendrons, pink, white, scarlet, lilacs, irises and lupines are in bloom and they are truly magnificent.  With few exceptions, every home, large and small, is pristine.  People are friendly and helpful.  We shall hate to leave.

With a prediction of three days of good weather, we left early from Wickford Shipyard and entered the wide expanse of the West Passage across from Newport.  Soon we were cruising beneath the great Pell Bridge, out to the Sound and then to Buzzard’s Bay.  The wind was about 8 kts, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to begin our journey to Maine. 

The trip through the Cape Cod Canal is always interesting and one cannot keep from marveling at the expertise and laborious effort required to construct this great waterway to the Atlantic Ocean.  Bikers, boaters, fishermen and RVers were taking advantage of the scenery and weather.  Bridges to the Cape from the mainland were crowded with holiday traffic.

Sandwich Marina is located at the eastern end of the canal and is our preferred place to dock before heading up the coast to Maine.  The Bottom Line is too large for dockage at the small marinas at Plymouth and Quincy and we do not like to spend extra time going into the larger ones in Boston.  With an early start, we can leave Sandwich and make it to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  On the following day, we can leave early again and make it to Southwest Harbor, Maine.  All depends on the weather.  Our trip in September had been difficult because of wind and time constraints.  We did not want to repeat that experience.

Sandwich was crowded but we obtained a good docking position on the west side.  This gave us easy access to a beautiful restaurant, Fisherman’s View.  It was packed with a festive holiday crowd but the wait was worth it.  Fresh seafood and decadent desserts were rewards for a great day of cruising.

Unfortunately, weather forecasts had changed considerably and we were looking at winds exceeding 15 kts for the next two-three days.  We would stay in Sandwich another day and see if the weather improved. 

Sunday morning was sunny and warm but wind forecasts for the Atlantic area had not improved.  Time to make lemonade out of lemons!   We “Ubered” to Heritage Museums and Garden, the site of the Rhododendron Festival and the Lilly collection of antique and classic automobiles.  Nestled in a lovely neighborhood, the gardens featured acres of huge rhododendron bushes in varied hues singly and massed together in breathtaking displays.  Tall trees, many very old and huge, were part of the scene.  It was delightful to walk the meandering paths (or ride the little carts, if needed) from one gorgeous place to another.

The Lilly family (of pharmaceutical business fame) had donated their classic automobile collection to the Heritage Museums and housed it in a unique building copied from early Quaker barns.  With approximately 50 pristine models on display, the exhibit was awesome.  A pale yellow and aqua Duesenberg convertible, once owned by the actor Gary Cooper, had been restored to showroom new and was a flamboyant reminder of the Roaring Twenties era.

Once again, we dined at Fisherman’s View and were pleased with the excellent food and service.  With wind reports remaining unfavorable, we made a drastic change of plans.  We would not go to Maine until after our return from the scheduled Baltic Cruise with Stephanie and Joe from June 12 to July 3.  We would go instead to Nantucket for a few days and return to Wickford, leave the boat there while we were gone and have the opportunity to explore the Rhode Island/Boston area.  Voila!  Decision made.

May 22-24                North Kingstown and Wickford, Rhode Island

Wickford Shipyard, our home port, had docked the boat to provide a great view of the harbor and the constant stream of boats going in and out of the channel to the marinas.  We enjoyed having easy access within a ten-minute drive to Walmart, Home Depot, Walgreens and a wonderful grocery store that rivals Central Market in quality and variety.  We stocked the boat and prepared for the arrival of Stephanie and Joe on Thursday.  They would stay with us as we traveled to Maine.

Transportation from Logan Airport in Boston to Wickford was amazingly easy.  They had no difficulty making the transition to the bus which took them directly to the train.  In a little more than an hour, we greeted them at the beautiful transportation center in Wickford, five minutes from our marina. 

Dinner was at Tate’s Italian Kitchen, our favorite restaurant in Wickford.  Small and charming, it maintains a local feel and friendly atmosphere.  Unassuming but definitely innovative in food preparation, menu choices are often surprising.  The following day, I introduced Stephanie to my favorite clothing shop, Green Ink, and we made a significant contribution to the local economy.  After perusing the delightful, small shops on the main streets of Wickford, we opted for lunch at another local favorite.  Joe and I had decided to order fish and chips everywhere and make a determination as to which restaurant served the best as we traveled from Rhode Island to Maine.  All in the interest of culinary curiosity, of course!

                                                         

May 21, 2019                                   North Kingstown/Wickford, Rhode Island

David was counting the days until we left Fort Worth for the boat in Rhode Island.  He was like a child waiting for Christmas.  He frequently checked on the progress of taking off the shrink-wrap, which covered the boat through the winter, and commissioning all the systems.  Additionally, he tried to prod Miller to be sure all scheduled (and paid for in advance) repairs and work were completed.  Miller, an excellent craftsman, is the epitome of hyperactive.  Great at beginning projects but very slow to complete them.  He assured David everything was on schedule.

Stephanie performed her “Uber” duties and transported us to the airport for our 6:00 AM flight to Washington and then to Providence.  All went well and Miller met us at the terminal and took us to Enterprise for our rental car.  He followed us to the boat and immediately began making excuses for the mess that greeted us.  The aft deck was littered with tools and supplies and dust was everywhere. 

Irena, a lovely young girl emerged from the galley and stated she was hired by Miller to clean the boat interior.  Miller took a hasty retreat before we could recover from the shock and dismay of the unexpected sight of chaos.  This would not do!!

I quickly enlisted the help of Irena, who agreed to stay until 7:00 PM and work with me to clean, vacuum, etc.  She was a good worker but needed supervision and instruction.  We made significant progress and the boat looked great when she left.  Miller received a cold greeting from me the following morning and later he and David had a “come to Jesus meeting” about the unfinished projects.