Rhode Island and Apponaug Bay/Village

Scenes around Apponaug

[Maryanne]We docked the boat at Apponaug Harbor Marina. It was clearly pre-season as most of the boats are still on the hard, and only perhaps 1 in 30 docks have a boat in them. This is a family owned business (the Dickerson's) and John and his Mom Avis have been really kind to me, providing me with maps and friendly faces. As have the guys that make up the boat yard crew.

This is my first real experience of Rhode Island - so for those who don't know the state here are few facts (from my guide books). Rhode Island (RI) is the smallest US state (38x48 miles), home to more than 20% of the nation's national landmarks, it's capital is Providence (the 3rd largest New England city). Founded in 1636, the first colony to declare independence from England (1776), also the first to abolish slavery (1784).

My view of the state is obviously nautical, but the state is infact very much an ocean state - with lots of islands and over 400 miles of coastline.

Apponaug is village that is also a suburb of Warwick, a town that hosts the Providence Airport (PVD) - so perfect for Kyle. It is situated on Apponaug Cove, a tributary to Greenwich Bay and nearby Narragansett Bay. The area has a rich native American culture, and the name means "Place of the Oyster" - there are shells EVERYWHERE, replacing gravel in driveways etc..

The feel of the village is very New England, with Clapboard buildings almost entirely, very hilly so many houses have a different number of floors/levels on the front and rear aspect, and it seems most have a view of the bay with a boat of some sort to hand. Everyone seems to have some kind of lounge chair in the front yard along with a collection of eclectic ornaments and other items - obvously no real threat of theft (which makes me feel particularly safe). The picture included shows one of the houses I especially liked, on my route to the village from the marina.

I've been sharing my time between loafing, exploring and working on the boat leaks. Luckily the weather is being kind (sunny, if a little cold).

There is a bus service into Providence that only takes 20 minutes or so, and costs $1.50, the village itself has a laundromat, art museum, and a boat store (all the basics of other stores also). A perfect place to spend a few days in recovery from our ocean passage. Amazed at how friendly the locals seem to be (many have deliberately gone out of their way to visit the boat and say Hi!) I found myself chatting to a particularly intelligent lady on a recent bus journey who was here studying for Business Management all the way from the British Virgin Islands. Seems like an eclectic and friendly place; I like it.