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I'd start calling around for a slip or mooring now.  I doubt you will find anything in Newport itself.  Jamestown is right across the bay.  The Newport side I would think would almost be impossible to find anything.  Opposite side of the island in Dutch Harbor, you may be lucky and snag a mooring.  Other close marinas to Newport would be Wickford (about 2 hr sail to Newport) or Portsmouth (about 1 hr sail).  About 4 years ago, Safe Harbor (out of Texas) came in and bought about 90% of the marinas in RI.

There is a marina at the War College, not sure if its part of the Navy base or independent.  If part of the base, you may get lucky and they might have something.

The mooring waiting list in Newport harbor is about 15 years.  Every year on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace someone is renting out their mooring for the season.  Typically pretty expensive.

There are moorings to rent in Newport Harbor, all owned by the town.  First come/first serve.  I'm sure there is a maximum number of days on the mooring.

There is also a free anchorage in the Newport harbor.  Same first come/first serve.  If you were a liveaboard you could stay there all season.  Met a couple from S Carolina that were doing just that a couple years ago.  Technically you aren't supposed to leave your boat unattended for any length of time but not sure how much they monitor that. 

Sounds just like mine, but a lot less rust.

Put a couple of pieces of reflective tape just above the spreaders.  Couple along the lazy jacks.  Seems to have done the trick.  Although the past couple of weeks I haven't seen the birds.  All used to be perched in 2 trees about 20' from the boat.  Maybe they have migrated on? 

Now I'm just back to washing the usual seagull droppings off the decks.  God knows what these things eat but it stains the decks.

Me=1 Birds=1.  Climbed up to the spreaders to put a couple more lengths of tape up.  Just as I'm about to head up, feel something on my arm.  Bird pooped on me.  I could see him at the top of the mast laughing at me.  The saga continues....

Installed some of the reflective tape on the lazy jacks and back stay.  Eliminated 80% of the problem.  Going to try a couple pieces higher on the standing rigging which should eliminate the rest.

How did you notice it. Smell or did you happen to see smoke coming from behind the panel?

Why are those connections so problematic?  Is the metal to metal connection not a good contact or is the plastic housing the weak point?

Just bought a roll of reflective streamer.  Supposedly when it's flapping around and the sun is shining on it, it will keep the birds away.  Pretty much what the AOL cd's were doing for Ron.

We have a new flock of birds that have moved in at my marina.  They seemed to have christened my boat as their party/bathroom boat.  Small birds, maybe finch or small sparrow size. 

Anyone use a plastic owl or hawk to keep the birds off. Was thinking of bungee cording it to the boom.

Installed the updates and chart updates, no difference in the chart. Although one of the charts updates kept giving me an Error code.  Must have tried it 6 times.  Went to Bass Pro, was going to get another plotter and see if that worked.  While there, was talking to the kid behind the counter.  He said with this version, only gives you inland lakes chart, you needed to buy the coastal chart chip. Even with buying the chart, with the plotter on sale for $500, it was still a deal over the new 74sv.  Just and FYI in case anyone else is looking at this plotter.

I think it's in the updates.  Loaded the sd card in my computer and logged into Garmin Express.  Took about an hour to load the software updates and there were 2 charts to update.  I can't remember the names but first took about 1/2 hr and 2nd is taking about an hour.  32gb SD card is about half full.  Definitely much more data on there than when I was trying to transfer the updates through Active Captain from my phone.  I think this will fix my issue.  Will find out this weekend.

Hmm, maybe I do need a chart card.  Not looking for anything too fancy.  Just really want some depths and buoy markers.  My old Garmin 540 came with that standard.

Grabbed the sd card and am loading it with the Garmin Express program.  Says 1.5 hrs to download.  Not sure if it software updates, map updates or both.  Hopefully will have more detailed maps.

Did you have any issues when you set up your 73sv?  Haven't been out of the marina with it yet.  It seems to be working fine, got the same transducer you have and that works also.  Only problem is my map has no detail.  I see land and water but no red or green cans, no marinas, no chart depths listed.  Went into the settings and turned on Most detail setting, Navaids are turned on.  Also turned on depth shading to see different colors of depths.  Nothing shows up on the screen.

Set up Active Captain and installed a Micro SD card to get software updates.  Seems I have to format the card first, when I tried to format it with the Garmin, It failed.  It then seemed to be updating, through my Active Captain phone app, but not sure if it was working correctly.  Must have updated 4-5 times where it would say it updated and i had to turn off/on to reset it but the map still has no detail.

Downloaded Garmin Express on my computer.  Seems like I can update all the software and maps through that program into the SD card.  Then load the SD card into the plotter.  Going to try that next.  Hoping that works.

Didn't know if you had any of the same detail issues.

Thanks.  How did you run your wiring.  Right now, I was able to snake the wiring for the 540 inside the 1" stainless pedestal guard (one side was just loose wires, other side had a 10pin plug so I was able to run the loose wires down the tubing.)  Assuming I could do the same for the sv73 power wiring but if I'm reading things correctly, if I hook up the transducer to the sv73, or other instruments, I need a network cable.  Looks like that network cable has a plug on each end.  Would I go through the pedestal itself?

Thank you. And thanks for the link.  The 73sw is about $200 less expensive than the 74sw I was looking at.  Where did you mount the transducer?

My MK1 still has the original depth, speed and wind gauges.  Had them repaired a few years ago.  Lately, sometimes they work, sometimes not.  Now my 12yr old Garmin 540 chartplotter seems to be on the way out.  Took a ride by WM and was looking at the chartplotters.  Looked at the Garmin Echomap series (it's what was on display)  Discovered I could also link new instruments to it.  Was thinking of getting the chartplotter for the summer and then in the off season look at a new depth transducer and a wireless wind sensor. 
Just wondering if anyone had any experience with the Garmin units.  Or maybe a different manufacturer.