Skip to main content

The Winter Star Doth Appear


Good morning everyone. We enjoyed a sunny sail yesterday and today
looks to be much the same. Can you believe we have temperatures
forecasted to get into the 80s again! This is crazy. The forecasted
gusty NW winds never really came to be. This time of year it is
tough to trust the NW wind. It can get some feisty as the warm Maine
waters exacerbate the cool Arctic air pouring in behind departing
cold fronts. We tucked a deep reef in the main underway as the winds
began to pick up and just as quickly they died away.

We enjoyed a great lobster picnic on the beach at "Lobster Island".
A trail leading to the top of the island gave us great views of the
surrounding islands. There is a picture in our brochure of a woman on
a hillside overlooking the schooner. As we stood on that same hill I
realized that in the 20 years since this picture was taken the trees
have grown to the point where we can just see the topmasts but not
the hull anchored below us. It is always a little startling when you
recognize change after the fact even though you have been watching it
all along.

Speaking of change... with the passing of the autumnal equinox and
temperatures slowly heading south with the sun the stars are
beginning to change as well. At 0400 the constellation of Orion was
well above the southeastern horizon and the winter star, Sirius, in
the constellation Canis Major, made a brilliant appearance. Very cool.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Comments

AL from Alabama said…
Tis not fair. I am sitting here in a hotel on the out skirts of Washington DC (after sitting through a conference all day) and others are out having fun. Things are looking up though. I got a e-mail from the IRS saying that if I would give them my SS number and credit card informaton they had a misplaced refund that would credit to me. I think it might be enough to buy a boat, if I include the money the fellow in Nigeria is supposed to send to me.

Fair winds and following seas!
Michele B said…
Hee hee! Al, I love your comments. I too am having difficulty sitting here at my cubicle while others are sailing on the beautiful Mary Day. :(
However, I already reserved my spot for next year, and the boss approved my vacation request. All I have to do is wait a whole year! The blogs will have to keep me going until I'm back in MD's embrace. Hugs to all. Enjoy these precious days.

Popular posts from this blog

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...

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...