Remembering a great cruise

OK...Good Morning...It is some wicked cold out there. 8 below zero. I would tell you about the squeaking snow under foot but the sound actually froze before it could reach my ears.. This is the cold we live for and I love it. I can hear the trees snapping and the popping sound of the deck posts being heaved by the frosty ground. Sawyer and I went aboard the schooner yesterday afternoon while Courtney was in dance class and had to row our way through the skim ice just forming at the head of the harbor.

I was looking through some pictures last night and came across this write-up of one of our windjammer cruises in 2005. I will share this cruise in installments. I remember this one because of the 2 thunderstorms that passed down the bay on the afternoon of the first day. It was a strange weather phenomenon because the heat was actually being pushed back against the land from an off shore front causing the storms to form on the immediate coast instead of over land. Passengers were quite invigorated by the whole thing (Daddy, daddy can we do it again?). We had to take the sails down and anchor twice in one day before reaching our final destination. It is amazing how being so close to the elements helps us feel so alive. Thunderstorms and freezing temperatures have this "clap in the face" way of bringing me in to the present. The clouds that afternoon had a particularly surrealistic layered puffiness about them and the sunset was just stunning.

“July 11th Cruise, 2005

Another beautiful cruise! I have to pinch myself sometimes when I think of how lucky we are to live here. The bay was especially exciting this week. Monday we had a couple of thunderstorms roll through which is actually uncommon for us. We anchored up for both events and rode out the winds and rain which only lasted a few minutes each. We anchored near Stonington Monday evening and were able to get ashore to explore one of the smaller islands as well as do some rowing explorations after supper. “

Stay tuned....more to follow....

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...

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A Golden Windjammer Anniversary

Happy Birthday Mary Day! 50 years ago today Mary Day slid out of the shed at the Harvey F. Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine marking the beginning of a whole new chapter in the history of the windjammer fleet. The Gamage yard had not launched a schooner since 1933 and Mary Day was the first commercial coasting schooner launched since 1938. That also makes her the first commercial coasting schooner launched in the second half of the 20th century and the first schooner ever launched for the windjammer passenger trade. There may be a few more firsts in there but that doesn't really matter. What is most important about this celebration is the fact that Mary Day was launched today and began her career touching the lives of thousands of people. This schooner was built by people, for people and has never done anything else but bring joy to peoples lives. She has become a legendary windjammer here along the Maine coast as part of the largest fleet of commercial coasting schooners...

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