ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°Island Cruise°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°by Steve Myrick ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß Once upon a time, Goldilocks (and her little sister, too) went to visit Grammie, Grampa, Nanny, and Puppa. And with plenty of porridge stocked in the galley, Mama Bear and Papa Bear shoved off for a one week cruise to some enchanted islands. Sounds so good it could be a fairy tale, but pinch me and trim that mainsail, we're on our way. Our hurricane battered Pearson 26 is fixed up and sailing under someone else's able hand this year. We dearly loved our little boat, but it was too small. We planned last season to take this cruise in a chartered Little Harbor 63. It sounded great, but it was too big. In the spring, we purchased an Islander 32, in many ways, our version of a dream boat. We've sailed it all summer, learning and letting it teach. An Islander it is, and islands we will visit on our first extended cruise aboard SNAPPY LEDE. But it is not the azure and coral of the Caribbean we yearn for, nor the European flavor and blistering sun of the Med. Instead we will chart a course for for the jewels which adorn the the southern New England coast, chancy weather, tricky navigation, and all. As they say in the story, there's no place like home. Wait just a minute here. It's overcast. It's beginning to drizzle. Now it's raining. Now it's pouring. Now the wind has kicked up to twenty knots and the rain is blowing sideways hard enough to sting our faces. Where is this in the story? Only ten miles out of our home port of Mattapoisett, we are looking for safe harbor. Our options are beautiful Padanarum to starboard, and isolated Cuttyhunk Island to port. We dash for Cuttyhunk, screaming through the pelting rain on a beam reach until we turn for the well protected mooring basin. The next morning, a dream shattering BANG BANG BANG on the hull bolts me out of my berth. It was only the couple who collect the mooring fees. "Twenny," he grunted. I payed up, a small price for safe refuge in a storm. The forecast called for all manner of horrible weather, but the winds were light, the visibility improving, and the rain intermittent, so we sailed off. Mama Bear and Papa Bear like Cuttyhunk. We've spent many enjoyable weekends soaking up the slow paced isolation of the island. But on this cruise, it was too small. We set a course for Aquidneck Island, better known perhaps by the sailing town at its southern tip, Newport. Connected to the mainland by several prominent bridges, Aquidneck can't claim the magic of island isolation, but its tourist industry has a definite sailing slant. SNAPPY LEDE turned into Newport Harbor just in time to catch the last voice-bop strains of Bobby McFerrin's set, at the JVC Jazz Festival at Newport Applause sprinkles from a sea of colorful slickers. We swing right into the evening with some adventurous pub crawling, and finish upstairs at the Ark listening to a Mac Crupcala's talented local group, in masterful command of the room. Morning brings fog. Serious fog. No hint of lifting fog. Not to worry, our ambitious island itinerary can absorb a lay day or two, and as places to get fogged in go, Newport is not too bad. The next morning brings more fog. Maddening fog. Nothing is ever going to dry out fog. The brain defends itself with silly word games. "We could still be in Cuttyhunk." "We could be in here with bored kids." "We could be out of bourbon." By noon, the mist lifts a bit. (Or is it just wishful thinking.) We duck out of the harbor, but very light winds, a late start, and no sign of further clearing dictate caution, and we turn back. The next morning brings thicker fog. Damp for the rest of your life fog. Can't see the shore from the mooring fog. The recorded weather information on the VHF has gone berserk, and every twenty seconds it jumps back to the start of the tape loop, to the part where the forlorn forecaster drones "with another rainy forecast." After five days of rain and fog, the brain has no credible defenses left. "We may never leave Newport." "I miss the kids." "We are out of bourbon." Having exhausted all philosophical discussions on the role of mildew in a complex ecology, we desperately need some clear weather. Halleluiah! Dawn breaks clear and bright with a fresh northwesterly breeze polishing the sea and sky until they sparkle. SNAPPY LEDE gallops out of the harbor on a close reach, headed for Block Island. Mama Bear and Papa Bear love Aquidneck Island, but on this cruise, it was too foggy. It is a glorious sail to Block Island, with plenty of company escorting us into Great Salt Pond, twenty-two nautical miles from Newport, in mid-afternoon. Block Island is far enough away from the mainland to remain mostly wild, though the pressure of development and a growing dependance on tourism are evident. There is a well organized and effective recycling program on the island. That's a lesson that most of us who live on the bigger islands havn't learned yet. Still, there are miles of unspoiled beaches, and miles of open walking trails through the fields. It is quite a hike from New Harbor, where most of the cruising boats moor, over the hills into the town of Old Harbor, where the action is. We laze away the afternoon at a few of the many outdoor pubs. Every snatch of conversation involves the rare appearance of the sun today, illustrated by the bloom of pink sunburns. Mama Bear chooses a spicy shrimp dish for dinner, at a sidewalk restaurant overlooking the peculiar ebb and flow of ferry landings from the mainland. Papa Bear will feast on jambalaya, with mako shark, mahi mahi, and mussels added to the usual New Orleans fare. Another splendid day greets us in the morning, but exploration of Block Island's beaches and back roads will have to be saved for another cruise. We must be sailing east, it is time to steer towards home. Mama and Papa Bear loved Block Island, but our visit was too short. With light but steady air over our stern, we run toward Vineyard Sound. The lazy roll of the following sea soothes hour after hour from the day. Approaching the Sound, the beautiful, desolate Elizabeth Islands are to port. To starboard are the spectacular bluffs of Gay Head, on Martha's Vineyard, oozing the pastel colors of ancient clay deposited by an obliging glacier. Standing at the helm, it is easy to lose yourself in the delicious dream that this island hopping might last forever. We consider putting in at the tiny fishing village of Menemsha, on the Vineyard, but opt instead to push on to Vineyard Haven. We should make it by dusk, and miss the worst part of the strong tidal current. No problem. We're very familiar with the harbor, and we checked all the running lights yesterday. The reverie of a terrific sunset, is interrupted when we switch on the running lights to discover none of them worked. No amount of tapping, wire wiggling, or swearing would coax them into providing safety. Twilight lasted approximately eight seconds. The moon wouldn't rise for hours yet. It is really dark out here. It is another white knuckle hour before we reach the red flasher outside Vineyard Haven and turn for the harbor. Safely on a mooring after a fifty-two mile day, we can't think of a better way to end the island cruise than a late dinner at the Black Dog. Oysters, grilled tuna, and a bottle of champagne satisfy voracious appetites, sharpened by the last jolts of adrenaline. This porridge was just right. The sailing is done, but the images remain: a field of wildflowers leading down to a harbor; a pretty girl in a pickup truck; a morning stroll before the tourists fill the streets. Some geologist is going to make a career someday by proving what most of us already suspect. There is some kind of freaky magnetic force associated with an island. It draws you near, and won't let you pull away. We recently heard an old timer explain that there are three kinds of people on an island. There are those who see the surrounding water as a wall to keep things out, those who see it as a wall which keeps things in, and those who see the water as a highway that leads to every other place on earth. With a sturdy boat, a willing crew, and little luck, we hope to fit into the third category for a long, long time. The end. -end- Copyright (c) 1993 Steve Myrick Steve Myrick is a Freelance Writer living in Boston, MA. Contact him through Pen and Brush BBS at (703) 644-6730 (modem).