Newport RI WebCAMs

Longing for a peak at Narragansett bay? Check out these webcams. Still images update about every 5 seconds. Results will be best during daylight, there's not much visibility at night.

Webcam #1 looking North West toward Rose Island and the Newport Pell Bridge. http://www.riyachting.com/webcam-hyatt-cam-one-large.html


Sample image: The blurred light in the foreground is the high speed ferry headed north toward the Pell Bridge.

Webcam #2 looking South West toward the entrance of Narragansett Bay with Fort Adams shown on the left. http://www.riyachting.com/webcam-hyatt-cam-two-large.html The Hyatt is the sponsor of webcams 1 & 2, which are are on the roof of the Hyatt in Newport.



Webcam #3 points East North East toward the Lower Thames Street area of Newport and the inner harbor. http://www.riyachting.com/webcam-museum-cam-three-large.html The Museum of Yachting is the sponsor of this webcam.

re-packing a traditional stuffing box

This link is a great resource on traditional stuffing boxes.

Long White Cloud

Friday night, Stephen and Paula Pepperill of New Zealand spent the evening at the Barrington Yacht club, presenting the story of their six year voyage on the 45 foot Herreshoff Mobjack ketch, Long White Cloud which they built on their front lawn. The journey brought them many adventures and so far, halfway round the world. They are preparing to sail for home via the Panama Canal after hurricane season. Check out their sailing blog for fabulous photos and compelling stories. God speed on your journey home.

Bull & Bear Sailing team at IYRS Newport, summer 2007

I photographed the pair of sandbaggers Bull & Bear at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport during one of my visits there in August 2007. The pair of 28 foot sandbaggers are replicas of working boats used on the New York harbor in the 1860's. They were built by John Brady in 1996 and 1997, based out of the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Bull and Bear are are serious boats and a serious operation, helping youth organizations learn to sail, get experience on the water, learn leadership and just enjoy themselves. The Bull & Bear Sailing team also donates time and effort to race for charities.

Black Knight undergoing rebuild

There is an article in the April issue of Points East describing a major restoration project being undertaken by Buzzards Bay Yacht Services on the 83 foot motor yacht Black Knight, which served as the 1983 America's Cup committee boat. I photographed Black Knight last summer at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport. Black Knight is an 83 foot Eldridge McGinnis design, built in 1968 by Goudy and Stevens of East Boothbay, Maine, who also built the replica of the original schooner yacht America.

I was overwhelmed by Black Knight's beauty, craftsmanship, elegant details, and finish during my up-close encounter last summer. What a gorgeous yacht. At first, I had a hard time believing that such a restoration was necessary, but my own experience with maintaining older boats should have made me realize my impression was unrealistic. The photos of the restoration available from Buzzards Bay Yacht Services show the effects of 40 years of ocean exposure despite obvious considerable maintenance effort.

Scales & Shells Restaurant & Raw Bar, Newport, RI

Here is a photo I shot in August 2007 of an attractive sign for Scales & Shells located at 527 Thames Street in Newport. I haven't eaten there, but the reviews sound terrific!

Points East content is available online

Points East is a great publication focusing on the New England recreational boating scene. The magazine is supported by advertising and is distributed free of charge at boat yards, yacht clubs, and other marine businesses from New York to Maine. The publisher is Joe Burke of Portsmouth, NH, who took the reins a couple of years ago, and continues to grow and improve on this fine publication. One of the things I like best about Points East is that it doesn't cater only to the upper crust of high budget yachting like many of the glossy boating magazines. There are many of us who treasure being on the water while operating on a shoestring budget. Points East stories have a down to earth realism that everyone can relate to. The articles used to be available only in the print version of the magazine, but I was happy to learn when I visited their website today that most of their articles and features are now available on the web.

The online content includes articles from the current issue, adventures, profiles and destinations dating back to 2000. Check it out. I'll still enjoy the print copy, but I'm going to become a more frequent visitor to http://www.pointseast.com/.
Best,
Chuck