After a few days in Newport, we were ready to be on the move. Our first night, we traveled north in the Narragansett. The forecast predicted we might be able to sail. Unfortunately, the wind was less than predicted, so we were only able to sail a short distance before we had to put the sails away.
The other reason we opted to go north, rather than into the ocean, was because high winds over the past few days (remnants of Hurricane Debbie) created a lot of swell. Think big waves that continue to radiate out from where the wind is high, so even in safe wind conditions, swell can be quite unpleasant on the ocean. Not unsafe — but plenty unpleasant! The old saying is, “the boat can always take more than the crew.” A rough rule of thumb is as long as the wave height is no more than half the periodicity (time between waves) in seconds, the seas are comfortable. We were looking at 8 foot waves every 6 seconds.
We traveled up to Wickford, RI and anchored in a lovely, quiet bay. Anchoring can be tricky: we are looking for good holding (sand or mud), wind protection depending on speed and direction, and avoiding swell. So for example, if the wind was blowing hard from the SW the day before, even if the wind has switched to the north, we want to avoid an anchorage open to the south. The residual waves create swell that can lead to unpleasant rocking. We’ve gotten quite experienced in choosing anchorages and almost always sleep like babies, with a gentle rocking at most.
Wickford was a fun town to visit. We wandered a bit, had a snack at a beachside bar and then bought fresh grouper and shrimp from a waterside fish market. We dinghied back & forth to town, more chances for Anne to practice her small engine skills! Grouper pan-fried with a lemon, butter, parsley sauce made for a delicious dinner.
After a night in Wickford, the seas calmed down and we headed out to the ocean. Destination Cuttyhunk Island, MA, a tiny island in the Elizabeth Islands chain near Martha’s Vineyard, just a few miles long and less than a mile wide. It was recommended to us by our sailing friends Scott and Kim, who live in Marblehead, MA. Once again, trust local knowledge!
Some facts about Cuttyhunk:
- Originally home to Wampanoag tribes.
- First settled by English explorers in the 1600s looking to farm sassafras.
- Accessible by private boat and a ferry service that runs twice daily in summer from New Bedford, MA and twice weekly in winter, weather permitting.
- In the 1900s, a few wealthy families built summer homes here and many of the original families still own land.
- In 2018, the island community, in conjunction with other partners, set aside undeveloped land on the island for protection. The protected land hosts beautiful walks, lots of birds, wildflowers, sea grasses and even a few WWII bunkers.
- Most people get around on foot or golf carts. We saw no private vehicles.
- Winter population is 52. The woman who runs the general store told us that for a week last winter, she and her husband had the island to themselves. They went to all the houses to make sure peoples’s screen doors were latched in the high winds.
It’s been a delight to be here. We spent one night anchored in the outer harbor, and one night moored in the inner harbor.
