What makes an Experienced Sailor.

Mistakes! Wonderful and rare if it happens without an audience, but these two very ‘experienced’ sailors ere not so lucky. We arrived at Rhode Island and as the dock master was describing where the mooring ball was, we realized we had forgotten the minor detail of taking the Jib in on that very windy day. I made a pigs ear of turning the wrong way and took some time furling it in and then radioed briefly to the dock master what I was doing. We then approached the mooring ball very nicely and Pat picked it up … however, the wind caught M’aingeal and started turning her around and as Pat was trying to hold on to the line I watched the boat hook extension came out and eventually the boat hook and line went into the water. I was just relieved Pat didn’t go in with it as we all know he has a penchant for jumping in at the wrong times. Boat hooks are $30 and we were not going to lose that boat hook. We tried a few ‘hook over board’ drills until finally we got it. I’m to going to say how many! I then explained to Tod, the dock master ( now we were on first name terms ) what we were doing. He offered to help but I refused insisting WE WOULD SUCCEED. He said something like try and try again and of course we got it the next time.

We then managed to get the mooring ball and I asked was there much of a view it is from the bar to the moorings. For the golfers it’s a bit like watching the first and 18th hole. For the sailors! yes some golfers read this. It was 5pm on Friday. I did not expect the bar to be empty. ‘Not at all’ Tod replied. “no one is there.” Later that night I met someone who told me he was wondering what we were doing as he looked out from his house.

Its been very cold and rainy so we decided to time our touring to the morning when we didn’t expect rain to walking around Providence. These are photos in the Rhode Island state house. It’s beautiful and it was very easy to walk all through it.

We were going to go to Falls river to see Battleship cove and in order to economize and because I like the challenge we … well I .. (Pat was a bit reluctant), decided to take the bus. Easy peasy. It’s exact change only on the buses so we had to put in extra and then when we had gone some time I realized we were on the wrong bus. Everyone was very helpful at different stages guiding us which apps to use on the phones which neither of us could work. When we returned to our original destination an hour later we discovered the buses won’t go there so we had to get a Lyft anyway. We lost time AND money trying to save both.

The submarine was amazing. Can you see on the photo of the captian’s table there’s an ashtray! I don’t think they would have one now. There were bunks and lockers literally on top of torpedoes. A sextant in the chart room which was amazing. I felt quite claustrophobic in it and can’t imagine how is must have been for the navy being there. scary to when I realized that from 1940 – 45 there were 81 submarine losses in the Pacific and Atlantic.

We decided to go to a marina and service the engine. Without any mishaps! It has a swimming pool to it but not so sure we’ll use it.

Even Little Lamb is cold as he prepares for 4th July