Lying Watch Hill, RI anchorage
 
041 18.00 N
071 52.23 W
 
There is very little between us and the full effect of the North Atlantic Ocean.  Fortunately for us, this formidable body of water is properly engaged with the Bermuda High allowing us to enjoy a fond warmness, at times, (between 1300 & 1500 hrs it is 75 degrees), and less wind than could be sanctioned by mother nature.  Warmness is relative.  The winter restless natives think it is summer.  We know it is really just a normal winter day in Englewood, Florida.  We have on levi’s and long sleeve shirts.  The deprived and depraved locals are in shorts, some with no shirts and a few in the water.  Brrrrr.  63 degree water at best.
 
I will continue to dissemble to my log today until the tide comes in and fills the channel leading out of Watch Hill with a reasonable amount of water.  Sometimes, as I have often dreamt, I wish the boat had wheels, like an amphibian duck with wheels.  I have been told there is plenty of depth to the water up here.  Yeah, right.  The difference is the bottom here is hard sand or rock.  There are still plenty of shallow areas to engage and if or when you do, it goes bump--Hard.
 
Watch Hill anchorage is yet another delightful place, both visually and functionally.  There is good holding for the anchor, clean water to swim in?, a bayside beach and an ocean side beach.  The natives, while they may look at you strange if you wave as they go by, are friendly and helpful when approached with a question.  The town is small and touristy and pleasant to walk.  We devoured our first “Lobster Roll”.  This one was served cold with mayo and a cream soda.  I dearly hope they are cheaper elsewhere as they are immediately habit forming.
 
This is not Florida.  The wind is meaner, the waters not particularly forgiving. We find our ambient apprehension level cranked up a few degrees.  Where we were comfortable in the ICW and the River systems, here we are on guard.  Hopefully, over the next month we will become more at one with our new surroundings. 
 
We are such chickens.  Sometimes I can hardly believe we have worked up enough nerve to take on this lifestyle.
 
Never-the-less, Narragansett Bay is calling and as Grimshaw likes to echo.  “We sail with the tide”.
 
We met some wonderful people over the weekend particularly Debby & Alain Ledey on their Marine Trader “French Wave”. 
They are a fun and happy couple.  He is French, recently becoming a US Citizen.  They met in Puerto Rico.  He dashed her off to Europe for a while and they then eventually settled in Mystic, CT.  We hope to spend more time with them later in the month when we intend to  embark on a pilgrimage to Mystic Sea Port, one of the most holy cities of boating in the world.
 
Tide is up enough to head out.  Time to go.  Man the pilothouse, warm up the engines, haul the anchor, we are going to Newport.  Well, really Dutch Harbor, but that’s close enough for me.

Skinwalker & Capt’n Lynnie