Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. OK, so this blog does not have a whole lot to do with schooners or windjammers or sailing vacations so if you want to leave now I will not be offended. Today is the winter solstice, as you know, the shortest amount of daylight in our calendar year here in the northern hemisphere. Of course it is the summer solstice on the other side of the equator. So I guess if you wanted to celebrate the summer solstice you wouldn't be at all in the wrong. I would applaud your ability to see outside the box. Map from Wikipedia commons Living and sailing in the mid latitudes (remember, Maine is half way to the North Pole) as we do, we experience a balance that spans a year's time, maybe many years' time. To feel the darkness of winter creeping quietly into our homes is not as bad it may appear from the outside. This is our season to rest... emotionally if not physically. We know it takes more physical energy to live and work here in winter. But when the sun goes down...

Good morning everyone. Another busy week has come and gone here at the global headquarters. Katie and Ali prepped and painted windows and the beige cabin skylight covers. They also painted the bottoms of the yawl boats with a mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine to help keep them from drying out. Jen and the aforementioned elves spent yesterday getting our annual holiday calendar ready to mail. I have another e-newsletter ready to go. If you haven't signed up for our e-newsletter visit the home page and get yourself on the mailing list. My day job this week has been helping a local contractor build and install a platform for the probate judge's bench down at the county courthouse. With a maple floor and all white oak panelling it looks quite good if I do say so myself. The accompanying photograph here was given to us recently by a passenger though I can't for the life of me remember who. Please claim responsibility if this is yours. Mary Day is rafted up to the Hawk...

Good morning everyone. Yesterday we had our first measurable snowfall here at the global headquarters. Not to miss one moment of it the kids were outside early. The childhood joy of making a snowman or having that first snowball fight of the season is as pure as any I know. We took time yesterday to get into the woods to get our family Christmas tree as well. We have a special corner of our woods where we walk. It is kind of a shame to drop a 25 foot tall tree to get the top 8 feet but that is what we have. The leftover bows go to making swags for the windows so nothing really goes to waste. The kids took turns bringing the tree out of the woods. All I can say is "different strokes for different folks." I personally would have used the tractor. Have a great day. Be well. Do good

Good morning everyone. We hope you folks all survived the Thanksgiving holiday without too much in the way of personal growth. When folks ask me what kind of shape I am in I can reply, with great confidence, round! We travelled over the river and through the woods to the Adirondacks for some time with family. Happy to be back after a few days of slow time we are once again at it in full force. Winter cold temperatures have arrived with teens and low 20s the rule each morning. Frost is slowly working its way into the ground. The last of the leaves have blown from the trees (yeah... we get to rake again) and witch hazel blossoms still cling to a few of the trees along our drive. Witch hazel is a most amazing small tree (or big shrub) that is the very last blossoming plant in the woods. As a matter of fact the flower petals can even hang on through the long snowy winter. Seeds are dispersed almost a full year later when the ground is dry. The magical branch from the tree is used for ...

Good morning everyone. I believe I have experienced too much of a good thing. I have been unable to make anything go on the computer this week because I filled the entire thing with photos...too many photos. So after several trips to the local big box store an hours drive away I have been able to finally slide a whole pile of pictures onto several back-up drives and clear the decks to take another 7 years worth of photos. Techno weenie I am not. Thanks once again to Jim Dugan for his wisdom and council. I am often asked what we do when we want to go on vacation. To be truthful we don’t really do vacations around here but we do take a few days here and there to get away, mostly at the grace of others willing to invite us “up-ta-camp.” So last weekend we got away to Camp Puckerbrush on South Twin Lake. Here are a few photos of the inspiration I found in the North Woods of Maine. It was a tad bit chilly in the morning but the days warmed up quickly. Sawyer and I went grouse hunting and we...

Good morning everyone. Jen and I are listening to the sounds of darkness on this stormy morning. The wind is whistling through the cracks in this old barn we live in. The tree tops provide the constant deep drone to the whistles. Our tin roof is the tympani as heavy rain pelts down. On this particular morning I am glad to be snug here in "Winter Harbor". The mooring lines in this harbor are, I am sure, holding tight. The GPS indicates that the house hasn't moved... too much. Visual bearings on the big hemlock in the drive, the oak by the chicken coop, and the southwest corner of the barn confirm that all is well. The watch is never over. I think this will be an office day as we get ready to send out the fall newsletter. If you have sailed with us recently and you did not get the e-newsletter on Friday we may need an updated email address for you. You can do that by signing in on the subscription form on the lower right hand corner of the home page .Or it may be in the ju...

Good morning everyone. The chill of autumn weather has arrived. The trade off for what some of you may consider cold is the low slanting rays of light at sunset that warm my heart enough to try to hold onto with a camera image which in review always seems to fall short. Still the sky takes on a deeper blue this time of year and the air (and water) cool noticeably making us feel alive in a way that balances the heat and humidity of summer. I enjoyed many of the guesses as to last week's mystery photo taken by Jim. Alton nailed it when he guessed a new skylight over the galley. The opening will be about 40X18 inches and should brighten up the galley and cool things off during by the heat of the cookstove. By the way Ina, Jen started working on splitting your cookstove wood for 2012. In the office where most of our attention has been focused we are working on the fall newsletter, hopefully going to print this week. Jim has also helped us create an e-newsletter so if anyone wants to ...

