HAIL NEWPORT

After a refreshingly hot shower and a change into clean dry clothes I ventured up the road seeking libation and sustenance.  Fortunately, I stumbled across Hoovers Bar which provided both.  Good draft beer and real Bacon Berger.  Just like you see on TV it had bar stools, pool table, slot machines, men in hats, live music, big TV screens showing Baseball, American Football, Basketball and other irrelevant sports.  I enjoyed Hoovers Bar, very informal and a good cross section of what could be called blue collar folk. 

Just as I returned to Truce later in the evening a hail storm hit, the second one today.  I jumped on board and under cover just as I was about to get stoned to death.  I crawled into my bunk and slept like a baby until morning.  I awoke at seven to the sound of rain on the coach roof – the welcome signal to roll over and go back to sleep for another hour.

When I finally woke up I realised I needed to call boarder protection to log in.  I had called last night but hung up after the recorded message started (the wrong thing to do I learnt later).  Anyway, the boarder protection guy came down to the boat at eleven thirty and checked my papers were in order, gently told me off for not leaving a recorded message last night and helpfully gave me a list of boarder protection phone numbers for at ports further down the coast. 

After the bureaucracy was completed it was onto getting some chores finished, boat tidied and laundry.  All this took a bit longer than expected and it was three in the afternoon before I caught the free bus into Newport.  By this time it was raining again with more hail.  I visited the numerous small shops on Bayfront and the excellent Englund Marine Chandlery.  These American fishing ports all have great chandlery stores and real prices.

To escape the rain, I found a place serving fresh Dungeness Crab.  It was OK, fresh seems to be not clearly defined by time – could be fresh out the freezer.  The guy that was playing music in Hoovers came in and played, he did a good interpretation of stairway to heaven for me.  

I have really enjoyed the little I have seen of Newport (apart from near constant rain).  Everybody I have met has been super friendly and helpful, genuinely nice people.  I would like to stay for a couple more days but don’t expect the weather will provide any excuse to linger longer.  I will check the bar conditions with the coastguard in the morning – maybe they won’t let me cross the Yaquina bar.