It was easy for me to get to Newport, a short 2-hour flight from Chicago to Providence, then a shuttle van to Newport, about a 45-minute trip. Ask them to drop you at the Red Parrot.

 The ship is a modern 3-masted staysail schooner. It is 161 ft. long; the hull is aluminum. The ship was built in 1984, later in a 2000 refit, 60 ft. were added in the center of the ship. It carries 40 passengers and 8 crew, including the captain, who has been on the ship for 6 years. Our cruise has only 24 passengers onboard so there is plenty of room for everybody to spread out. The first thing we notice about the ship besides her sleek lines is the cleanliness and modern appointments. The feel of a classic ship is preserved with lots of mahogany and teak trim.

 Classic Cruises of Newport has a couple of day-trip vessels that operate around Newport and we are invited tonight on a private tour of Newport Harbor aboard the Rum Runner II, a wooden motor boat that takes us by some of the mansions that Newport is famous for.

Dinner tonight is on our own, which is the plan for the remainder of the cruise. They serve just breakfast and lunch onboard ship, which gives passengers a chance to sample the local cuisine on shore for dinner. There are many dining options available and we choose Cooke’s House and the meal was excellent. There is a long wait for a table so we sit at the bar and are served right away.

 After dinner, folks congregate in the salon for after dinner drinks, lively conversation and some card playing. Most of the passengers are from the US with many from the East Coast. One couple is from the UK. Passengers range in age from 40 to 70 and most are couples. Many are taking extra time before or after the cruise to further explore the New England area. The crew tells us that they get a lot of repeat passengers, but on this cruise all are first time Arabella sailors. Several are cruising for the first time and some are veteran small ship cruisers. Professions range from blue collar to attorney with one former professional baseball player.

 The cabins are modest in size, but well appointed and clean. There is a large open bow area for stretching out with a good book. The stern has a large covered seating area. The indoor salon is where meals are served and is the central gathering area of the ship.

We stay overnight in Newport and start sailing to our next destination at 6:30 AM. Coffee, fruit, yogurt, bagels and muffins are available early and a hot breakfast is served at 8:00 AM. This morning breakfast is “Strada”, a breakfast lasagna with layers of bread and eggs unique to the area. The ship sails very smoothly but several passengers suffer from motion sickness. By the next day, however, everyone is feeling better and joking about it. For lunch we are served crab cakes. Today’s destination is Oak Bluffs, a town on Martha’s Vineyard, a large island off the Massachusetts coast. We arrive at 10:30 AM and receive a Captains Call briefing about the island. Oak Bluffs is a town that is well known for its “gingerbread houses”, little cottages with heavy Victorian trim. Like all of our destinations this week Oak Bluff’s population swells exponentially in the summer. Many of the visitors get there and back via large ferry boats. The big news for the town today is a political rally for Hillary Clinton being held later in the day. Passengers have the options of going to the beach, shopping or just walking the island. Atlantic Stars, the parent company of Classic Cruises of Newport owns a small hotel on the edge of town --Hotel Pequot -- and we are invited there for an afternoon cocktail party including shish-kebab off the grill. Although the appetizers suffice for dinner some passengers decide to dine out. 

Sunday, a brisk 2 ½ hour sail brings us to Nantucket, once known as the Whaling Capital of the World. The highlight of our visit here is a trip to the Whaling Museum, with a lecture on the history of whaling in Nantucket. After our visit to the museum we take a van tour of the island. The Nantucket signature architecture is small cottages with trellises on the roof where roses grow. The buildings are all much the same and we learn that this is carefully controlled by the building commission to preserve the historical integrity of the town. Whaling in Nantucket has been replaced by tourism. Nantucket has a full time population of 10,000 and a summer population of 60,000.  For dinner tonight we find an out of the way ultra-casual restaurant and sample the local fried clams.