September 15, 2012
While cruising, one must get used to the fact that when you make a plan, most of the time, you’re going to change that plan. That seems to be the case with almost every day hop we’ve made since we started cruising. When we left Pocasset, we were aiming for Sachuest Bay, just east of Newport, RI. (Second Beach is supposedly the place to surf up here!)
When we picked up anchor from Red Brook Harbor in Pocasset, we had said our final good-byes to Wil’s dad the night before, knowing it will be a long time before we see him again. He will be missed and our time with him was truly special.
As we headed out into Buzzard’s Bay, the wind was blowing from our long-awaited, northwesterly direction, and we could see small white caps across the water. With the wind anemometer still not functioning, we immediately guessed 15-20 knots, and put a reef in the main with a full jib out. (Since catamarans aren’t meant to heel, they must reduce sail sooner than monohulls. Otherwise, it’s tough on the equipment and creates potential danger) It wasn’t long before we were cruising along at 8-9 knots under sails alone. A wonderful feeling!
sailing to Block Island
very happy to be sailing!
While we were completely enjoying the day’s sailing, we also knew we were closing in our westward turn towards the Newport area. Once we made that turn, we would be close-hulled to the wind again, and our fun would have to end. We weren’t ready to cut the great sailing short, so we looked at the chart. As luck would have it, Block Island was located on our current course and reachable by the day’s end. Not only could we get there by sunset, but going to Block Island also meant getting us a bit further west and closer to New York City. A new plan it was!
With the new plan in motion, Wil decided it was a good time to put out the fishing lines. We have always been able to catch fish when we sail, but for some reason, our hooks had not seen a fish’s mouth since our journey north to Cape Cod in July. Even with local advice in Maine, we still couldn’t catch any fish. There were also too many lobster pots for safe trolling. We have been starved for fresh fish!
It wasn’t long after dropping the fishing lines into Rhode Island Sound, when I happened to glance back and see a fish on one line. Wil had not even managed to get to the first line when I noticed the planer was up with a fish on that line too. We began whooping, hollering, and dancing with joy!
Fishing action was back to normal for us. We had all hands on deck. Wil and Colin pulling in the lines, and Justine and I taking turns at the helm while helping the boys. I don’t even remember the order of fish on, fish off, or when we achieved the final count. But in the end, after having a total of five hits, throwing back two false alabacore, we ended up with a nice Atlantic Bonita and a blue fish. There was plenty of fish to last us for a few days. Grilled fish tacos with the bonita and pan-fried fish bites with the blue. Yummy!
freighter anchored by Block Island
on the approach to Block Island
the harbor entrance caught fire!
As the day drew to a close, we approached and entered Great Salt Pond in Block Island. We were circling the anchorage, looking for a spot among the other boats, when someone hailed Full Monty on the VHF. It was another boat from the daily Magellan Net. We had passed right by their stern, so they couldn’t help but notice our name and wonder if we were from the morning radio net. After we dropped the hook, and ate our tasty fish tacos, we went over to meet the couple from Seattle who are also cruising towards Panama and the Pacific. We had a very nice visit, and also discovered that we know some of the same people. The cruising world gets smaller by the day!
return to home page
