Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. We finished of f the Wooden Boat sail training experience with the “final exam” on Friday. We did not have much wind but this group really capitalized on the opportunity to take the reins and sail Mary Day back to the “barn”. I could not have planned things any better than how they happened. This particular group chose to elect captains for each watch group. The individual captains did a great job with tremendous support form their “crew”. I encouraged everyone to taste a piece of the cake. I can only hope that happened even if it might not have happened exactly as people might have dreamed. The lack of wind was offset by some beautiful sunshine… an element we did not see an awful lot of last week. We actually came out quite lucky with the doom and gloom forecast we faced at the beginning of the week. For the first time in weeks I actually had my rain gear on for a couple hours on Friday morning. My fruit trees back home were thankful for a refreshing d...

Good morning everyone. We are anchored here in Pretty Marsh Harbor for the first time this year. I can hear the laughter of folks on deck from our little cabin in the fo’c’s’l. One of the things I love about this anchorage is that the stately old spruce that stand sentinel over this harbor toss the sounds back and forth across the harbor to each other. All night I could hear loons yodeling and calling in the stillness. We have finished Day 2 of this Wooden Boat course. We picnicked in a nearby cove at days end. We have had two great days of learning without a whole lot of wind but just enough to give us a feel for tacking without too much stress. The navigators are putting together the pieces of the speed. distance, time calculations and course plotting. Steering by compass is not as easy as it looks. Tacking topsails is an exercise in timing and teamwork. The bow watch is keeping a watchful eye on the many lobster boats that keep crossing under our bow. This morning several ...

Good morning everyone. Well it has been some old busy around here. Like the bees in our field we just go, go, go. We have had some great cruises and seldom do we have time to bask in the glow of each week. We are attempting to make family time on the “weekends” our top priority. We have actually mowed the lawn twice since we started sailed, already ahead of last year! Some one recently asked me if we get tired of this crazy life we lead. My response is simple. I get tired, yes, but I do not get tired of this. I just wish I had more juice to give to each day. As I explained the real balancing act for me is one of self-expectations. Trying to be all things to all people ends up making me feel more tired and more like a failure which in turn makes me feel more tired and the now you got the dog chasing its own tail. Expectations would seem to be easy to keep in check but as one friend recently explained to me expectations are premeditated resentments. Not sure I believe it but...

Good Friday Afternoon! It’s been a great week on the bay, lots to tell and lots to show. We’ll try to catch up this weekend with a blog. But this day is a special one we can’t let slip by, for one person we owe a hugh “Thanks” to….Curtis’ wife, Peggy. Thanks Peggy for letting Curtis join our crew. He’s doing great, mighty tired, and still smiling. Everyone here at the Mary Day loves him and hope YOU have a wonderful day on your birthday!

Good morning everyone. A look at the schedule will tell you that this is Race Week in the Windjammer fleet. The Great Schooner Race is unlike most races in the yachting world. No set course… the course is made up the day of the race depending on the weather. The classes are divided up by age and relative speed and size. The handicap system tries to even things out but goodness knows it is all just guess work. In the end it boils down to skill, luck, and just plain fun with guests jumping in where they see an opportunity. Mary Day starts at the back of the pack along with the American Eagle… the only other schooner regularly in our class. The schooner Roseway was up for a visit and sailed in our class as well. The J & E Riggin, Nathaniel Bowditch, Heritage and Angelique sail in what we call the Leeward Class sailing a slightly shorter course and getting a 15 minute head start on us. The pre World War One coasting schooners, Victory Chimes, Grace Bailey, Lewis R French, Merca...