Newport, a Tale of Two Cities

On the 8th we went ashore to Newport. The primary mooring field south of Goat Island is huge and is loaded with classic sailboats. There are some superyachts at the marinas, but the harbor has primarily boats under 100′ in length. There were several 12 Meters on both docks and moorings. We tied the dinghy up at Newport Shipyard which has the largest yacht repair facilities we have ever seen, and on a recommendation, had a tasty take-out lunch at their on site cafe Belles. Walking back to the dinghy we saw Georgia in the yard, which when launched was the longest sloop in the world. Georgia has an Atlanta connection because it was owned by the late John Williams, an Atlanta native as well as a friend and neighbor of one Jim’s former bosses. After lunch we took the dinghy to a dock toward the center of town and went on a walking tour. We titled the post tale of two cities because shore side downtown you cannot really see the magnificent harbor since the view is blocked by buildings and the large boats on docks. Meanwhile there are folks sailing, racing, motoring in dinghies, and of course fixing boats just out of view. The boating and tourism economies coexist next to each other in harmony. The town is is well preserved and is much like Savannah without the squares. The streets were pretty full even though it was the Tuesday after Labor Day. Next up: Back to Block Island.