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Newport, RI
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Newport, RI
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A lovely daydream?Not at all! Seven days cruising the crystal clear waters off of Newport, Rhode Island and the nearby islands are in your future. We’ll board our boats in Newport on Friday afternoon, July 18th and set sail Saturday morning for island destinations. A multitude of fascinating harbors are at our disposal around Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, the Elizabethan Islands and in Buzzard’s Bay. Several full days of glorious sailing will alternate with one or two shorter days that will leave plenty of time for exploration of New England’s most popular island retreats.
Depending on weather, tides and inclination; on Sunday we’ll head for Cuttyhunk or Woods Hole, enjoying views of the rugged Elizabethan Island chain along the way. Mostly owned by various branches of the Forbes family, the very names of these islands raise visions of early Native Americans: Naushon, Weepecket, Pasque, Nashawena, Penikese, Cuttyhunk, Nonamesset and Uncatena. They form the border between Buzzard’s Bay and Vineyard Sound. Cuttyhunk, at the western end of the chain, is the only one that isn’t mostly private. Woods Hole is on the mainland – on the heel of Cape Cod if you will – to the east of Nonamesset. After busy, crowded Block Island, either of these destinations will have more of a restful, small town feel. Once again each boat will choose anchoring or mooring. You’ll be glad for the quiet night, because Monday’s sail is a long one. We’ll up anchors early and make for Nantucket, about forty-five nautical miles to the east. Our course will take us through Vineyard Sound and around Martha’s Vineyard before turning more easterly toward our goal. The reward for a long, glorious sail will be secure berths in slips inside Nantucket’s protected harbor. Nantucket Harbor Marina is a full service facility with showers, laundry, and internet, and it’s just a two block walk into town.
Feel free to go wild after dinner, because Wednesday’s sail is a light one: from Nantucket to Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, about twenty-five nautical miles. We’ll anchor or take moorings in this big, historic harbor. Ashore you’ll find everything you need: showers and restrooms, of course, and also restaurants, shops, and transportation options to see more of this quaint island. Plan on a snack at either the Black Dog Cafe or Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven and pick up a black Labrador hat to go. Visit all four of the Vineyard’s lighthouses. On Thursday we’ll sail to either Menemsha Basin near the town of Chilmark on the Vineyard, or we’ll go north into Buzzard’s Bay to spend our last night in Padanaram, near South Dartmouth, Mass. Either anchorage will provide a great jumping off point for the sail back to Newport on Friday morning. The boats are due back by 2:00, so we’ll be on the road by mid-afternoon. Or if you like, stay on in Newport to extend your holiday through the weekend. We’ve reserved a mix of Beneteaus and Jeanneaus between 42 and 46 feet from Bareboat Sailing Charters (www.charternet.com/sailboat/bareboat). The cruise will last seven days and include almost two hundred miles of sailing. Most nights we’ll be at anchor or on moorings, with two nights in slips. All boats will have dinghies, and launch service will be available in most anchorages. The cost of the trip is $1250.00 per person (Skippers - $700). This price covers charter fees, ten-foot dinghies for each yacht, insurance, two night’s slip fees on Nantucket, and one group dinner. Food, fuel, and other incidental expenses are additional and will be handled by each boat’s crew. A $250.00 deposit is required to hold your position.Please make your check payable to The Sailing Club, Inc. and mail it, along with your completed reservation form, to Mia McCroskey at the address below. Reservations will be processed beginning April 11, 2008 with a random draw of those received by that date. All reservations received after that date are on a first-come, first-served basis. A second payment of $500.00 will be due April 28, 2008. The balance of $500.00 is due by May 28, 2008. A pre-trip meeting will be held at a time and place to be announced. All crewmembers should make every effort to attend in order to meet your crewmates, plan your meals, and make travel plans.
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Block Island, our first port of call, stands
sentinel at the eastern mouth of Long Island Sound and twenty five nautical
miles from Newport. We’ll enter the
island’s huge enclosed harbor, the Great Salt Pond where each boat can anchor
or take a mooring for the night. Crews
can choose dinner aboard or ashore at any of Block’s many restaurants.
While you’re ashore you can take a stroll to
the town of New Shoreham, or rent a bicycle for a longer tour.
Block has two nineteenth century light
houses: Southeast Lighthouse looms over
Mohegan Bluffs on the island’s southeastern shore and North Lighthouse is on
Sandy Point in the north.
There’s so much to see and do on Nantucket we’ll
take an extra day here. So on Tuesday
you can rent a bicycle to explore. Or
hire a taxi to help you find the perfect Nantucket Lightship Basket.
Learn about eighteenth century lifesaving
techniques at the Nantucket Lifesaving Museum.
Or if you haven’t had enough sun and surf, walk to the nearest beach to
get a little more. Whatever you do, get
back to the marina on time! We’re
arranging a group dinner to celebrate the halfway point of our island
adventure.