CruiseNews #5
Date:  6/28/99
Port of Call:  Block Island, RI
Subject:  Block Island

Meeting a ship, on passage to Block Island
After ten days of consistent northeast winds the weather finally changed and we left Hampton, VA on Thursday, June 24.  Our passage from Hampton to Block Island, RI was pretty good:  winds were southeast to southwest, so we sailed most of the time, and only motored when the wind was very light.   We didn't even get seasick this time!  It took us three and a half days to make the approximately 350 mile trip.

Sovereign sails off Block Island

Just as we arrived off the entrance to Great Salt Pond (that's the harbor on Block Island) we were hailed on the radio.  It turned out to be Glyn and Jen on "Wandering Star", who we had originally met at our marina in Brunswick.  We anchored in the harbor, and Glyn and Jen had us over for a wonderful dinner, which was doubly appreciated because we were extremely tired from our long passage and didn't really feel like cooking!

After being used to the silt-laden waters of the rivers of the Southeast US, it is a pleasant change to be able to look down into the water and see the keel of our boat and the anchor chain, and even the harbor bottom if it is shallow enough!

The weather forecast doesn't look great for the next several days, so we may not be in Southwest Harbor, Maine by July 4 as we had hoped.  It is still possible that the weather may cooperate, but you never know.  Oh well, that's just part of cruising.

Well, our internet time is running out, so we'll leave the rest for another time.

Smooth sailing,

Jim and Cathy