June 23-June 29                       North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Frequent thunderstorms with torrential rain have provided lovely cool weather throughout the week.  Sunny skies always follow so the days have been pleasant.  We are being spoiled!  Masses of blue hydrangeas are everywhere and Rhode Island looks like a botanical garden.

I completed an interview at South County Hospital Cardiac Rehab Center and scheduled two sessions weekly beginning next week.  I have my new treadmill on the boat but have not used it since I injured my foot as I inadvertently increased the speed and had a bad fall.  It is much better now and I should have no difficulty in resuming exercises.

We plan on returning to Essex on the boat when Charles Martin comes later this month.  In preparation, we took a road trip to look at the marinas in Essex and Mystic. Rhode Island highways and roads are lined with heavy forests so the scenery is limited. 

Essex is the quintessential New England town with historical homes, stately churches and lovely shops.  Located on the Connecticut River, it has a proud nautical history which is enhanced today by several marinas, shipyards and yacht clubs.

Thirty minutes away, we visited Old Saybrook which lacks the charm of Essex but is known for its outstanding resort and marina.  We enjoyed its many amenities last year when we docked there on our journey with Dave and Samantha.  In a drive around the bay, we were delighted to see a large bevy of swans swimming in a cove.

Mystic was bustling!  Streets were filled with people going into the stores and looking at the many window displays.  We had forgotten how viable this little town could be.  The marina where we had stayed for several weeks while David recovered from falling off the dock and breaking his leg, had changed.  It was very commercial and docks were tighter.  It lacked the cozy atmosphere we had enjoyed.  We checked other marinas to find one near downtown. 

On our return to Wickford, we ignored the sudden rainstorm to have lunch at an old favorite, The Dog Watch Café, noted for its great seafood.  Pretzel was allowed to dine with us and was a huge hit with the waitstaff,

 

 June 17-22                     North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Blistering hot temperatures were predicted for most of the East Coast (Bangor, Maine had over 100 degrees), but we were saved by several timely thunderstorms which brought lovely cool days to Rhode Island.  The marina is filled and we are witnessing a constant parade of boats through the channel to the bay.  This summer seems to be the busiest we have known in the five years we have docked at Wickford Shipyard.

Still trying to obey doctor’s orders, I installed my new treadmill in the aft stateroom.  My first effort to use it proved to be a disaster.  I inadvertently pressed the wrong speed button and was suddenly propelled off the machine onto the floor.  I was fortunate to have only bruises and scrapes rather than broken bones.  I have been more successful since and am enjoying the exercise. 

Maria and I shopped at West Marine in Middletown before returning over the bridge to Jamestown for more shopping and lunch.  Jamestown is a delightful small village noted for its beautiful historic homes and harbor filled with small boats.  Lunch was at East Ferry Market and Deli.  There was a 30 minute wait for one of their delicious sandwiches but we found a great outside table and enjoyed watching the busy nautical scene.  Later, Maria brought Charlotte, her bearded dragon pet, to the boat for us to admire.  David and I fail to share her fascination with this reptile.

Projects on the boat continue. A new commode had to be installed in the aft head (the other one had cracked and was leaking—probably due to improper

winterizing), a new beverage refrigerator for the aft deck and various repairs throughout.  Our beloved VW Touareg automobile (bought for $6,000 three years ago) exhibited a very disturbing and loud noise.  The bearings in the drive shaft were the problem.  A local mechanic found a replacement and we were soon enjoying quiet again.

We were delighted to welcome Jill Cohen to the boat on Saturday morning.  Since our last visit in October 2023, her beloved long-time partner Jerry Orloff, a dear friend, had died.  We shared her grief for Jerry’s passing.  We spent several hours on the aft deck reminiscing about our fun times together.  Lunch was at the Coast Guard House in Narragansett.  Upon returning to the marina, Jill unexpectedly saw Jerry’s former boat (which they had enjoyed together for more than 30 years).  Tears began to flow.  She is obviously very fragile although having dealt well with the many challenges faced after losing Jerry.  We hope to see her often during our summer in Rhode Island.

 

 

 

 

                                                2024

June 8-June 16              North  Kingstown, Rhode Island

 Our departure for the boat was delayed several weeks as I was recovering from heart surgery.  My cardiologist in Galveston was insistent I arrange for blood testing and cardio-rehab sessions during the time we spend in Rhode Island.  I promised do so and even bought a small treadmill to use at the marina.  Finally, we left Fort Worth early in the morning of June 9.  Rube met us in Providence.  We were greeted by a beautifully cleaned boat docked in the same slip we had enjoyed last year

I immediately collapsed on the sofa for a long nap while David (who slept on the plane) left for the grocery store to replenish our empty pantry. After spending more than $500, he returned with ample supplies for several weeks.  We were delighted to see John and Maria, John and Betsy and Bob and Cecil, friends from last year.  The weather was cool and sunny and we quickly adjusted to marine life.

