On Sunday, Your Survival Guy had to deal with some rough weather bringing our boat, the Tom Sawyer, back to Newport, RI. It wasn’t a surprise. I know the weather from experience, watching it like a local. I can do the trip blindfolded. But for those who don’t have experience, leaving the mooring could have been a mistake.
Early Sunday morning, having a cup of coffee with my dad on his deck overlooking Mattapoisett Harbor, all seemed calm with some gusty breezes here and there. But without saying a word, we both knew that once I rounded the necks that protect the harbors along Buzzards Bay, I’d be in the thick of it. “That’s OK,” I told him. “I’ll be fine.”
Two and a half hours later, as I throttled back and took my time, rounding the final “neck” that is Castle Hill, Newport, RI, and into the protection of Newport Harbor guarded by Fort Adams, I picked up my phone. It was littered with messages from family members asking for a check-in. “All is good,” I texted. Then I called my dad. “You wouldn’t have liked it. All is good,” I said. “Thanks for the call,” he said.
“We’re walking Stan to the dock,” she said. “Meet you there to catch the lines.” Later, once Tom Sawyer was tucked away for the day, we headed over to the Clarke Cooke House to enjoy the beautiful Sunday afternoon. And if you hadn’t been out there on the water, beyond Fort Adams and Castle Hill and all the necks, you wouldn’t have known how rough it really was beyond this particular harbor.
Action Line: Like investing, boating is about not knowing what’s going on until you’re in the thick of it all. We can read and study the ocean, but unless you’ve experienced what it’s like in all types of weather, it’s impossible to truly know her. Treat your money with the respect it deserves. Someday you’ll be glad you did. How do I know? I just do. When you decide to sail to Newport, email me at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com. And when you want a map for your retirement adventure, click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
Read more about our trip in: We Finally Got on the Boat
Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.
