Labor Day Weekend in Bristol
This Rendezvous is one of the most popular weekends on the Ocean State Catalina Association's calendar. It’s centered at the Bristol Yacht Club, beautifully refurbished after a devastating late-2018 fire (and pandemic shut-down last season).
Hosts: Joe and Pat Jablonowski. 401-523-1170 (Joe cell). 401-523-1220 (Pat cell)
Schedule of Events
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021
2 pm-6 pm. Arrive Bristol Yacht Club
6 pm. Potluck Dinner. At the club’s outdoor gas-fired grills. Bring something for yourself and a side to share.
Launch service closes at 10 pm.
Sunday, Sept. 5.
8 am launch service starts.
8:15 – 9:30 am. Pancake Breakfast at clubhouse.
10:30 – 12:30 pm. OSCA’s annual Ted Trudeau Regatta in BYC’s Mercury sailboats. Demonstrate your sailing skills in Bristol Harbor.
1 pm. Sandwich lunch delivered from Ricotti’s Sandwich Shop.
6 pm. Free Pops Concert by the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Independence Park, directly across the harbor from yacht club. Open seating on lawn; carry a blanket or beach chair. BYC launch will drop you at Independence Park dock.
7:30 – 8:30 pm (or, prior to the concert). Dinner on your own in downtown Bristol. (Map, below, click link for descriptions) Reservations likely necessary for post-concert seating.
9 pm. Launch service closes. For pickup from the Independence Park dock, carry handheld VHF (ch 68).
Monday, Sept 6.
8 am. launch service starts.
8:30 am. - whenever. Breakfast on the deck, delivered from Bristol Bagel Works.
11 am – noon. Depart for home.
Notes
- Adult beverages: 3 pm – 9 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Depending on weather, either the Chart Room bar in the clubhouse or the Beach Bar near the dock will be open. Watch for “Open” flag.
- Food service. Instead of registering and prepaying for meals, Sunday dinner will be on your own in town (see Map, below). For other meals, Pat and Joe will collect $20 pp for two breakfasts and a sandwich lunch. This will allow flexibility for last-minute weather cancellations, etc.
Drive:Bristol Yacht Club is located on Poppasquash Road, adjacent to the Bristol Marine commercial marina and near Colt State Park. Across the harbor from downtown.
By boat: Bristol Yacht ClubMooring. Request through Dockwa. Mention OSCA in Dockwa notes. Contact BYC launch on Channel 68, and launch driver will escort you to your mooring.
Other moorings:
Town Moorings are lined up across the southern end of the harbor’s mooring field; no launch service. Dinghy access to Bristol Maritime Welcome Center in stone fort-looking building near Prudence Island ferry landing.
Bristol Marine (commercial marina) occasionally has moorings for transients.
Anchorage: Good holding in mud and sand at the southwest corner of mooring field, north of Usher Cove. Close to Poppasquash peninsula is best for prevailing southwest wind.
