Cuttyhunk, as seen from the deck of Evenstar last weekend.
So from my last post about last weekend one could easily get the impression that the weekend was a miserable move from mishap to mishap, barely avoiding disaster while doing my best to keep the boat running with a roll of duct tape and a screwdriver. While there was a certain sense of adventure to the weekend nothing could be further from the truth – we actually had a nice time and enjoyed the getaway.
With my wife being a busy OB/Gyn, it is sometimes possible only to get away by physically leaving the vicinity of the hospitals she works out of. Being on an island or outside the range of the beeper is an excellent excuse for being blissfully unaware of what is happening. So any time we can get out it’s a big plus.
But last weekend, in spite of the adventure factor, had some really nice things about it too. Including…
- A nice dinner in Newport. I’m not sure if it’s a sign of success as a parent that our kids would rather go to a “nice” restaurant and order from the real menu over fast food, but I’ll take it.
- A nice rest on the mooring away from the vagaries of the weather system we were enjoying in Newport.
- Getting there – even though conditions were lousy, it was still a confidence builder.
- Family walk about on Cuttyhunk, it’s always a pleasure. Seeing the island enshrouded in fog from the highest point of land was cool.
- Cocktail hour, dinner and family reading time on the boat. Always a pleasure to hang out together and enjoy each other’s company. Especially where it is quiet and more importantly away.
- The sail home. One of the highlights of the weekend, 15 knot Northerly’s led to a great reach across Rhode Island sound. One of the fastest trips across there ever, and we didn’t even fool with the staysail.
- Quonset Air Show. We made it in time to catch the Canadian Snowbirds jet team and the highlight of the show, the Blue Angels.
A good time was had by all, and in spite of the, er, excitement we came away feeling confident and happy that we met some situations that would have flummoxed us years ago that didn’t make us sweat all that much.
Blue Angels at the Quonset Air Show from the deck of Evenstar.
And maybe I exaggerated just a little with that first picture. That was actually Nashawena Island, next to Cuttyhunk completely enshrouded in fog. By the time I got my camera out Cutty was looking like this:
Of course, it disappeared back in the fog a few minutes later.
