41:11.4N 71:34.7W

 

Block Island made a convenient stopover between Newport and Mystic.  It was developed as a holiday destination during the late nineteenth century and it still retains some of the character of a Victorian seaside resort.

 

The wind was from the north so we had a good sail down from Newport.  We anchored in the Great Salt Pond, which is a large anchorage area right in the middle of the island.  We were warned that yachts anchored here are prone to dragging so we laid down plenty of chain.  The first night was uneventful and we wondered what the fuss was about.  On the second night the wind got up to 30 knots and Anastasia was the first to drag.  We re-anchored, but it took three attempts to get the anchor to hold firmly.

 

Then the other yachts started dragging.  There were only a dozen boats at anchor in a fairly large area, but it seemed like all the dragging yachts bore down on a single motor yacht who was (securely) anchored at the downwind side of the field.  The poor guy spent several hours honking his horn to wake people up who were unaware that they were dragging and about to hit him.

 

The beach at Block Island

 

The seafront dock and hotels

 

The Great Salt Pond anchorage

 

Calm before the storm