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Crescendo

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Good morning everyone. We had an amazing day yesterday. Anchored at Isle Au Haut for the morning we were able to get ashore for a good
long walk. Isle Au Haut is a magical place for me. I have camped
there on several occasions. I have hiked and sailed around almost all
of nooks and crannies. The first pencil sketch I ever made was of the
Robinson Point Light. We saw several bald eagles while we were
anchored and a coyote (we had heard them yipping away during the
night) swam across the Thorofare and shook itself on the Kimball Island shore before disappearing into the woods.

Underway we started the sunny day with a deep reef in the main which
we shook out after about an hour of going 2 knots with nothing more
than 5 knots of wind. The forecast was for gusts to 30 knots but
that sure wasn't what we found when we peaked out from behind Kimball Island. With all sails set flying we beat our way up to Eagle Island
before we took in the topsails and began to beat into a stiff NNW
wind up to Hog Island and then across to our final anchorage in
Islesboro Harbor. We have put down 100 great miles in these last few
days. We really have seen it all. We saw dozens of migrating hawks,
a lone goose, as well as flocks of white winged scoters arriving for
winter.

Sunrise this morning was just stunning and their is even a touch of
maple foliage in this quiet cove. Today will be a very busy day. By
days end we should have sails and mattresses, life jackets and
blankets all dry and safely stowed in mothball back at home. I am
sorry to see the sailing season come to an end. I will miss the bay
and all that it is about. I will miss the focus and intensity of the
crew (you should have seen them yesterday as we were tearing around
the bay!). I will especially miss the diversity of guests that make
this schooner come to life. But a winters rest is well deserved by
all and by evening this captain will be having a toast to the season,
the guests, the crew, the bay.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

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