Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. We are anchored here at Isle Au Haut, one of my very favorite places. Seems I have been saying that a lot this week. There is so much going on aboard the schooner. I will try to get you up to speed. The weather has turned considerably drier in the last few weeks and that has brought a turn in the seasons as well. Autumn seems to be knocking on the door and Orion is above the eastern horizon by 3 AM. A few maples have decided to call it a summer and our adorned in modest hues of red and orange. For the crew these last few weeks have been a re-emphasis of basic details. After a few months of building new skills we have circled back to the basics that keep this big sailing critter going, not that we ever forget them but a healthy review is always good. Molly, Jennie, and Madeline have all headed back to school despite my best advice. Peggy has joined us as the new assistant cook and is doing great. Rob, formerly in the messmate position, has moved up on deck...

Good morning everyone. Maine has received it fair share of precipitation these last few weeks like much of the rest of New England. Folks inland must be sprouting gills by now. We have been quite lucky managing to avoid the bulk of the rain. The Earl of Sawn’s tells me his garden has failed from too much of a good thing. He passed us by in a motorboat as we were headed for the “Bar” and he waved us to come visit his home overlooking Mackerel Cove but the hills of Acadia were calling. We had a noontime picnic yesterday on lovely Pond Island (one of several in this area). The wind came onshore as advertised and we had a lovely sail across lower Blue Hill Bay and our by the Duck Is. It was a gloriously sunny day… one to be savored. Last night at sunset the first wisps of fog came rolling in over Cadillac Mt and the signs were quite plain that fog would settling in upon us. Here aboard the schooner we enjoyed good music and the gentle patter of moisture being strained form the atmo...

Good morning everyone. Greetings from a secluded little cove just east of Stonington. We experienced an incredibly hot day yesterday with lots of sun and light winds all day long. The end of the afternoon was punctuated by a series of rain showers and shifting winds that made us quite happy to be on the hook and hunkered under the awnings. Sunset was just crazy with deep blues and golden greens (if you ever saw a spruce clad island lit by the setting sun you will know what I am talking about). The low scudding clouds were everywhere keeping our heads spinning in all directions. Thin ribbons of clouds hovered close to the water at times and were blown in undulating waves as they skittered across the cove. All very enchanting indeed. Some of us took advantage of the opportunity to swim and rinse off the cares of the day. Folks often ask me how cold the water is and I respond in my usual fashion by suggesting that the question be rephrased. Wouldn’t it be better to ask how “war...

Good morning everyone. Greetings from Smith Cove, just across from the lovely town of Castine where stately elms line the streets. Wednesday, Castine was bustling with activity. The schooner Bowdoin just arrived home from a 5,000 mile voyage and a fleet of classic wooden racing yachts were gathered for the race to Camden that happened yesterday. We had a sleepy day yesterday with rain showers off and on during the afternoon and not much shut-eye from having stayed up 'til midnight at the Sweet Chariot Folk Festival which by all accounts was great. We even had the extra bonus of the Sweet Charioteers coming aboard Mary Day Wednesday afternoon and sharing a bonus performance as the Hollywood cameras were rolling. Naps were welcomed whole-heartedly yesterday afternoon. It really was a perfect day in many ways… not too hard on the senses, a light south easterly wind, and gentle sailing down the Eggemmoggin Reach. In the back of my mind I figured we might get to Buc...