By Dan and Sharon Harding

For many of our boating years we always enjoyed venturing to Block Island Rhode Island. Well… almost every year. You see, the first trip to this island, in the middle of nowhere can be quite intimidating. The stories of fierce seas, dense fog and submarines can start you thinking, "was this really a good idea". The answer most definitely YES!

Indeed the stories of mountainous waves and pea soup fog are real, but with proper planning and a few extra days buffer, this trip is very achievable with a moderately sized boat. By moderate I mean anything in the 21-foot range that can handle a 1-4 foot sea condition.

A few tips for the crossing would be, prepare for the trip in advance by tracking the weather a few days before you depart. Plan on taking a couple days to get there and plan on making the crossing from Montauk early in the morning. This way, you will have eliminated most of the surprises and the final crossing should take you less then an hour to make (17 nautical miles).

Once you have arrived in the Great Salt Pond B.I. (preferred port), you’ll have your choice of a few full service marina’s and some not so full service. The largest of the marinas is Champlins which has just about everything (pool, theater, bakery, game room, bar, etc), but there is one major down side with all these amenities, you will be required to raft up to other boats to a fixed pier. Our choice over the years has been Block Island Boat Basin. This marina offers floating docks with good protection (we waited out tropical storm Danny last year) and a bar and grill (The Oar) on the premises. Reservations are recommended if your stay is tied into a holiday weekend. I would not recommend staying anywhere in, around or near Block Island during the 4^th of July weekend. This place becomes a zoo, which really takes away from its Maine like beauty.

The island's most notable attractions are it’s crystal clear water and clean beaches, so this should occupy most of your time. The rest can be touring the island by bicycle, moped (NOPEDS by islanders) and rental car. There are taxis that will take you to town or the small airport, but if it’s a rainy day and your in no rush, ask the driver to take the long way to town so you can see the southeast lighthouse.

For first time visits I would recommend at least 3 days (4 days would be better), that way you can enjoy the island without the need to check the weather every hour wondering how it will be when you leave. Remember this is one of the greatest cruising locations in New England, it’s worth spending the extra time to see it all!

Have a great trip!!