Day 16- Block Island, Rhode Island

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We were up and sailing by 8am. We said goodby to New York State. The wind forecast was for 1-3 kts, so it was another motoring day.  The ocean had that hazy, glossy look of summer.

We passed The Hamptons and watched the mega mansions go by

We passed the scenic Montauk lighthouse at the northern tip of Long Island

and ended our day in Great Salt Pond at Block Island, Rhode Island. The harbor is fairly crowded at this time of year. Last year, in May, we just kinda sailed in & took a mooring; this year in July we got pretty much the last anchoring spot.  It took us a while to get settled & comfortable- boats are anchored much closer together than we're used to, and in deeper water (we're in 33 ft).  But it was just a moment of extra caution- as usual my captain did a great job of getting us correctly snugged into our spot.  

Our anchor dug in immediately and soon I was off in the dinghy making the afternoon take-the-dog-to-the-beach run.  Along the beach is a wildlife & bird sanctuary, so we were careful to not upset the natives. I enjoyed watching what I took to be a family unit: dad on the left keeping watch, and mom on the right feeding the two young'uns who frankly looked old enough to be finding their own fish. 

The variety of boats here is interesting. There's the small type that I would be concerned to take on the ocean, all the way up to multi-million dollar sailing and motor yachts.

There is a small runabout with "THE BAKERY" painted prominently on its side. Two young men motor from boat to boat selling fresh seafood and baked goods. We indulged in some shrimp cocktails and a custard eclair for dinner.
Here's a view of the beautiful moonlight on the water from tonight's full moon.  All the other little dots of light are anchor lights at the tops of masts on other boats,so you can see how crowded the harbor is.

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