After we enjoyed some time in Sag Harbor, we set out for Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. The trip to the Narragansett was an easy motorboat trip. Because it was coming up on Labor Day weekend, we decided to skip Newport and head farther into the bay. We spent a peaceful night on the anchor and then moved up the bay to Bristol, RI. Bristol is a charming town. It’s smaller and less busy than Newport, but it still has a strong sailing culture and a very welcoming attitude to cruisers. We decided to stay in Bristol until after Labor Day.
A happy bonus for us was a visit from Tom, Anne’s brother. He was traveling and made a detour to spend the night with us on the boat. It was fun to have dinner together, catch up, and then go to breakfast on shore with him before he resumed his trip home.
On Monday, we raised anchor in Bristol and started a very slow sail down the bay toward Newport. Eventually the wind gave out on us, and we finished the trip with the engine. As we approached Newport in the afternoon, there was a steady stream of boats leaving the harbor to conclude their Labor Day holiday. All of those departures made the harbor peaceful and we picked up a mooring ball.
We spent the week enjoying Newport: the cliff walk past the old Gilded Age mansions, lobster rolls, boat projects, and generally relaxing. Now our time in Newport is coming to an end. The weather is presenting a good window to make the offshore journey from Newport to the mouth of the Delaware River and then into Chesapeake Bay.
