The Block Island experience

In July, we had a fun trip to Block Island to meet up with some of our besties from Annapolis. We arrived from Jamestown uneventfully and were looking in the large and packed harbor for a CCA mooring. There are two moorings but the first one we found was occupied by a fishing boat named Slim Shady from Montauk. The boat didn’t have a burgee flying and wasn’t in the latest blue book so we were wondering if, true to it’s name, they were sitting on a mooring they didn’t have rights to. Fortunately, we found the other one and didn’t have to disturb them!

The first day in Block Island, I walked around and got a feel for the beaches, the clapboard houses and the sport fishing feel of the place. 

The second day, we met up with our friends Neil & Jan on their Sabre ‘42 powerboat and some friends of theirs on an even bigger, fancy European powerboat, both of which were packed into slips cheek and jowl at Payne’s Dock. We had excellent fish for dinner at Dick’s one night and ate on board the next night, where I learned about my new favorite after dinner drink: Cayman Reef Dark Roasted Kona Coffee Liqueur. If you ever see it in a store, buy it immediately and I’ll have you over for dinner!

Before sundown on the last evening, we witnessed the daily ritual of ‘the General’ and his flag lowering ceremony. The General would invite random kids aboard, outfit them with ear protection and sets them out of the way. A horn announces the proceedings and a crowd gathers as they roll into place a rather large (maybe 8 gauge) cannon off the stern. At sunset, the cannon booms, the crowd howls and taps begins to play as the flag is lowered. It’s quite a scene with all the boats and people packed into one place!