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by Charlie Cassidy
Ever since my adventure last year around Aquidneck (aka Rhode) Island I’ve been itching to get a better picture of Sakonnet Point Lighthouse. I’ve also wanted to add Point Judith Light to my collection, so I took advantage of a passing cold front to kill two birds as it were. The NW breeze behind the cold front pushed me down the bay to Point Judith, and the normal summer SW breeze pushed me back the next day. Just trying to be a gentleman.
The breeze wasn’t that strong, but I
wasn’t in that much of a hurry. My plan
was to overnight in Point Judith Pond,
then take advantage of the promised SW
breeze the following day for a broad
reach over to Sakonnet Point and back,
then a nice run up the bay. 
Of course, there were a few bumps along the way.
The first, which actually was kind of fun, was that it
was New York Yacht Club Race Week in Newport.
One designs from all over the world were on the bay
sailing a course that was right in my way. The nerve.
It did make for some great shots as they rounded
the mark. So after steering a course that took me
well out side the mark, I continued my lazy run while
enjoying the race week action.
The wind lessened as I went by Castle Hill, and I got tired of the
sickening roll on a slow downwind run. Time to fire up my 50
horses. I originally intended to motor for just a little while, hoping
the wind would pick up a bit offshore. Then an incoming yacht
caught my eye - the Alabama out of Vineyard Haven. They don’t
make many like this anymore. I circled for a couple of pictures
then was on my way. Before I knew it, Point Judith Light was in
sight.
The light wasn’t the best for taking pictures from so far away; it
had gotten fairly overcast. Of course, I’d get another chance on the way out in the
morning, so I took a few pictures then continued into the Harbor of Refuge. Time for my
second bump in the road. 
Running at “No Wake” speed through the entrance channel
between Jerusalem and Galilee, the Merc sounded more like a
team of about 5 very sick horses. It smoothed out if I could go
faster, but the “No Wake” zone continued about half way up the
pond to the cove I was headed for.
The real problem happened when I got to Smelt Brook Cove and had to anchor by
myself. When I tried to idle, the motor died and wouldn’t come back to life. I still had
some momentum, so I quickly dropped a rudder and tried to steer away from the shore
a bit. Not quick enough, though.
Before I could get the anchor down, the boat was aground in the mud -- just barely but
the tide was still falling. I put on my bathing suit and water shoes and slid into the
water. Then I realized that I needed to uncleat the rudder, so up on the boat then down
into the water again. I literally picked the stern of the boat up and pushed it into deeper
water - quickly scrambling up the ladder and to the bow to throw the anchor. I kedged
the boat off a bit, then went to work on the motor. Finally, it coughed to life, long
enough to motor off the shore and anchor properly in the cove.
I settled down with a beer and some supper. Shadows were getting long as the sun
broke below the cloud cover. The cove and the view were absolutely beautiful. The kids
at the girls camp on the
southern shore of the cove
started their campfire --
bringing back fond memories
of my days at Camp Squanto. I
soon settled in for the night, to
the sounds of the party boat
going up and down the pond.
The overcast was gone the
next morning; it was bright and sunny. The wind hadn’t shifted to the SW yet. After
some coffee and breakfast, it was time to try the engine again. I inspected the plugs --
nothing wrong there. Plenty of oil, too. It started right up, but stalled once while I was
pulling the anchor. I eventually got it going, got the anchor stowed and got underway.
On the way out, I got a good view of the ports of Jerusalem and Galilee, including the
party boat that lulled me to sleep. Fishing is big business here, as you could tell from the
collection of trawlers and long liners. The port is the largest fishing port in New England
and second largest on the Atlantic Coast. On the way out of the Harbor of Refuge, I got
some better pictures of the lighthouse, then started on my way across the sound for Sakonnet Point.
The Merc continued to be finicky, sometimes running
perfectly, sometimes rough. I think it’s time for a new fuel
filter. The wind was light out of the NW, and I had to cross
the shipping channel entrance to Narragansett Bay, so I
continued to motor with my fingers crossed.
After I got by the incoming lane of the separation zone, I
had had enough of the Merc. It was time for sailing. The
breeze was light, but not too light to get the boat moving
at about 4 knots more or less upwind. This lasted for
about a half hour, until the wind died as the SW sea breeze
started to kick in. I motored the rest  of the way to Sakonnet Point.
Taking pictures of the lighthouse, built in 1884 and
refurbished in 1997, was uneventful. After filling the rest
of the memory card on my digital camera, it was time for
some serious sailing. The wind had finally built up to a
nice 8-10 knot breeze out of the SSW. Perfect. I headed for
the buoy off Brenton Reef close hauled. I couldn’t quite sail
the rhumb line, but it looked like I would come close
enough until I hit my third bump in the road -- the fish
traps. I had to tack to get outside the first set, then
thought I had it again. I was concentrating so hard on
pinching by the second set that I didn’t notice the lobster
boat hiding behind the Genoa until it was about 10 yards
off my starboard bow. With a hearty “Sorry, Cap”, I slid
past, then tacked to avoid the second fish trap. Of course,
this put me right in line with the lobster boat -- so I let the
Merc get me out of trouble. Thank Neptune, it started right up.
Luckily, the rest of the voyage was uneventful. I rounded Castle Hill and started the run
up the bay. I tried wing-and-wing for a while, but the wind wasn’t consistent enough to
maintain the Genoa out without a whisker pole. Besides, I was doing 4.5 to 5 knots with
just the main, so I settled back and enjoyed the peaceful run.
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