Maria Carpenter, a teacher at the Rectory School in Connecticut, brought the class pet to the boat.  It is a bearded dragon which has been named Charlotte.  Maria is besotted with this animal (John much less so).

We have a celebrity boat on our dock.  It is a beautiful turquoise hulled 50’ sailboat that belonged to the late Jimmy Buffet.  He donated it to a sailing school and it is now for sale for $1,000,000 (original cost was much more).

After several days on the boat, we opted for lunch at a local restaurant.  Monahan’s Clam Shack in Narragansett has always been avoided due to the long lines waiting to be served.  On this day, the line was brief and we were finally able to indulge in their famous fried clam strips and French fries.  We agreed their reputation for outstanding cuisine was well-deserved.

We have engaged Carlos, Rube’s son-in-law, to come once a week to clean the boat interior and help with any other projects.  It is great to have competent help.  David is enjoying puzzles and I am already finishing my second novel.  Both of us are lazy spectators of the fascinating marina scene.

                         

 

 

 

 

 

October 1-7          North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Sunday was a sunny day and we welcomed the opportunity to leave the boat for a trip to Boston.  We were saddened by the purpose of our journey—a visit to our good friend, Jerry who was seriously ill in Massachusetts General Hospital.  Jerry was in palliative care which would soon transition to hospice care.

The hospital one of the finest in the United States, is a warren of corridors through old and new buildings which are exceptionally maintained.  We easily located Jerry’s room and were pleased to have a lengthy visit with him and Jill. They are bravely facing the sad prognosis for his illness but were encouraged by the exceptional care and kindness provided by the hospital staff.

We decided to return to Wickford via Fall River which gave us a long stretch of scenic beauty as the foliage lining the highway was in bursts of gold and red.  In Fall River, we had a late lunch at a recommended Portuguese restaurant.  My baked bacalao (cod) was delicious and David indulged in one of his culinary favorites, liver and onions.  Our cute waitress was from Portugal and we enjoyed conversation with her.

On Thursday, we made another scenic drive to Putnam, Connecticut to visit Maria Carpenter at The Rectory School, where she is an administrator and teacher.  We were awed by the magnificent buildings and setting.  The 300 or so fortunate students have an outstanding curriculum, including ice skating!

After our tour of the school, we drove several miles to Maria and John’s historic home on a wide expanse of lush green hills with pastures, red barns and stone walls.  Their 1812 home has been beautifully modernized while maintaining its heritage features.  I was thrilled to see Maria’s Fontanini nativity as well as many other family treasures.  Maria showed us her huge jar of lemon peels soaking in alcohol which will be the basis of her delicious limoncello.

A special treat was a lovely dinner at Anya, a beautiful restaurant near the Carpenter’s farm.  It is an elegant event space and the food and service were superb.  We reluctantly bade farewell to our good friends returned to Wickford.

Now we are saying goodbye to dock mates and marina staff as we pack to return to Texas.  The boat will be shrink wrapped and remain at the dock.  Our car will be stored in one of the marina’s buildings.  Both will be winterized.  We have had a very good summer on The Bottom Line and look forward to returning in 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

September 21-September 30            North Kingstown, Rhode Island

After cleaning the boat interior and enjoying some “down” time, we were ready to have guests.  We had briefly met John and Betsie Tegtmeyer who lived near us on their boat Day Star, a beautiful blue-hull 55’ Krogen Express.  We were delighted they joined us one evening on our aft deck.  They had recently returned from showing their boat at the Newport Boat Show and we learned they were the owners of the Krogen Express company.  They have a home in Vero Beach, Florida and will return there for the winter before resuming their boat show sales efforts.  The KE is renowned for its fine craftsmanship and exceptional performance.

Intermittent rain and cooler weather brought a feeling of fall.  Golds and reds are seen in the leaves of the many trees along the roads.  We regret we will leave before the magnificent blast of color that will come later.

We were delighted to have an afternoon visit from Nancy and Chris Dressel, whom we met last year on our Tauck tour of Provence.  They live in Pennsylvania and were vacationing in Newport.  It was great to see them again! 

 We ordered shucked oysters for David and Chris.  Nancy and I had shrimp cocktails.  Sauteed scallops on salad greens followed with blueberry pie and ice cream for dessert.  It was a leisurely lunch with ample time for great conversation.  We were reluctant to see them leave and plan to stay in touch.

