Sailing - The Adirondack II - Newport, Rhode Island

On our recent visit to Rhode Island we went for a sail out of Newport that took us on a scenic tour around Newport Harbor. As luck would have it this was the exact same boat that we had previously sailed on in Key West, the Adirondack II. (The Adirondack III now sails out of Key West) More info here.

Adirondack II sailing out of Key West, Florida (During the fall of 2008, Classic Harbor Line made the decision to open up a schooner sailing operation in Key West, Florida. This operation would employ the schooner Adirondack II November through April, 2008-2010. In the fall of 2010 a decision to keep Adirondack III in Key West year round was made.)

We sailed out on a warm sunny morning in relatively calm waters. We did get to experience the boat tacking back and forth in the slight wind which was fun. This time out was much more active than our sailing adventure in Key West. 

The tour around the harbor passes various points of interest and Newport history. One very interesting site is a house clinging to a small rock island in the middle of the bay. It's a privately owned residence that may be available for renting.

This is appropriately known as the House on the Rock

 There are many residences and resorts all around the harbor.

The sound of the sea...a clanging buoy.

Fort Adams State Park

 

The Newport Bridge (Officially the Claiborne Pell Bridge)

Despite the more active sailing (for me at least) we had a great time. This was officially a Mimosa cruise but with my uncertain sailing history I decided to stick to the soft drinks. The ginger ale I had was refreshing and just the thing on a warm summer day.

The boat was lovely and like I remembered it. I couldn't get a picture under full sail from my vantage point but I did get one of a similar boat that gives an idea of what it was like.

Another harbor cruise

Another boat in the harbor that day was one of the ships used in the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean.

You can just make out the cannons on the deck. 

The crew was friendly and made the sail enjoyable. The Captain was a wealth of information about the harbor sites and the area in general.

The Adirondack II leaves Newport out of Bowen's Wharf. There are other fun activities there as well as places to grab lunch or dinner. Sadly our plans for lunch took us out of the area but check out the local spots if you have the time.

Having sailed on the Adirondack II twice now I'm looking forward to going out on the Adirondack III when I get back to Key West. Fun for groups of friends, families or couples, if you're in either area I recommend sailing with the crews of Classic Harbor Line.  Check out their other locations in Boston and New York.

Happy travels!