Foiled fuel forage

We are under way south and west bound across Block Island Sound, making a run for Montauk Point ahead of an enormous system that will pound us with southerlies for days. Just a little west of Montauk we will "close the loop" on our Down East Loop cruise, and when we've done that I will post a wrap-up here.

Monday we made the canal in plenty of time to have a fair current the whole way to Onset. As seems to be routine of late, the winds in the afternoon escalated to much higher than forecast, and being out of the west, we approached Onset in steep four-foot standing waves as the 2+ knot canal current ran against the 25 knot westerly. It was quite the challenge to line up for the turn in those conditions, but we exited the canal without incident.

Shortly after my last post we learned that the marina in Onset was down to its last 259 gallons of diesel. We arrived before closing time and briefly considered trying to get into the fuel dock, but the depth in the marina is six feet at low tide, and the tide on our arrival was a half foot below zero. We dropped the hook in our usual spot (map) and hoped we could fuel in the morning. We splashed the tender and went ashore for pizza and beer at Marc Anthony's, and a little stroll around town.

Sunset over Fort Adams, just after we set the anchor in Newport Harbor

I called the marina when they opened to learn they had sold out. They had no clue when the fuel truck would arrive to replenish them, or what the price would be. Current in the canal was unfavorable for a departure before 11, so we settled in to wait and I called the marina twice more before 11 to see if the situation had changed.

Conditions for continuing into Buzzards Bay were favorable, and we were unwilling to pass up our travel window waiting for a fuel truck that might not even come Tuesday. The price, if what's going on elsewhere is any indication, could also be upwards of 50 cents a gallon higher than the price that drew us in to begin with. And so when 11 came and no truck, we weighed anchor and pulled back out into the canal.

I had set a route all the way to Newport, but we figured it was more likely we'd have to stop short, perhaps Mattapoisett, and scramble to make Newport today. But we had a great push most of the day in fairly calm seas, and the plotter had us arriving in Newport just at sunset, so we pressed on. Once again, winds picked up above forecast, and we bashed through heavy chop the last hour and a half before the turn.

Arriving to Newport, I had to make passing arrangements with the Caribbean Princess, just departing its anchorage.

We arrived to the designated anchorage area before sunset and cleared in with the harbormaster, who told us to call back in the morning. Even anchored vessels must check in here and are subject to time limits. We had the hook down in a familiar spot just off Ida Lewis Rock (map) just before 6pm and settled in to a nice dinner aboard.

One of the reasons we were pressing to make Newport is that the anchorage is very protected, there's an easy set of dinghy docks, and plenty of restaurants and other services for being pinned down for close to a week. But arriving last night, a day ahead of plan, meant we still had one good day of passage weather available. We waffled back and forth all evening about whether to hunker down where we were, or try to make a run for it today.

We were already well set in a perfect spot in the anchorage, and inertia is a powerful force. We also have friends in the area, whom we we hoping to see on this stop. We had planned an alternate fuel stop in the harbor. And it's really hard to stop in a place like Newport and not even go ashore. But staying in Newport would pin us down all the way through the weekend at a minimum, whereas crossing to the south shore of Long Island Sound will pin us down only a couple of days before we can start making progress again.

Sunrise over Brenton Point as we departed Narragansett Bay this morning

We're not in any kind of hurry, and a week in Newport is very appealing in the height of fall foliage season. But the reality is that services are closing down right and left -- most marinas in New England and even New York close anywhere from October 15 to October 31. All things considered, we decided the wisest course of action was to make our crossing this morning. Most likely we will pay the piper in the form of much more expensive diesel somewhere in the NY/NJ area.

As I wrap up typing we've passed Block Island to port, which last time we came this way we could not see on account of dense fog. The plotter is projecting an arrival to Montauk before 1pm. We did not beat the unforecast escalation of wind today; it's already blowing 19 on a forecast of 5-10. We'll end the day either in Montauk Harbor or Fort Pond Bay, depending on how the seas look on our arrival.