Newport – Day One

Tuesday July 19

It was a rough trip over today. Fortunately, the wind and tide were in our favor, but the swells were almost 5′. The boat would strain to climb them and our speed would drop to 16mph; then the boat would surf down the front of the swell, and our speed would increase to 19mph. Disconcerting, and not good for the boat. Plus the swells kept pushing us off course.

We finally got the boat speed synched with the swell speed, and we had a much more pleasant ride. But it seemed longer that the 4 hours actual travel time.

But finally, we’re here, in one of the prettiest seaport towns on the east coast. Very chi-chi. Here’s a photo of the church where Jack and Jackie tied the knot in 1953:

Newport is, however, authentically maritime. Here’s a photo of a beautiful schooner we passed in the harbor:

Plus, the 12-meter America’s Cup defender “Intrepid” is tied to the end of our pier. Really! You can charter her and experience for yourself what it feels like to captain an America’s Cup defender. I did it in New Zealand 40 years ago, and it was FUN!

Tomorrow, we’re going to tour the town and drive by the famous mansions on Ocean Drive.

Talk to you tomorrow!