2023

 

May 18-May 25          North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Stephanie graciously agreed to take us to the airport to make our   5:15 AM flight to Rhode Island.  We arrived shortly before 4:00 AM, waited for the ticket counters to open, and then waited 30 minutes for them to correct a computer problem.  The agent was concerned and took us to the front of the line in Security.  At that time, we were notified our flight was leaving from a different TERMINAL.  Fortunately, we caught the only operating cart in our area who took us through the labyrinth passages from Terminal A to Terminal C.  We arrived at the gate at 5:05 AM just as the doors were closing.  The remainder of the trip was great.  Our luggage arrived as scheduled and Rupe, our good helper from Wickford, met us.

The Bottom Line was clean inside and out.  A lovely floral arrangement was on the galley table and a special ladder had been installed for easier access.  Wes, the marina owner, surprised us with a delivery of coffee and breakfast the following morning.  It was great to be back!

David engaged Rube to do various projects on the boat and dinghy and happily supervised as he cleaned, varnished, and painted.  Soon all were ready for our Memorial Day weekend.  

A long parade of decorated boats passed us in the harbor only hours before our friends, Jerry and Jill arrived from Boston.  Always a delight, we enjoyed great conversation before leaving for East Greenwich and the Providence Oyster Bar.  With multiple choices of area oysters, David and Jerry ordered a dozen each!  We were very pleased to see that Jerry had recuperated well from his broken hip and looked great.

John and Maria, fellow boaters on the North Star, a beautiful 65’ Hatteras docked near us, came briefly to greet us before their family arrived.  We plan to see more of them soon.   To our delight, Maria came after Memorial Day with her third-grade students.  They were having a final day of school outing to the neighboring beach and then ice cream treats on the North Star.

We spent a delightful evening with another boating couple who were temporarily docked near us.  They had sold their 55’Onshore boat and bought a much smaller one in preparation for making the Great Loop.  They were experienced boaters but were apprehensive about the many locks they would encounter on the Erie Canal and Oswego Canal.  To my surprise, Wes had given them copies of my articles in Ensign Magazine which detailed our journey through those waterways.

The weather has mostly been beautiful with sunny, cool days.  We are enjoying the abundance of fresh seafood and trying some new recipes.  My scallop seviche was a great hit!  Looking forward to a visit soon from Charles Martin, our Houston friend.