Man, are there ever a lot of boats around here! On the trip to Naushon Island we saw so many bass fishing boats, it was unreal! A lot of sailboats too.
Once in the inner harbour we were met by a grand total of 27 boats in the little harbour anchorage. It was stalk calm, sunny, warm...a beautiful day. Although we are not permitted to go ashore, you could still see parts of houses peeking out through the dense tree-line shore. What a pretty place...then we turned off the engine.
What should have been silence, turned into the sound of a brook flowing into our boat...Oh, Oh! Opened the engine box - water! Oh, no...not again, I said! I opened up the cockpit locker to look at the stern tube and there it was...water flowing in quite steadily. I crawled down to it and first squeezed the shaft seal which seemed to stop the flow. Then I lifted up on it (which I should not be able to do) and the flow stopped completely. OK we're not going to sink...now what do we do? We were a bit discouraged, I must say. But after sleeping on it, the next morning I fiddled with it again and discovered that the silver doughnut thingy could move. It shouldn't! So, we pushed it back hard against the charcoal part of the shaft seal and I put two hose clamps in back of it so it couldn't move and Voila! no more leak!
Too bad we couldn't enjoy this beautiful place, but we had to keep moving and next stop was Cuttyhunk on Sunday.
Cuttyhunk is a very unique place as well. All the houses are weathered cedar shingles, and the mode of transportation is golf carts. Albert & I trekked up the hill to the look-out and took some pictures. What a view! Right now, this place is Albert's favorite. He says this is the striper capital of the world. People take their fishing seriously around here. On the way in, Tow-Boat US got three calls from disabled boats needing tows.
Monday we left in breezy conditions for Block Island. The wind was on the quarter, so the waves were behind us and it wasn't too bad for about half the way. Then the waves got bigger and the wind a little wilder. We did have un unexpected visitor along the way. A yellow-shafted flicker apparently got tired of flying, and took a much-needed break on Albert's shoulder! He stayed for about 15 minutes which allowed me to take pictures, then he was off again. What a neat experience! After a roller-coaster ride surfing down waves at over 7 knots, we finally made landfall at Block Island. Although we could anchor, I vetoed that and wanted to hang on to something solid, so we took a mooring. The harbour is rather empty because the summer season is past, but this morning the harbour master came to get his money and we paid for another day because it's still rather windy. Unfortunately, the showers on this side of the island are closed after Labour Day and we have to walk 1.5 miles to the other side to find showers. By the time we get back, we'll need showers again!!!! Might just use the solar shower. There is a restaurant just off the boat, so maybe we can have a meal ashore for a change.
From here, we'll be traveling into Long Island Sound. Don't know where we'll make landfall yet - still to be determined. But from now on (until New Jersey) we shouldn't have to do long days. YAY!
And yes, we're still having fun and not ready to turn back!!!!!!!! (But next year, I may apply for a job in the boat yard instead of the office. I'm becoming quite the engine mechanic! hahahahah)
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