HYC Cruise Day 8 -- August 1 -- Block Island RI to Stonington CT -- 18.6 Miles

Ohana left Block first, at about 7:30, after fueling up at Champlin's dock, where he had to slither into a relatively short space between two megayachts on the fuel pier. He is heading as far west as he could get today, but later advised that he would not stop before City Island where he will arrive tomorrow. Sunset from Ohana.

ILENE left next, at 8, after raising and securing the dink, Again, the mooring painter hardly had time to get wet before the next boater picked it up. Today was a good sailing day, we put up full sails immediately after leaving Block's channel and sailed all the way into Stonington on a port tack. Not a white knuckle speed day, what with ILENE's dirty bottom (Barnacle Buster didn't get to us before the cruise) but speeds between four and six knots depending on the wind. We picked up a mooring from Dodson's at noon and spent a few hours aboard before going ashore to tour the land. This is my first time here that coincided with the annual "Stonington Day" festival -- a lot of craft booths on the green. Long hot showers at Dodsons.

We heard True North call the Yacht Club, where Blast is also now, on outside berths. I had mentioned how packed in the boats were at Payne's Dock in Block. Ernie provided this photo. This is way too close!

We took Dodson's free launch from shore to the YC for dinner with a stop at this "cruise ship" out of Mystic in the harbor where its guests embarked her.

Also joining the cruise and on a mooring is "No News", Ken and Camille's Nonesuch, They are active cruisers but this is No News' first Harlem Cruise and they love the extra room their new boat has. They will detach tomorrow and join us again in Centerport.

Dinner for ten at a big round table at the Yacht Club [photo on PC Marty's camera will be added here later] was delicious and long. We just sat around telling stories long after the foood was gone.

On the walk back to Dodson's to get the launch to our boats we showed Ken and Camille the location of the 24 hour, freshly caught fish store, with payment of the marked prices by the honor system. But it was closed, sadly an apparent victim of lack of honor.