We didn’t rock much of anything, but the Block was rock’n on the 4th of July weekend.
We wanted to get settled and enjoy a few peaceful days before the mob showed up, so we motored over on Tuesday and got settled in. All the town moorings were occupied already (by boats that had been left there the previous week, we later learned, to secure a spot for the 4th.) Fortunately we were able to snug up on a private club mooring we have access to on the western shore of the harbor, which is very pleasant. We made it to The Oar several times for some drinks, dinner and beautiful sunsets over the Pond, and enjoyed rambling around the island with the dogs. It was very relaxing, but by Friday, the pace started to pick up. Continue reading Rock the Block on the 4th of July→
Hanging in Block Island on the boat for the 4th of July, we thought a few Bloody Mary’s might be just the thing. Wandering through one of our favorite little shops, The Glass Onion, this one caught Bruce’s eye. I’m generally not a fan of pre-mixed anything, but this stuff is great! We were on a minimalist kind of weekend so we didn’t want to load the boat up with all the fixings, but Ass Over Teakettle doesn’t need anything to perk it up. We drank it as-is, straight out of the bottle (plus vodka, of course), and garnished it with celery, chilled Gulf shrimp and some pepperoni slices we had hanging around. Ass Over Teakettle Bloody Mary Mix, handcrafted small-batch Bloody Mary mix from Skowhegan, ME
The kids are happy to be back on the Block! We motored over in light southerlies with an nasty-ish slop that caused some mal-de-mer for at least one of our crew, but that’s all forgotten now that we are happily settled on a mooring and everyone has been ashore to check out the local scene.
We got in after a four-hour and 45-minute run from New England Boatworks. Grey skies, humid, light southerlies and no rain. The town moorings were all taken, but both CCA moorings were available so we snagged one and hoisted our burgee to the masthead. There is lots of room (for now) at the three marinas, and plenty of space to drop a hook in the anchorage (also for now).
Looking forward to relaxing for a few days on “island time”, and watching the Fourth of July madness.
It’s official. Bruce has made the announcement. We have begun the process of crossing over to the Dark Side. We have placed a deposit on an American Tug 395 Flybridge. She will be built in LaConner, WA and will be delivered in April 2017. We will take delivery at the factory so we can go on a shake-down cruise in the Pacific Northwest before shipping the boat home in time for the summer cruising season on the East Coast. Continue reading Crossing to the Dark Side→
Commissioning is bittersweet this year. She’s going in the water looking great, but she is for sale. Very sad. Bruce is ecstatic; Dorsey not so much. Definitely the end of an era.
We “cruised” in our Airstream this winter for almost two months, leaving RI in January ahead of a major ice storm and blizzard, making a bee-line for the panhandle where we were very cold for two weeks, then making our way south to Key West.
We bought our little 16′ Airstream in 2012. It’s a long story, but we pulled the trigger on short notice and never looked back. I took some video of that special day, and the video has had quite a ride on YouTube. We should have monetized it!
All things fun (and tasty) in the life of the Beards
ging in Block Island on the boat for the 4th of July, we thought a few Bloody Mary’s might be just the thing. Wandering through one of our favorite little shops, The Glass Onion, this one caught Bruce’s eye. I’m generally not a fan of pre-mixed anything, but this stuff is great! We were on a minimalist kind of weekend so we didn’t want to load the boat up with all the fixings, but Ass Over Teakettle doesn’t need anything to perk it up. We drank it as-is, straight out of the bottle (plus vodka, of course), and garnished it with celery, chilled Gulf shrimp and some pepperoni slices we had hanging around. 
