Newport-ho!

With a forecast for afternoon thundershowers, we opted for an early start to our destination -- a mooring off Fort Adams. Our goal was twofold: to complete a test-run of Puffling's systems for the 2020 cruising season and to position ourselves in Newport for Bodhi's first foray into Laser sailing lessons in an afternoon group lesson (with masks and social distancing) Sunday from 1-5.

Nevermind that on the morning of our departure we awoke to a fog laden landscape or that the thick gray had engulfed the East Passage of Narragansett Bay which we viewed from our car climbing over the Mount Hope Bridge on our way to the marina. We cast off the dock lines and headed into the cool, damp waterway with about four miles of visibility, which retreated to a mile, then a half mile, then a quarter mile. Needless to say, our instruments worked well, the radar tracked two jet skiers among other powerboats and we made our way under the barely visible Newport Bridge and around Rose Island before tucking into Newport Harbor, just off Fort Adams at the head of Brenton Cove. A pocket of visibility and sunlight opened for our arrival. We glided to shore in our trusty inflatable, now powered by an electric Torqeedo outboard motor. Dawning masks or with them at the ready around our necks, we walked along the point and watched the fog swallow the shoreline and suspension bridge and then slowly reveal them again. We all appreciated a Del's Lemonade - a Rhode Island-famous lemon slush that we purchased from one of the fleet of their green and yellow painted trucks which grace the state beaches and parks during summer months.

Back aboard the boat, tech time took precedence as our trusty technology engineer has re-envisioned the format for these missives and took time to train his mother. The rain came in the evening, urging us to dine belowdecks -- homemade mac-and-cheese with green beans and later warm peanutbutter chocolate chunk cookies fresh from Puffling's (working!) oven. Toute seule, Bodhi took Izzie to shore for her business, and before bed we reintroduced ourselves to the card game Canasta.

All systems are a-go, with the exception of the reefer which works when powered off the battery, but not from shore power. We are also enjoying a home improvement -- NEW CUSHIONS for the cabin. oxo Pufflings