SITTIN’ ON OUR DOCK OF THE BAY

Obsession on her mooring in Newport Harbor. 

“Sittin’ in the mornin' sun

I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes

Watchin' the ships roll in

Then I watch 'em roll away again

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay

Watchin' the tide, roll away

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time”. Otis Redding

The lyrics to this song seem to accurately describe our time in Newport and Aboard Obsession since May 1. Our ‘dock on the bay’ has been either a seat at the Volvo Ocean Race Village, the Deck of our timeshare, a window or outdoor seat at a favorite Newport Restaurant, or the cockpit of Obsession. 

View from Long Wharf Resort 

A magnificent sunset behind our neighbor, Marquise

 We have accomplished much, but also have managed to waste some time enjoying the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover and the ever changing harbor. We see old friends and meet new ones on the launch, and make plans for a summer of fun and cruising locally. 

Favorite Simmons professor Jane Hardin and Richard

Entrance to Volvo Ocean Race Village

VOR Boats are all dockside and awaiting over 100,000 visitors

MP35s Racing in Narragansett Bay

It’s been cold and rainy, even the sunny, warm days have been few and far between this month of May.  It has not made living aboard easy but the propane heater/fireplace we bought last spring has come in handy a few evenings and even a few mornings. 

A NP43 sighting during a thunderstorm. 

Accomplishments:

Most “stuff” is now stowed away down below, the sails are up and the canvas is snapped in place, all the decks decks have been cleaned, the dinghy (OCD) has been scrubbed and the outboard engine is running. The fuel and water tanks are all topped off. 

The water heater and water pump had to be replaced. And we had to solve the puzzle of why we had no water pressure.  I have the best mechanic. 

Everything comes out of cupboards to search out a clogged waterline. 

Enjoyable moments (Wastin’ time):

The Volvo Ocean Race Stopover. 

It was the impetus for Newport’s Waterfront to come alive. We watched the harbor change from an empty winter refuge to a bustling summer resort. The transformation was amazing and still on-going. 

The Eagle came to visit Newport and the Volvo Village

The quiet mornings.

some are so still you can only hear the faint tapping of the halyards of nearby boats, others can be so foggy that the fog horn from the Newport Bridge and the clanging of the bells marking the harbor entrance calmly lull you back to sleep. The best, though are the crisp, clear mornings as the sun rises and proudly shouts out, “Get up-come and enjoy this glorious day with me!” 

The sunsets.

My phone has over 5,000 pictures-I’m  sure 4,000 are sunsets!

OFFICIAL SPLASHDOWN

She’s in, she floats, the engine runs. 

Obsession was one of the first boats launched and it was a week earlier than we had originally planned. We are cleaning down below and stowing all our stuff. I’m always amazed how we manage to find places for everything. 

Two interesting sightings from a trip to East Greenwich to pick up the Bimini, dodger and enclosure. 

We acvomplish a few chores every day. . Gone are the days when we had only the weekends to do these things, so we  now take our time. We made sure we also took time to enjoy the amenities of our condo right up to the very end.  The fireplace, the cocktails on the deck, the sunsets, the view, etc.

The weather has been so strange this spring. Snow late into April, lots of rain and wind all month, and now...May 1-5, sunny, warm and even downright hot! (90 degrees!) But this day was downright cold down below. Cosmo even found a sweater. 

 We are now in our timeshare in Newport overlooking the harbor and everyday since we’ve been here (Tuesday, May 1) we have seen more boats arriving in the harbor.

 Obsession should be on her mooring in the harbor May 7 or 8. A minor setback for us is having to replace the hot water heater. It should arrive today (Friday)  and David will find his way into impossible places to remove the old one and fit the new one back in. 

Lunch at the Tipsy Seagull is a promise of a summer and our Winter Dream Cruise to come. 

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the  Volvo Ocean Racers. They are speeding up the Atlantic Ocean and the first finishers think they will be here May 8. Team Vestas 11th Hour Racing is our “Home Port” boat with some local RI sailors aboard. They’ve experienced a few mishaps along the way, including a dismasting during leg 7. They limped their way to Itaji, Brazil, re-rigged, and were ready to head home in record time. At this point Vestas is poised to be one of the top finishers.