Fisher’s Island to Wickford, RI
June 27, 2013
We raised the anchor yesterday at Fisher’s Island with absolutely no idea where we would stop for the day. As we sailed, actually sailed, east we left Long Island Sound and sailed into Block Island Sound. Not sure why it is called a sound since the North Atlantic swells do not seem to slow down as they pass BI. We had several choices of destinations including Block Island. We did not know that BI is hosting race week and that might not have been a good destination given the limited anchorages there.
The swells were lively and from our starboard quarter. The motion of the boat was also lively with stuff moving around below. We chased bumping sounds for several hours as Scurv decided the best thing to do was to tuck his tail and sleep as much as possible. The autopilot was able to stay the course but it worked hard all day. Bear read all day.
As the day passed we decided to sail up Narragansett Bay on the west side. Bear has never been here. The last time I was here was to visit our youngest son attending the Naval Justice Center in Newport. That was on September 10, 2001. I left the next day to visit a manufacturer in Hartford. Just as I walked into the hotel in Hartford, the first tower fell in NYC. A large island separates the West side from the East where Newport is located. Newport is a very active and expensive place to stop if one can find a place. We chose a quiet spot in Wickford and were well rewarded. Wickford Marina is a small facility with a super attitude.
Wickford escaped the wrath of the British by harboring the Newport citizens who left that town to the British. It later became a ship building area in the 1700s. Wickford has many well preserved 18th Century homes and remains almost as it was then.

The picture is of Point Judith light at the mouth of Narragansett Bay