Pig Stick Excitement

Adding to the novelty of settling into a new summer routine of living aboard Puffling Tuesday through Friday (for easy commuting to Laser lessons) is the momentous occasion of the raising of the pig stick -- a staff that carries a flag or a pennant and in our case the burgee of Barrington Yacht Club -- to the top of Puffling's mast. It is raised with a halyard and then it extends higher than the top of the mast flying the burgee above the boat's sails. I won't say that it has been an obsession, but it has been a focus for a few weeks and now this nautical achievement has come to fruition. Thank you, Dan. It looks sharp.

This week's highlight included an evening sail across Newport Harbor with friends from Barrington who are spending some time by the beaches in Middletown this month. The gray day and showery afternoon opened into a gorgeous evening with a steady breeze which when harnessed by the genoa, gently propelled Puffling to Jamestown. I served up mac and cheese for the boys which they consumed while underway on the foredeck, and then they took a launch ride to shore (without parents, thank you) for ice cream at Spinnakers -- an outside establishment assiduously following state guidelines for managing 6-foot distancing, wearing face masks and conducting brief health interviews (for symptoms and contact tracing) for anyone who wants to sit at their outdoor tables. In addition to some quiet time, the adults had Caesar salad with shrimp and homemade garlicky croutons and a glass of white wine. On the way back to Brenton Cove, the boys had a second generous helping of mac-and-cheese while maintaining a distance from each other on the bow.

oxo Pufflings