Point Judith

We awoke to bright light and light blue streaming through the portholes -- a refreshing start to the day after many mornings of gray. Because the breeze was light we motor sailed to Point Judith, its breakwater's long limb extended as if in a welcoming embrace. We left the V-shaped breakwater enclosing the Harbor of Refuge to starboard and followed three fishing boats into the pond. Beachgoers lit up the eastern side of North Kingstown in their brightly colored swimsuits and postage stamp cottages literally on the water's edge dotted the Narragansett shore. We pulled up to a Point Judith Marina dock in a tough tide which pushed Puffling away from the pier. In what felt like an instant, I leapt off the boat, wrapped the line around a cleat, forcefully pulled the line and felt pain rip down the left side of my back. Argh. This altered the plan for the evening. I laid on my back and sky gazed for a good portion of the evening, watching clouds shift and colors ripen. Dan and Bodhi walked to the Matunuck Oyster Bar and returned an hour later with a lovely dinner. I hope we return here for a walk along the breakwater, a tour of the narrower, northern, less inhabited part of the pond and general shore exploration, as my unmindful docking incident eclipsed these opportunities. It's a bummer to have one's superpowers challenged so undeniably. In any event, I plan to rest, recharge and reboot!

The next morning we awoke in dense fog, and while I continued to recharge, Bodhi cast off the dock close to midday after the sun burned through the humidity. We sailed downwind, rolling from side to side which left Izzie a bit trembly. Newport Harbor brimmed with nautical excitement -- a 12-meter over there, a foiling boat over here, a schooner setting out for a afternoon cruise, the 1929-built motor yacht the Rum Runner II dashing about the bay. We settled into a mooring at Conanicut Marine where we called it a day.

oxo Pufflings