Position           41:11.45N 071:34.73W

Date                Wednesday 14 September 2011

For once the tide god was looking in our direction and it would have been inadvisable to start too early.  A “leisurely” 0700 start was therefore made in order to make the best of the west going tide down Buzzards Bay and across to Block Island, our staging post before the longer haul to Cape Charles at the mouth of the Chesapeake. 

There is not much to say about the 55nm motored.  We had the odd attempt to sail but the wind resolutely refused to do much other than blow from the direction of Block Island.  Fortunately there was not much of it and the sea was slight allowing good progress to be made under engine without over doing it.

Having left before slack water we carried the tide, or at least had no noticeable adverse tide and of course arrived at Block Island at low water.  The entrance into the lagoon at Block Island is both narrow and potentially shallow; the channel at times is very close to the beach and you are certainly in danger of carrying away the fishermen on the beach’s lines as you shake hands in passing.

We decided that we were unlikely to go ashore as we had both been to Block Island before and we therefore were free to take a good anchorage some considerable distance from the nearest jetties.

Rebecca, Sid’s wife, having briefed me as to what to purchase, Sid was able to produce his signature dish of tagliatelle with blue cheese and baby spinach; complete with a photograph to prove the point.

Sorry Sid, your cover is blown; I think that the G&T in the foreground helped.