When Philippe Perut looks out the window from his Conimicut home he sees a playground. There are no swings but at times there are slides, lots of slides with white foam. There are mornings when the rising sun reflects on a tranquil playground and the horizon is aglow. Across the playground is the East Providence and Barrington shoreline and to the north is Gaspee Point and beyond that, lazily turning, are the wind turbines in Providence.
It’s to the south, beyond Conimicut Light that the playground expands to Narragansett Bay and beyond the Pell and Jamestown Bridges is the expanse of the Atlantic. That’s what beckons.
Born in France and speaking with a notable accent, Perut started sailing at 12 years old and has crossed oceans, devoting much of his life to sailing, boating and being on the water. He became a sailing instructor at 18. Now he is to introducing Rhode Islanders and others living out of state to the wonders of sailing and Narragansett Bay. More than that, he’s helping sailors become better boaters and certified instructors…