New England howling

41 19.605 N 71 57.597 W

We’ve been bouncing around on anchor in Newport, Rhode Island, for the last several days. White caps in the harbor, rain, chilly and gusts up to 35 knots (18 m/s). It’s a classic New England Nor’easter. We’ve been mostly stuck on the boat; too choppy and rainy to make a dinghy ride to shore any fun + plenty of vessels around to keep an eye on in case they (or we) drag anchor. 

So instead, cozy onboard with candles lit. Indoor projects for Chris from the never-ending list and regular work days for me. But, we have snuck out for a few walks and really enjoy Newport. Lively atmosphere and charming old houses. The harbor is large and full with sailboats of all kinds and sizes. Definitely a sailing Mecca. We also had dinner with a Rhode Island couple that we met in the Bahamas last season. Fun to reconnect and trade stories.

Now we are obsessively following the PredictWind models to see when a weather window opens up to head south. We are hoping tomorrow, but will make the final decision in the morning. It’ll start out bouncy with the waves still up from the wind, but should get better quickly.

So tonight we are passage planning. I get to break out the charts and the cruising guides - happy time for me. We figure out what the options are given the forecast; which routes make sense, how far can we make it, where are ports of refuge in case the weather kicks up, etc., etc. Weather and passage planning are a big part of the cruising life and I enjoy it almost as much as the actual sailing.

Finally, to catch up on the past month since my last post: it’s been action packed and globe-trotting. We started out cruising in the Long Island Sound, a beautiful area filled with Great Gatsby style homes, cute towns, and family and old friends of Chris’ to visit. Then off to Sweden where the whole Brandstrom clan gathered for my mother’s funeral. That was followed by a long weekend on the French Riviera with my siblings and spouses/partners to celebrate a few big birthdays.

Then back to the boat, but no rest for the weary. We continued north in the Long Island Sound and have now made it as far north now as we will get this time. So much more to see, but we’ve run out of time. The weather is turning and it’s time to head south.