Providence Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Arthur Frattini's 760-square-foot house sits on Charlestown Beach on Nov. 1 after being knocked from it's 18-foot pilings by superstorm Sandy
CHARLESTOWN -- On a stormy day 27 years ago this month, Arthur Frattini drove from Connecticut to Charlestown Beach. He was searching for his dream home, and the torrential rains weren't going to stop him.
Is it right on the beach? he demanded when calling about the listing.
Yes, he was told.
The very next day, he arrived in a gale and realized just how close the house was to the water.
"Waves were rushing up to 15 feet from the deck. I paced it off," said Frattini. "I turned back to the car and said, 'What the heck. I'm going to do it.' "
Frattini has never regretted the decision. He's enjoyed swimming and relaxing on the shore, gazing at the ocean and Block Island from his deck, and inviting family and friends to his an annual Father's Day beach bash with live music.
At times, however, it's been nerve-wracking -- like when he had to wade through water to get to his steps or when he slept fitfully because waves were crashing so hard during the night that they shook the house and sent water rushing around its old pilings.
Still, single and with no children, Frattini has liked the little yellow cottage so much that while most of his neighbors stay only for the summer, he has lived on the beach year-round.
That is, until Oct. 30.