Cruising World - November - December 2016

10

I

t all started out so well,

our little getaway last

summer to the Elizabeth

Islands and Buzzards Bay.

Heeding the previous night’s

forecast, which called for a

lackluster northerly to slowly

swing to the southeast and

build in the afternoon, we cast

of our mooring line early in

the hopes we’d be well along

our way before the breeze was

on our nose.

It was a good plan. The

water was calm when we left

Wickford, Rhode Island, and

though the current was against

us for the fi rst hour or so, we

made OK headway. Not really

thinking about our speed over

the ground, I fi gured that

by the time we reached the

mouth of Narragansett Bay,

8 miles to the south, the out-

going tide would sweep us

right along. Perfect, I thought,

as we putted onward, me lis-

tening to the chatter on the

VHF, toying with the auto-

pilot, and watching fi shing

boats while my wife, Sue, and

trusty hound snoozed below.

We were due for a good

adventure. A combination of

a recalcitrant engine, fam-

ily schedules and numerous

summer work trips and races

on other people’s boats had

meant we hadn’t sailed our

Sabre 34 outside the protected

waters of Narragansett Bay in

over a year.

Don’t get me wrong.

Narragansett Bay is a fi ne,

sometimes even challenging

place to sail. The afternoon sea

breeze often climbs into the

midteens and higher on most

summer days, and it can get

quite gusty between the islands

and shore, where the channels

narrow. Toss in an adverse tide

and the ensuing chop, and

occasionally the going gets

downright sloppy. Ditto when

a honking northerly screams

down the bay across a long

fetch of open water.

But while such conditions

can keep you on your toes and

make you focus on safety in

the bay, they can also lull you

into thinking that you — and

your boat — are prepared

for safety at sea. Yes, Mother

Ocean was about to deliver a

wake-up call.

“Dangerous situations can

develop with great suddenness

— so even when all looks well,

watch out!” the authors warn

at the outset of the “Safety

Afl oat” chapter of Chapman

Piloting & Seamanship.

I didn’t.

As we motored under the

Jamestown Bridge and past

Dutch Harbor, bound for

Beavertail, at the southern tip

of Conanicut Island, it didn’t

occur to me to move a spare

halyard back to the mast from

the bow pulpit, out of the

way of the jib. I didn’t bother

hoisting the main while still

in the lee of the shore; nor

did I run below to dig out our

chartbook or plot out the way-

points we’d need for the day.

I fi gured there would be time

for all that if and when the

wind did perk up.

Soon enough, though,

ocean swells began to lift us.

I watched the surf pound the

rocky coast ahead, and as we

neared open water, I noted

that the wind, now right on

the nose, was turning quickly

brisk. I shoulda, I coulda, I

didn’t. And then, we were out

of the lee of land and smack

dab in a mixing bowl where

incoming waves met up with

currents coursing out of

Narragansett Bay’s two wide

mouths. Powerboats sped

past, churning up monstrous

wakes, and Sue spilled into the

cockpit, glared at me, and said,

“I know where we are,” as she

fl ed to the rail for relief. I’d

forgotten what a nasty patch

of water this could be when

crossed too close to shore.

Minutes later I stood on the

cabin top, braced against the

swinging boom as I reached

overhead with both hands

to attach the halyard to the

mainsail in the hopes of raising

it and quieting the corkscrew

motion of the bronco we were

riding. “God, I hate boats,”

I thought as the bow buried

itself in a wave.

With the main fi nally set,

we bore away to let it fi ll; the

ride improved slightly, though

we both knew we were in for

a long and bouncy upwind

motorsail to our planned

destination in Cuttyhunk.

“‘Plan ahead’ is one of the

best pieces of advice you can

be given in boating,” Chapman

advises.

Duly noted.

november/december 2016

cruisingworld.com

Dangerous situations can develop with great suddenness — so even

when all looks well, watch out!

BY MARK PILLSBURY

Editor’s Log

MARK PILLSBURY

WAKE-UP Call

Warm sunshine, a cold beverage and an empty beach quickly

improved the crew’s outlook after a rough start to the trip.