July 24-28                             North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Cool weather and workmen arrived when the rains stopped.  Rupe came to complete the repair and painting needed on the aft deck.  Dave came to remove the plastic curtains on the aft deck and measure for new ones.  We were notified the life raft and responder device were ready for pickup at the shop in Tiverton.  This provided another excuse to explore unseen areas of Rhode Island.

  

The life raft, formerly contained in a metal container mounted on the side of the bridge, was no longer certifiable.  A new one would cost at least $3,000.  As it is not mandatory to have a life raft and it is highly unlikely we would be able to utilize it in case of an emergency, we opted to throw away the old one and depend instead on the dinghy.  The responder was certified with a new $400.00 battery and remounted for easy access. 

The journey to Tiverton was interesting. We discovered the area was home to large facilities of General Dynamics and Raytheon, defense contractors with the navy.  We also found the impressive campus of the Newport Auto Museum and planned a visit when our grandson comes in August.  Their collection of expensive, unique domestic and foreign cars is renowned.

David is an avid fan of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives TV show and takes notice when a place is featured in our area.  He remembered seeing a recent program featuring Evelyn’s Drive-In in Tiverton and we found it on a back road near a lovely bay.  It was definitely a drive-in but a charming place with a patio and deck surrounded by lovely blooming plants.  The menu was mostly seafood and our orders of fried clam strips and fish and chips were outstanding.  Very casual, very clean and very good!  The waiter noticed Pretzel’s Baylor embossed leash and began rhapsodizing about Baylor and its sports teams.  His cousin has been a football player there under Coach Briles and he and David re-hashed the entire scandal scenario.

Our view over the bay from our dock at Wickford Shipyard includes a long finger of land with trees, homes and large commercial buildings near the point.  We assumed this was a naval facility but an afternoon drive provided different information.  Hidden in a densely wooded area were some lovely condos, charming neighborhoods and a road leading to a busy site dominated by huge buildings bearing signs designating them as belonging to General Dynamics Electric Boat division.  To me, the name implied some kind of toy but obviously this was not true.  Wickford and other nearby places are involved in a multi-billion-dollar contract to build nuclear submarines.  Impressive!!

July 11-23                                                     North Kingstown, Rhode Island

David returned to Texas for business but I decided to remain on the boat.  The cool weather of Rhode Island was seductive and I was eager to see some projects completed.  Before leaving, David learned of the death of a beloved business associate and long-time friend.  It was quite a shock as he had just spoken with her at length the evening before and they were planning to work together on a special assignment for a client. 

Pretzel and I settled into solitude quickly and the week passed without incident.  Weather warnings were dire for very high heat over the weekend.  I summoned the air conditioning man who worked to add needed pressure and adjustments to the five ac units on the boat.  The marina manager, Wes, answered my call to add extra power to assure more than one unit would work at a time.  Thankfully, they did a great job and we were ready for the heat.

David arrived home on Saturday evening after being feted by family for a week (I admit I was jealous!) and Pretzel was ecstatic to see him.  She remained glued to him from the moment of his arrival.  Dinner was on the boat with great salmon steaks from Dave’s Marketplace (our local gourmet grocery) that had been DEBONED.  I have designated David to be the head chef of The Bottom Line.  He will cook and I will clean (he also must do the shopping!).

The predicted heat wave, which engulfed the entire Northeast, was as horrid as we were warned.  Hot and humid days kept us in the boat.  Sunday evening brought cool breezes as we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from the bow with a drink in hand to wave to the boaters returning to port. 

On Monday, we ventured out in lovely cool weather.  Rupe returned with his helper to complete some projects on the boat.  We are determined to take care of all “the little things” that contribute to the pristine appearance and excellent operation of the boat. 

The heat had moved on and we took advantage of the time before the expected torrential rains.  We made a leisurely drive through the charming neighborhoods of Wickford and were amazed at the exceptional number of Revolutionary War era homes.

Two of our expensive black dock lines had disappeared and we made a trip to West Marine in Narragansett to replace them.  This provided an opportunity to explore and learn more of this fascinating place.  We were surprised to see so much commercial activity hidden behind the tall, thick foliage lining the highways. 

After completing our purchases at West Marine, we had lunch at Two Ten Oyster Bar.  They allowed Pretzel to join us on the outside patio and she behaved very well.  David is determined she will become socialized and he loves to take her with us.  The restaurant was lovely with beautiful flowers all about and a handsome young man as our waiter who could not have been more solicitous.  My fried oysters tacos with avocado and cilantro cream were outstanding.  David ordered grilled octopus and though tasty, like others we have tried, was not to the standard we learned to expect from our friend Irma Leone in Long Island, NY. 

Predicted thunderstorms with lightening and wind brought a dramatic change in the weather.  We were safely ensconced in our nautical home  carefully secured to the dock.  With a stocked refrigerator, needlepoint, reading and good TV reception, we survived well.

July 4-10                               North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We arrived in Providence on July 4.  Miller had graciously agreed to meet us and bring us to the boat.  Our expectations of returning to a clean, repaired boat waiting in a slip with a beautiful view of the bay were quickly dispelled.  The needed parts had not been received, repairs were pending and the boat was on stilts “on the hard.”  The only nearby accommodation for us (due to the holiday) was a motel with 1950’s décor and dead plants in the flower boxes next to the door.  It was an adjustment from our lovely, elegant rooms in Oslo, Stockholm, Edinburgh and the Azamara cruise ship.  After a wonderful trip, we were again faced with reality.

The following day, we were allowed to return to the boat (via a 15’ ladder).  Work gradually proceeded, pumps for the heads were repaired, bottom was inspected and new canvas curtains were ordered to replace the cracked old ones on the aft deck.  It was not an ideal situation but better than the motel!

The boat was returned to the water on July 9 and we were docked at the entrance to the marina.  We have a great view of the harbor and bay.  Cool breezes provide natural air-conditioning. David will return to Texas on Sunday for a week to complete work for a client.  Although we plan to remain in Wickford Shipyard for the summer, we hope to continue making cruises to scenic places nearby or outside to Boston.

June 9-12                                                      North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We finalized plans to leave the boat at Wickford Shipyard.  All repairs and projects were scheduled to be completed before our return on July 4.  Suitcases for our 21-day trip to Europe were packed before leaving Fort Worth.  They were filled with clothing for the cool weather anticipated in Scotland, warm weather in St. Petersburg and festive occasions on the cruise ship.  At the last minute, I added even more (I like options!)

On June 10, David’s persistent cough became an issue that could not be ignored.  We went to a local clinic and tests indicated an infection and possible blood clots in his lungs.  We were instructed to go to the hospital for a cat scan.  The staff were quite concerned about the abnormal test results and David received considerable attention.  We were reluctantly reconciling ourselves to canceling our long-planned European trip when the doctor returned with the surprising news the tests had been incorrect.  There was no blood clot and the infection would be treated with medication.  He was released from the hospital with prescriptions! 

Miller arrived early on June 12 and we decided to depart for the airport to give us ample time to return the rental car, check in luggage and relax before boarding.  Miller hefted the bags, placed them in the trunk of the car, and slammed shut the trunk lid.  On his return to the boat, he stumbled on the boat ladder and dropped the car keys into the water.  We had no other keys and the rental car company informed us they had none.  Miller hastily made the journey to his home, retrieved diving gear and returned to make many futile attempts to locate the keys.  AAA was called to open the car doors and they arrived just as Miller, with David’s help, located the keys.  With joy and excitement, we left for the airport!

Several hours later, we boarded the plane.  We were astonished finally to be on our way!