The number of yachts and facilities around Tiverton, R.I., impressed Gus Stratton so much that the racing sailor snapped up a Nantucket-style 1930 cottage on the Sakonnet River in 2010.
After a total renovation from roof to cellar, the white cedar shingled cottage now takes full advantage of the expansive views from the Route 138 bridge to the south around to Mount Hope Bay to the north, an area Stratton calls “the epicenter of yachting.”
Now the neurologist and his new wife, Beverly Wyman-Stratton, are finding the commutes to their jobs (his in Pawtucket, R.I., hers in Boston), are too long. The two-bedroom, 1-1/2-bath home and property, which has a 60-foot stone riprapped shoreline, a fixed pier, a ramp and float and two moorings, is on the market for $579,000.
A gambrel roof and weathered white cedar shingle siding conceal a crisp, clean-lined contemporary interior featuring varnished Acacia teak flooring and multiple waterfront windows. Designed for entertaining, the 3,800-square-foot property and 1,200-square-foot house comfortably accommodated a wedding party of 100 guests.
People naturally gravitate from the front foyer through the living and dining rooms and past the kitchen to the sunroom, with its unencumbered water views. “In season, we watch all the yachts that pass by,” Stratton says.
The open-plan chef’s kitchen, which has a breakfast bar island, granite countertops, New England-style cabinetry and state-of-the-art appliances, opens directly to the sunroom. There three walls of windows provide unencumbered views of sunsets and the yachting action. A gas-log stove keeps things cozy in cool weather. A natural gathering spot, the sunroom’s sliding doors open to a planked waterfront patio that has steps down to a ground-level paved patio.
The best view in the house is on the second floor — from the master bedroom’s private balcony above the sunroom. The master and a guest bedroom share the upstairs half-bath. Downstairs a full bath is off the living room.
Hedges shield the property from the neighbors and an 8-foot high fence effectively hides the two-car off-street parking area. Gravel and paved paths through gardens around the house connect the northern deck with the southern paved waterfront patio.
Delineating each of the seating and dining areas are hedges, lush landscaping and raised beds of herbs, all of which Stratton has planted and nurtured. To help keep the plants in bloom, his wife raises bees near the lesser-used northeast corner of the lot.
A flower-draped arbor leads to the fixed pier, ramp and float, equipped with power and water. An electric lift raises the float and ramp in severe weather. Depths at mean low water are about 6 feet, so Stratton usually keeps his J-40 cruising sloop, which draws 6.5 feet, on a mooring just offshore. “Our friends often visit by boat. We can get on and off the dock easily because we watch the tide,” he says.
Two marinas are just across the river in Portsmouth. Tiverton Yacht Club is a half-mile downstream.
The house has central air conditioning, gas-fired baseboard forced-air heat, a tankless hot water heater, an auxiliary generator, city water and a private septic system. Annual taxes are about $10,700.
Barbara Rhine (cellphone, 401-578-7377) of Residential Properties Ltd. in Providence (401-274-6740, www.residentialproperties.com) holds the listing.
October 2014 issue
