Ocean Phoenix

It’s almost the middle of December, it’s still green outside right now, but oh boy, it’s cold.  While December brings a lot of joy and happiness, James’ Birthday, Christmas and festive holiday season, we can’t help but miss her.

Ocean Pheonix is all closed up. October was the month that we hauled her from her cozy mooring on the Barrington River in Rhode Island.  We decided we would remove all the sheets and halyards for a full inspection.  We also thought it was time to remove the mast for a full inspection and to repair the instruments and lights.  So there she sits on the hard with no mast, no sails, and a dry bottom.

All the cushions, as well as all the flooring, were also removed this year.  During the terribly cold winter months, we will redo the flooring and give new life to it.  While the floor is out we will be cleaning the bilge completely, rerunning some wires, moving the battery bank to the aft cabin again and installing a dripless shaft seal. But most of this will be done next spring when we return.

Now, what do we do…? We sit here and think about sailing, places we want to go, islands we want to explore and all the people we will get to meet one day. We watch shows on sailing and boating and we do research on items we want on our boat.

It’s around the freezing mark now and all we can do is countdown until the next sailing season is upon us. We miss our boat, we miss the water and we miss the warm weather.  What do you do to pass the winter months away?

James and Tammy on sv Ocean Phoenix

As we travel places, whether by boat or other means we want to share our experiences with you.  There is so much to see, to do and to experience in life, and sometimes you have to share those experiences.  This is ours…

As you might know, our sailboat is in Rhode Island, and because we have obligations in New York we can only go short distances, for now! If you are in Rhode Island, depending on your location here are some great options for food.

Leon’s Cafe & Catering – OMG, This place is incredible!  We decided to ride our bikes from Barrington to Providence one day and figured we would find a breakfast joint along the way.  As we are on the bike path, and getting really hungry, we noticed a faded sign on the back of a building.  I am so happy we did.  Daily baked bread’s, home-cut meat’s, and fresh ingredients leave you wanting more.  Not that you have room, these portions are plentiful and very well priced.  My last breakfast was a special, Belgium waffles with grilled pear, peach and pineapple tossed in a honey and cinnamon sauce. WOW, it was not sweet, and just the right mixture of everything.  It’s not only the food that makes Leon’s Cafe so wonderful, the people, the staff, the quaint feel to room, it all adds to the overall experience. This is our favorite for breakfast, we will be regulars here anytime we are in Barrington. Click here to visit their website to learn more about them.

Flo’s Clam Shack – Ice cold beer and giant lobster rolls, amazing!  We were in Newport, RI and had just finished walking 7 miles (we did the Cliff walk), we were hot, tired and starving. We asked a local for advice, we wanted a cold beer and fresh seafood, and that is what we got.  He told us that the local like a place called Flo’s.  Flo’s Clam Shack is great, it’s open and airy, great seaside decor with eating seating inside or out.  You order your food from the window and then grab a seat and wait (it’s not a long wait).  We had never had a lobster roll before.  We order one each and a Corona.  The lobster roll came with fries and left us filled. We had a great time at Flo’s and we can’t wait to go back again.  Give it a try and hopefully, you will love it as much as we did. Click here for more info!

Blount Clam Shack – Just down the river from our sailboat is this yummy Clam Shack.  Out one day in the dingy and we decide to stop for some fried clams and cold beer.  The portions are LARGE, the food is great and the beer cold.  You can sit there on the edge of the river and watch the world go by while enjoying some great food.  Definitely worth a stop and you can arrive by car, foot or boat, how awesome! There was no line when we went, but we have seen the line and sometimes it is quite long, be prepared, and yes, it’s worth the wait! Click here for more info!

Please remember that we all have different likes and such…these are ours and we wanted to share them with you.  If you are in these areas, stop in and check it out for yourselves and support some local eateries!