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August 31, 2009
Fishers Island, NY to Block Island, RI
Sunset, Block Island
The winds picked up in the early morning, and the first of two neighbouring boats in the anchorage pulled up to take advantage of the wind. We were close on their heels. We had a beautiful sail out Watch Hill Passage to Block Island Sound. About half way across, the wind completely died. This is sailing! If the wind isn’t on the nose, it isn’t blowing at all.
We motored into Great Salt Pond on Block Island and found the anchorage relatively empty. Maybe everyone was exhausted by Danny and fled? We picked a spot that looked good, and settled in. We decided to rest and relax, now that the sun was shining and Danny was a distant memory. I put up the hammock and grabbed my book – “Wolf at the Table” by Augusten Buroughs. Heavy stuff, and a little too close to home for me. And not gut-wrenching hilarious like his other books.
The sunsets are glorious on this favourite island of ours. In true style, it did not disappoint.
In the morning, we took the dinghy ashore. We walked the beach out to the bluffs, and walked back to Old Harbour to have lunch at the Mohegan Café. It always seems to be full of locals, which we always consider to be a good sign. The porch at the National Hotel is fun, too, but way more tourists and a touristy menu. After lunch, we wandered the shops, and I scored an awesome new pair of shorts for $25. I am such a sucker for a bargain – I am my grandfather’s grandson. Chis got a great t-shirt with a sailboat, above which it says “Relax”. Indeed.
We hit the grocery store for fresh fruit and vegetables, then the Depot for the New York Times. On our way back to the dinghy we stopped to have a drink on the lawn in front of the Oar. We tried a Firefly – sweet tea vodka and lemonade. Super sweet but very refreshing.
Back in the dinghy to the boat for more reading, hammock swinging, sunset watching, and dinner. A truly blissful day. There is something about Block Island that gets us. Maybe it’s the large anchorage and the fact that everyone is transient. It reminds us of our days on Platina in Georgetown, Exuma where there were dozens of boats all on the go somewhere. The nicest part about it was that everyone talks about sailing adventures, and not about what you do for a living. It’s an escape from the world that we try to get away from, and completely removes you from the day-to-day grind, the rut we all fall into. It puts you in a completely different element where the only care seems to be whether you should have red or white wine with dinner. It is a simple, uncomplicated existence in a finite space with lots to go wrong, none of which seems even remotely important at any given moment.
Posted by dave at August 31, 2009 09:40 AM