svIslandSpirit.com

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One of the many nice aspects of anchoring in Great Salt Pond is the fact that you can take the dinghy (the car) from your anchored boat to the edge of the pond, then walk across the road and over the sand dunes to the ocean beach! This beach is called Crescent Beach and looking at the Google Map on the left you will see where the name comes from. The total distance from the boat to the beach is less than 1/2 mile. I cannot think of too many places where you can live on your boat at anchor and have such great access to an ocean beach. Yesterday we enjoyed the beach for the first time this year and Radeen even went in the water (up to her knees) but the water temp is about 60 degrees so it is COLD.

Below is a video taken from the center of the access trail looking back over Great Salt Pond and then out to the beach. This video will show you why this is one of the greatest boating destinations in the northeast!

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While living on the anchor you never know when nature will present its beauty. Yesterday, Monday, 7-9-07, we were presented with one of the best experiences we have ever seen, SWANS. Now we have had swans swimming around the boat many times before, but never have we had a swan with a cygnet or young swan resting on her back! These swans could reach the deck of the Island Packet 35 easily as they stretched out their necks. The baby would turn its neck and rest its head on its back as the parent swan swam for the small pieces of bread we tossed into the water. After feeding them one piece of bread, we boarded the dinghy and headed off to shore to visit with Cary and Bobby of IP380 Catspaw. Enjoy the photos….

The little swan would hold on as the parent swan!

Thank you for taking a look at our blog, Radeen and I are sincerely enjoying living on the boat. Life slows down, life takes on basic tasks and it is amazing how buzy you can be simply keeping up with the boat, water, electricity, and the weather. Today’s plan….do our work in the AM and then head to the ocean side beach!

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VIDEO:
Riding out 20 to 25 knots on the anchor in Block Island, RI.

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Living on the anchor at Block Island, RI is near paradise! We are currently at the BLISS Rendezvous and having a wonderful time. Last night we had a storm and I had to run the dinghy out into the storm to check on the boat. Of course we held tight but the boat next to us broke free and was washed up onto the rocks. They got off this AM and are now floating free again. Uploaded here is abeautiful sunset photo from last night of Radeen as we head back to the boat after dinner.

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Living on a boat at anchor without a watermaker or a rain collection system demands getting water in two ways. One pulling up anchor and motoring to a fuel dock and taking on water, or two going to shore with the dinghy and 5 gallon water jugs and carry the water back to the boat. We carry water back since that is a bit easier. Two people living on a boat will use 15 gallons per day on average. Our boat holds 90 gallons of water, so that will last 6 days. This water is used for showers, cooking, dishes, and washing down the boat. The toilet uses sea water to flush into the holding tank so no fresh water is used for flushing. So, the standard game plan is to everyday run to shore with your water jugs and bring back 15 to 20 gallons. Upon returning to the boat you lift these 5 gallon jugs onto the deck from the dinghy and then climb up onto deck and carry the jugs to the deck water fill fitting. Next you open the deck fill fitting and using a funnel you pour the 15 to 20 gallons of water into the boats water tank. This is our procedure everyday when living on the anchor. Here is a photo of “water boy” at work on day 1 at Block Island, RI. In the photo I am pouring the water into the deck fill and the additional 4 jugs are up on deck next to me. Imagine the next time that you use water, that you will have to go fetch and carry back all the water you use! Welcome aboard, conserve water!

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We spent our first night at anchor in true Block Island style with the winds blowing 25 to 30 knots and boats dragging anchor other boats blown up onto the rocks, dinghies breaking feee and drifting by and white caps and wave in the pond. Of course this all happens at midnight to 2 am and the VHF radio is lively with all the hailing and distress calls being broadcasted. We did not have any trouble, lucky for us. We have out a 44 lb Bruce anchor and 175 feet of chain in about 30 feet of water so we held tight all night long. One of the beauties of Block is that in the AM, the pastry boat arrives hailing…”Andiamo….Andiamo” with fresh cinnamon rolls, cheese danishes, hot coffee, and fresh fruit. You have to love Block Island. Here are a few photos to enjoy.

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We are 25 miles from Montauk Point with current on the bow as the sound ebbs out to sea, ugh! The winds have been calm all night with 8-10 from the SW nearly dead astern so we ran a jib along with the engine all night making 6.5 knots. We do not have a spinnaker, but if we did, it would have been perfect for that. With the boat speed at 6 and the wind at 10 apparent wind is 4 and very light with the jib collapsing half the time. If we would sail with a full main the jib would be too blanketed so that we killed at sunset. Looks like we will arrive Montauk around 10am and Block around Noon.Happy July 4th everyone

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What a perfect day off Atlantic City as we sail our way to Block Island. Enjoy!

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