The foggiest morning yet dawns. I've got my GPS waypoints set to clear nearby Sachem Head, which juts out into the Sound. I need to go around the headland, then follow a channel to a marina in Guilford. There are several marina options, but I will try to access the one along the western edge of Guilford harbor, and avoid going up the river to other marina locations.
I have no problem clearing Sachem Head. I then enter a waypoint for the outer harbor buoy to Guilford. I slowly motor in thick grayness. I really can't see very far ahead of me, and Guilford has many rocks and shallow areas in its harbor. I can hear the buoy bell before I see it, but I make it without problem. Now the problem is to find the marina.
I can't find it! I see all sorts of rocky areas high and dry in the low tide, but no indication of any marina nearby. I can find a channel going somewhere, but it doesn't appear to be what I want. I finally decide I'll just have to go up the river to find another marina.
Just as I turn to head up into Guilford, the fog lifts just a bit. I can see a forest of masts up the channel I was originally following! I was on the correct path after all! I start down a shallow, 5 foot channel and find a cut in the shoreline, and pass through to Brown's Marina. The fuel dock is right there. I get fuel and go into the slip area to buy some ice as well. The fog is lifting more each minute.
As I once again head eastward, the lifting fog stops lifting. Visibility will vary greatly during all the morning and part of the early afternoon. Everything is a shade of gray. Gray water with perhaps a lighter gray mist of fog passing by. Very light gray at the horizon to the location of the sun. Occassionally the sun looks like it will burn through, but it doesn't. A fishing boat, painted all white to further camoflage its presence comes out of the fog. I pass it and it slowly blends into the mist.
Once past the Connecticut River mouth, the fog begins to lift. In fact the weather improves steadily throughout the late afternoon. I have to decide whether to pass on the north or south side of Fisher's Island. The north side is Mystic Bay. The south side faces the dreaded "Race" where there can be very rough water and strong currents.
As I approach Fisher's Island, I first decide to go north, however as I get closer to the western edge of the island, and see the Lighthouse, I have the tide with me. The current is pushing me along at wonderful speed. I'm very lucky in my timing of a difficult passage area once again. I decide to take the shorter route and pass south of the island.
I hug the south side of Fisher's Island to avoid the bumpy water in the channel. The lighthouse seemingly zooms by me. I can see very confused, choppy water all about me, but it is not bad. I stay close in shore. I'm through the rough water very quickly and a glorious remainder of the day is spent under full sail.
The wind even begins to cooperate! It shifts from east to south and then southwest. I'm on my best point of sail as I leave Fisher's Island to the west. I decide to continue the wonderful sailing conditions into the night.
The glow of Block Island, perhaps 10-15 miles away shows over the horizon. I am far away from the coastline, now of Rhode Island. I am making great speed under sail. I put the coordinates of Point Judith harbor in the GPS and decide to go there for my evening anchorage. However I am torn between Point Judith and Block Island. I love Block Island! And I am a day ahead of schedule. Perhaps a day on the Island would be a great idea! I could arrive there faster than at Point Judith.
But I decide to move on, watching Block Island approach, then pass to starboard. Point Judith is somewhere ahead on the indicated heading. The Rhode Island shoreline begins to creep closer. Finally a glow. I follow a fishing boat through the western opening to the harbor, and spend another 30-40 minutes trying to find an anchorage in the dark. I find one right up against the beach on the eastern edge of the breakwater in about 10 feet of water. Someone has a roaring bondfire burning on the beach. It is very windy and I expect a bouncy night.
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