Generations of Windjamming

Good Morning Everyone. We had gorgeous day here yesterday and looks like we have another one on tap. We are all feeling the returning light. I hope you can imagine how good that feels to us here in Maine. One of these days I might even be tempted to take off my long underwear…..but not yet. I am sure winter still has a few treats in store for us.

Speaking of treats…we had a delightful treat last evening. We had 3 generations of Mary Day sailors out for dinner in Camden. We were celebrating “Lady” Jane’s 90th birthday. Her life is an amazing story and she is a very funny and charming woman. She is one of my hero’s not just for the 23 trips she has sailed aboard the schooner but for coming through 90 years of thick and thin with humor and passion in tact. Jane is cousin to Havilah Hawkins, the schooner’s designer and original owner. Jane summered in Sedgewick, Maine on the Eggemoggin Reach and remembers the old cargo schooners. Sitting beside Jane was another equally amazing woman, a Sedgewick native who has lived an equally rich life, Mary Day Hawkins, for whom the schooner is named. She has been a friend to us since we bought the schooner and visits with her teach me lessons about history and life. Seated across from them were Jen and Courtney, the next generations of the Mary Day family. Web guru Jim Dugan and executive chef Mary Barney were there as well. I sat and marveled at the human story that this schooner has written. Many of you reading this are now a part of that story. I can’t wait to write the book.

Thanks to Jim for the photo.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Comments

Hail Mary

My heart is heavy with sadness as I write this particular blog. Since the beginning of August our dear friend and cook for the last 12 years, Mary Barney, had been struggling with cancer. I have intentionally respected Mary’s privacy and I apologize to you for not sharing any news about Mary’s health sooner. On Monday afternoon Mary passed away very peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and “family”. Her departure was as graceful as the rest of her life. Many people, including Jen, have been doing heroic work to support Mary these last few weeks. Oddly enough Mary was never very excited about transitions though this was about the fastest transition she ever made. And as I struggle to let go of Mary I realize I am terrible with transitions as well. We used to joke about how we liked things just the way they are, thank you very much, so why change what is working already even if it might be less labor intensive. Hard works is its own reward. I used to joke about getting Mary a Cui

Fall Maintenance

Good morning everyone. The sun has been kind to us these past few days and the crew has been spending much time aloft prepping and painting the mast heads and tarring the rig as part of our annual fall maintenance schedule. They were a little silly on tar fumes by the end of the day hence the rat board dance moves. Am I the only one who is reminded of Willy Wonka's little friends at the sight of the crew in their tyvek suits? Schoona-loompas? The smell of tar, after all, is what we sailors live for. Extracted from the stumps and roots of pine trees through dry distillation pine tar will cure what ails you especially some skin conditions and any emotional maladies from being too long away from the sea. All we know for sure is that Mary Day’s rigging is kept hail and hearty by coats of tar mixed with boiled linseed oil. Notice that I specified boiled linseed oil and not raw linseed oil. Tar mix with raw linseed oil will not “kick”. Don’t ask me how I know this… just take my wo

Oh Captain, Oh Captain, Please Don't Rumba!

Good morning everyone. Another 6” of snow fell this weekend and we took a few hours to enjoy the wonders of winter here in New England skiing in the woods. The full Wolf Moon on Saturday causing astronomical high tides plus a 1’ tidal surge brought by the low pressure system meant we had tides over the bulkhead in Camden. At low tide just the opposite happens and the tides dip well below normal. I was able to step to the docks from the beach and get aboard the schooner on Friday after work and all was well. I had an interesting email this morning from a wonderful gentleman looking for a vacation to replace a now defunct “windjammer” sailing experience that formerly sailed in the Caribbean. He sent us a very humorous swashbuckling note, complete with colorful pirate party images, wondering if we might be able to fill the void, complete with canons and limbo parties and would the captain be leading the rumba line? I regretted to tell him that we probably did not offer the booty he was

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