18:47 and the sun has just gone down.

Autumn is on the way. Cooler mornings and chilly evenings calling for a wee fleece and maybe long trousers. Certainly heating on at night.

The yard we are heading to for our "new chainplates before going round the world" project is 25 miles east of Newport. So, with Wednesday being the only day when winds not from where we were headed were forecast we waved Newport goodbye and headed out expecting a nice reach in the forecast northerly. Instead, we headed out straight into an easterly. Brilliant. Dead on the nose. So much for forecasts but at least it was sunny. Wee bit chilly but still shorts weather.

Given the wind direction we changed plan and are now in the 360 degree shelter of Cuttyhunk. Discovered in 1602 by English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold (Bart to his mates). Apparently he was "ravished by its beauty".

I'm going ashore in the morning in the hope of some plain old ravishing.

The name Cuttyhunk apparently comes from the Native American "Poocutohhunkunnoh". However, given these chaps probably didn't rank spelling and writing above hunting and fishing my theory is that "Poocutohhunkunnoh" just sounded like Cuttyhunk to the English settlers when they asked, "where are we?"

Poocutohhunkunnoh replied the locals which probably means, "Bugger off".

Either that or the early settlers didn't have enough space on Ye Olde Scrabble Board and so shortened the name.

The pool that is the Cuttyhunk harbour is pretty much a mooring field in 7 - 10 feet. Moorings at $45 a night. However the considerate folks have allocated a square shaped area for peasants like us that are too mean to pay the bucks. Only 5 boats here on this first night. Come Saturday, there were nearly 30, half of them trying to save cash and squeezing into the anchoring area.

In summer months its chocka.

Four weeks from now, when we get the boat back, not only will Cuttyhunk be empty of boats but all of New England. In Newport, boats were already being lifted out. Seems a bit early as it was 75* yesterday but I guess when you only get 5 days holiday every other year its better out than in.

Tomorrow Sunday we head for South Dartmouth and the boatyard.