June 6-10, 2018 – We did a multi-day run from Coinjock, NC to Block Island, RI and arrived just after sunset.
We had heard from friends that Block Island (located off the coast of Rhode Island) was beautiful and worth the stop, so we made it a priority on our passage north to the Canadian Maritimes this season. We left Coinjock, NC with the intention of stopping at Norfolk for the night, but as we headed north via the intracoastal waterway, we realized that if we would continue out in to the Atlantic that evening, the weather was favorable for a calm passage, so without stopping for handshakes and hugs, we waved at our traveling companions and said our goodbyes by radio as we passed them at the Atlantic Yacht Basin Marina. Our weather intel was correct; the passage north was perfect with a gentle breeze and 1-2 foot seas. Time passed by quickly and we arrived at the entrance to Great Salt Pond just after sunset, two days later. We used the waining light to work our way in to the anchorage and drop the hook.
Tugboat & Sailor do fine on the boat while we’re at sea, but as soon as the anchor splashes, they’re anxious to find a patch green grass – and they can be very persuasive, even when we’re dead tired from a multi-day passage. As quickly as we could, we dropped the dinghy in the water and within minutes we were all stretching our legs on shore. I have to admit that it did feel good to have solid ground under our feet for a bit!
Great Salt Pond is a small bay that includes three small marinas and dozens of mooring balls and yet still has plenty of room to anchor with excellent protection. With the full light of morning, we were able to see that the bay was almost empty with only 3-4 boats on anchor and maybe a dozen on moorings. With few boats/people to contend with, we had no problem getting permission to drop our moped off at one of the marinas so that we could give the island a proper explore.
We spent the next several days hiking, exploring the island on our moped, and enjoying the good weather. The island is actually fairly small, but the terrain is diverse and interesting. Since we had arrived before the summer season, there was a relaxed, comfortable mood everywhere we went and yet most restaurants and attractions were open since we were there just a week or so before the summer season starts. Nice place to stop and rest for sure!