Three days of rain and wind kept us on the boat.  When John Carpenter called and invited us to go to Providence for dinner, we yelled “Yes, Yes.”  John expertly drove through the rain and heavy traffic to our restaurant in downtown Providence.  Mill Street Tavern is a local favorite with excellent food and wonderful ambiance.  It was great to again be with John and Maria, two of our favorite friends,  

 

 

 

 

 

September 5-20   Essex and Saybrook, Connecticut

After days of pleasant cool weather, we were subjected to a heat wave, an unusual occurrence for the East Coast in September.  Heat and humidity limited our excursions away from the boat. We were increasingly concerned about the tropical storm/soon to be hurricane off the coast of Florida.  It was on a northward path and veering eastward toward Maine. Our planned trip to Essex and Saybrook was now questionable.

After a day of delays and uncertainties, Dave and Samantha finally arrived in Providence at 5:00 PM on September 11.  We celebrated with dinner at Blu on the Water. It had been five years since they had been on The Bottom Line.

Dave recently completed transporting a boat from Seattle to Los Angeles and was excited about continuing his boat captain career.  He is writing an on-line course for training transporting boat captains.  Safety of the crew and the vessel are his main objectives and he is explicit in his instructions. We were impressed with his knowledge and common sense methods for assuring a successful voyage.

Our seven-hour journey to Essex was delightful. The day was sunny with little wind.  As a professional with considerable experience (plus four years in the navy), Dave always takes the helm and becomes captain and navigator.   Samantha, who has joined Dave on many trips, becomes first mate and manages the lines.  I oversee the galley and David happily retires to the sofa with Pretzel for a long nap.

Exiting Long Island Sound into the wide expanse of the Connecticut River, we passed Saybrook, waited for the bascule railroad bridge to lift for sufficient clearance and then continued past large, beautiful homes lining the shores to Essex.  We docked at Essex Yacht Club, a lovely pristine facility only a few blocks from Main Street.

The following morning, we hired Uber to give us a brief tour of Essex neighborhoods.  The area is lush with aged trees, magnificent shrubbery and historical homes set in beautifully maintained landscapes.  The town, once a thriving shipbuilding center, retains a significant nautical presence with several large marinas.  We enjoyed shopping in the charming stores, mostly housed in historical buildings of white clapboard sidings.  Essex is the quintessential New England village. 

Main Street is dominated by the Griswold Inn, built in 1776 and still functioning as a hotel, restaurant, and lively bar scene. We enjoyed a great dinner in their lovely dining room, filled with old nautical prints and memorabilia.

Hurricane forecasts indicated we needed to cancel our plans to return to Wickford on Friday.  Our reservations at Saybrook Marina, at the mouth of the Connecticut River, were extended until Sunday.  After an hour journey down river from Essex we were assigned a favorable dockage, protected from wind and easily accessible to shore and the lovely facilities of the marina.

Dinner at the marina restaurant was excellent and the staff was very helpful.  We enjoyed the marina shuttle to town and made several trips to explore this small but very viable community. Dave and Samantha were constantly occupied in cleaning, organizing or repairing items on the boat.  David and I happily watched them work!

The hurricane passed us by without any significant wind and Sunday was a perfect day to return to Wickford. Dave and Samantha spent most of the journey on the bridge to have a splendid view of the shore and the many boats in the Sound.  Arriving early, we rested before the farewell dinner for our guests at La Masseria in East Greenwich.  Their visit had been a wonderful opportunity to have long conversations and enjoy new experiences together.

 

 

 

August 31-September 4            North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We delighted in cool days with occasional rain.  Rhode Island is a great summer destination and we enjoyed day trips to surrounding towns.  Rupe left us for a month in Florida so we are on our own.

Kennedy and Taft arrived shortly after midnight on September 2 at Providence Airport (we are becoming accustomed to late arrivals) and we were thrilled to see them.  We never have enough time with our precious granddaughter and her adorable husband.  We treated them with a late night/early morning snack of spring rolls and sushi on the aft deck, 

On Saturday, they explored Wickford before returning to a lobster/oyster feast on the aft deck.  At Taft’s request, I made a Maine blueberry pie for dessert.  Sunday was a brunch at Castle Hill Inn in Newport with a view of Narragansett Bay filled with sailboats.  It was truly a delightful experience..

Returning to the boat, Kennedy and I visited Needlepoint on the Bay in East Greenwich to choose a project for her.  We were pleased to find this beautiful shop with excellent help.  Kennedy’s first needlepoint effort will be a Christmas ornament featuring a Westie puppy (similar to her own).  She was immediately enthralled with “needling.”,

On Monday, I awoke to find Taft and Kennedy playing Mah Jong on the aft deck.  Kennedy is now a Mah Jong instructor and is “obsessed” (her words) with the game.  Afterwards, they ran four miles through the neighborhood and the town before returning to pack and join us for lunch at Tavern on the Green. They were wonderful, considerate guests and we hated to see them leave.