The next morning we unrafted from two other boats and had a pleasant cruise to Newport, RI. Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island 23 miles south of Providence, and 61 miles south
of Boston. A New England summer resort and home of famous Newport Mansions. An 18th-century port city, Newport now contains among the highest number of surviving
colonial buildings of any city in the United States and apparently was the center of piracy during the late 17th and early 18th century. So many pirates used Newport as their
base of operations that the London Board of Trade made an official complaint to the English government. The most famous pirate was Thomas Tew. who was very popular with the locals;
after one of his pirating voyages, it was reported that almost the whole town came out to greet him. That came to an end in the 1720s when colonial leaders, under pressure from the
British government, arrested and hanged many of them. It’s also rich with Revolutionary War History with Rochambeau and George Washington.
We docked at the Newport Hotel, did the usual boat cleaning and yoga and then went for a walk on the wharf which is charming and full of shops, restaurants and people. That evening, Kirk
and Mary arrived. We had a late dinner on the wharf at The Clarke Cooke House an 18th-century building where they report they have been hosts to royalty and yachting stars, captains of
industry and charming scalawags. Not sure where we fit in there, but it was a lovely time.
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