Another cool morning. We dropped our Westport mooring at eight, and left Massachusetts waters after 28 day, visiting 13 ports, including 6 new ones. On the way out, south bound, breakfast was eaten and once out to Westport's red and white buoy, for the next leg of 7.8 miles, west to the red and white at the mouth of the Sakonet River, the wind was in our face, but not strong, so we motored along at about five knots. Then we turned a bit to starboard and were able to use main and small jib instead of engine.
A funny thing happened as we were turning north to enter Narragansett Bay at about 11. I heard "Roger!" from a boat going the other way called "Exit Strategy." A second later the same voice yelled "It's Michael!" He apparently knows ILENE, but unfortunately I did not recognize his boat or see his face. I asked for help on Facebook and one Harlemite, Jill, knew his boat name and his name and that he was a former member. Another Harlem member, Ellen, then sent me his cell phone number and I called him and left a message. Thanks, ladies and thanks to science which can connect us all so well.
We gybed up to Newport harbor and sailed almost all the way in, way past Fort Adams, before dropping sails and motoring to the mooring, arriving at noon.
The public dinghy dock we used -- at Bowens Wharf -- one of several, is not large and not overly crowded given the large number of boats in this harbor. I sent off a Newport postcard to my granddaughter, and visited the Newport Art Museum, which I last visited in 2008. It is still focused almost exclusively on Rhode Island artists, but has added some contemporary works to the collection that formerly consisted of representational works from the 1870s to the 1920s, Newport's gilded age. Lene meanwhile found a lovely shaded outdoor coffee shop and called friends and read. We met up and did some grocery shopping before heading back to ILENE.
This harbor is crowded with boats of all types, except derelict boats. Some Fort Lauderdale-St. Maarten-Antigua behemoths, power and sail, some former America's Cup race winners now taking out tourists, and some lovely little wooden gems.
We walked the Cliff Walk -- most of it. It runs 3.8 land miles along the eastern (more protected) side of Aquidneck Island, on which Newport is located. It is one of the city's most popular attractions and free.It hugs the rocky granite cliffs, reminiscent of Maine, at the edge of the sea, providing great views except in fog. The other side of the path abuts the back yards of the great seaside mansions, which they called cottages, that were built here in the 1880s and 1890s, including "Rough Point", Doris Duke's house and that of the Vanderbilts -- The Breakers. We figured out how to use the local bus system. The bus station is only a few blocks from the dink dock and the number 67 took us to near the far end of the Cliff Walk and after walking about three miles on it we got off and took the same route back from that point. ($2 fare, except sometimes they take only $1?) I had never walked the southern part of this walk before, or as much of it. The sea views are magnificent and I learned the unique sound that a wave makes when receding from a beach made up of a deposit of small round rocks, a crackling sound. I had just never noticed before. Part of the walk is paved, but other parts are
a rock scramble. Lene's eyes are not what they used to be so I did what I
could to protect and guide her because, as I have noted in this blog years ago, if either of us falls and breaks a bone, the fun has to end. We also did some shopping. Lene occasionally gets herself into a
shopping frenzy, which can be cured only by the spending of some money. But seriously, our purchases were reasonable, shoes at Rockport and a new rubber rug for the galley sole, to replace the one that blew away off Greenwich on day one.
We had an early dinner at Scales and Shells, a fish house on Thames St., the main waterfront drag. I have eaten there almost every time I have visited Newport, starting over 20 years ago. It is the place I first tasted fried calamari and it was even better this time.
We had planned to stay only two days but the Admiral did not like the thought of beating into SW winds on the third day so we elected to stay an extra day, and push back our expected arrival date at the Harlem for a day. In fact in 2008, on our three month cruise of Maine, we did an overnight from here and reached the Harlem pin one day.
We had to change moorings in the morning because the one we were on was reserved for someone else. And having raised the dink in anticipation of departure, we took the Olp Port Marine's public launch for the third day's shore activities ($3/person each way.) this made our return, at different times, easy. Lene took in the Tennis Hall of Fame and I visited Rough House and completed the Cliff Walk to its southern end, again using the number 67 bus. I have toured The Breakers, which is more magnificent, several times. rough House was also built by a Vanderbilt, a different member of the family, but purchased by Doris Duke's parents and given to her. It is furnished with objects of art that she left in the house when she gave it the the foundation. The Breakers is one of about half a dozen mansions that are operated by a common trust. Rough House is separate and, I learned, charges the
highest admission, $25, for a very well docented tour. I also visited the new small museum of the history of Newport, free, and was surprised to learn that it ends with the gilded age.
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