Newport,RI to Fall River, MA

Hurricane Hermine was predicted to move closer to Newport and bring high winds and waves. We wanted to seek better protection and after examining our options, Fall River looked like our best choice. It was further inland than Newport and we would be protected from three sides by land, an interstate highway bridge and several docked warships among which was a battleship, the USS Massachusetts. Needless to say, it was a unique mooring field and it felt rather eerie being hemmed in by the four big battleship gray vessels towering around us. We were well protected from every direction but the north. As usual, the wind was against us and blew from the north. At least a spit of land limited the wave action and the greatest waves we experience while on the mooring were two footers. We rode out worse storms in the past. Our biggest concern was the condition of the mooring ball.

Getting on the mooring was an ordeal. Usually, Carla is on the wheel and Dwayne is the one who grabs the mooring. We rarely have any problems. This time Dwayne was on the wheel and Carla was on the bow to catch the mooring. Carla struggled to retrieve the mooring line because it was encrusted with barnacles and other growth. She wasn't wearing gloves and when she grabbed the mooring line the attached barnacles cut her fingers. Her hands cut and bloodied, she dropped the mooring line and the boat hook she was using into the river. Just as this was happening, the Harbor Master arrived in his boat. He retrieved the boat hook and told us to follow him to a better mooring. 

He took us to one very near the USS Massachusetts. He then attached the mooring line to his boat and gave it a good tug. He proclaimed, "This one looks good." and  gave us the OK to attach to the mooring. This was not a good sign of confidence in the ball. Carla took the wheel and Dwayne retrieved the mooring line. He put four lines on the mooring at various connection points to the ground tackle just in case one point failed. Our primary concern was that the mooring might fail as it looked rather poorly maintained. We did with what we had and hoped for the best.