Tide

 6/15- Block Island RI

  There were several reasons why we wanted to head over to Block Island today. One was I was tired of sitting on the boat in front of Watch Hill. I checked and Taylor was watching some hockey game somewhere so she wasn’t giving an impromptu concert anytime soon. Two the wind was predicted to be NE which would have given us a nice broad reach all the way across the Sound. Alas old King Neptune had other ideas and just about the time we got out of Napatree the wind shifted SE exactly the direction we were headed. Three we had to get out of Napatree while we could because of the tide. There is a very shallow, read too shallow, spot on the entrance to the bay. We could only get over this within an hour or two of high tide. High tide was at one today and two tomorrow etc so if we wanted to be able to go somewhere once we got out it had to be today. 

   Of course because we had to wait for the tide at Napatree it put us into the flood current at the Race. Getting by Fischers Island took forever as the flood current was very strong. The seas were very confused and and tossed us around like a hackey sack. Driving a sailboat with no sails up into big waves was like being in a washing machine. 

   Once clear of the reef it got better but we pounded head into the wind and waves all day. About half way across the tide finally went if not in our favor at least not against us and we started making some good headway. It still was a pleasant day on a boat on the ocean. 

   We pulled in to Block Island too find a multitude of open moorings so we took a town mooring. In honor of Fathers Day (Happy Fathers Day to all you Dad’s out there) we went out to dinner at the Oar. We will wait here until the wind turns to the south and hopefully gives us a push. 

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