Good morning everyone. Jack and Jill went up the... masts?? Thankfully no one came tumbling down. Yes, Jack and Jill Tar, or Rob and Katie as it would be, tarred the rig the other day while Jen and I have been pounding away in the office. If you ever saw my two finger hunt and peck typing you would know why I say "pounding". Not one of those life skills I ever mastered. Jack tar (and my own variation of Jill) is an obvious reference to the days when copious amount of tar were used to preserve all manner of natural materials including rigging and wood aboard sailing ships. Jack was not necessarily a term of endearment. If you were referred to as John you probably had money that any local barkeep would do their best to pry from you tarry fingers in short order. As the forebitter says '"when your money's gone, its the same old song, get up Jack, John sit down." The crew, posing as Oompah-loompahs in their white Tivek suits, get covered with tar in the process s...

Good morning everyone. And so it begins... getting ready for next season. We have so much to do and so little time before we once again reach over the rail to welcome you again. Thanks to Jim for sharing his cover pictures last week. We just beat the storm that blew through New England last Friday. I was so happy to be under cover. The crew worked incredible hard to "git 'er done." Thursday night we enjoyed our end of the season crew dinner and then enjoyed a long weekend. I spent Friday running around clearing trees with the fire department and looking over a carpentry job coming up in November. Saturday and Sunday spent helping Mom move. Yesterday right back to it in the office and at the boat. No chance of moss growing anywhere near my feet. While the rest of the crew have moved on Katie and Rob are putting the boat to bed. Yesterday was spent sanding mastheads aloft and spars under the cover. We like to get the mastheads painted in the autumn for maximum protection ...

Barry and the crew put the cover on today, the white plastic shrink wrap that the Mary Day wears for the winter. All spars were brought inboard, a framework was set up, plastic hoops were strapped onto the framework. Then today, white plastic was rolled out and stretched over the hoops, then all gaps and joints were severely taped in place. Then Barry fired up his torch: an oversized hair dryer powered by a propane tank. You can see the heat in that picture to the right (click to see it larger). When he gets done with a section, it's drum-tight, ready for most of what the winter brings.

Good morning everyone. These last two cruises have been filled with wild weather. Windy! We didn’t shake the deep reef out of the mainsail this trip and still clocked speeds in excess of 10 knots in comfort. This lobster boat was really throwing the waves . Mary Day seemed to be enjoying one last chance to strectch her legs and really go. We passed the 3,000 mile mark for the season. That is alot of miles and alot of fun. And alot of blueberry pancakes, and lobster, and apple/pear cream cheese dessert bars. Best of all a ton of great people to share it all with. As you can see the schooner is rapidly being put to bed. The crew had all the sails off and topmasts down by the end of yesterday. Quite remarkable. For those of you who managed to get down to Maine this summer... thank you for joining us. For those of you who didn’t make it... this summer to remember is gone but we will look forward to seeing you next summer. Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. We saw these Canada geese in Jericho Bay. I don't recall seeing geese on the bay like this. We have seen them overhead but not resting on the water. I am used to seeing them resting on the ponds and stream and in the salt bays protected from the ocean swells. I guess they were just flying bye! Have a great day. Be well. Do good. A particularly stunning sunset over Spruce Island.

Good morning everyone. Well as so many of you have noticed the blog has been on vacation for almost a month now. I guess it was time for a break and a chance to just be in the moment. Writing succinctly is not easy. Jim quotes a journalist who once said, "I would have written less but I ran out of time." I apologize to those of you who enjoy seeing the goings on here. Thank you for your patience and understanding that my writing inspiration comes like waves in the bay... depending on the wind and the tide. Since the beginning of September I have been savoring every last minute of sailing and scenery and wonderful guests. Each day the wildlife has been turning towards winter as Arctic nesters arrive and Maine's summer birds travel on. The woodstove has been running more frequently although there seem to be plenty of warms days yet to come. Temperatures are supposed to be in the high 70s on shore here today. With just a few more cruises remaining the sand is pouring thro...

Good morning everyone. We are finishing a week of two very cool three day cruises. We finally received some much needed rain mid-week.We do not travel far on a three day cruise but for everyone aboard we experienced a world light years away from the mainland. I was talking with a newly wed couple last evening about how lucky we are to have this chance to get away. The reflections in Kathleen's glasses kept catching my eye. I could see the whole schooner and the clouds over the bay at sunset. I see more through other peoples eyes than perhaps they might realize. How wonderful for this young couple to be starting a new life together. How amazing are the three brothers taken a few days to just hang out together. Sawyer and Courtney made some new younger friends who live in a whole different world in suburban D.C. The whole of this crazy world came together aboard Mary Day this week and for just a few short days we were at peace with ourselves. How cool is that? Have a great day. Be ...

Good morning everyone. Welcome to summer in Maine when we get a chance to see some of the most unusual visitors. One can never guess who will show up. Just yesterday I was driving up Route 1 in the slow moving traffic. I was more than a little surprised to see the neck of a guitar hanging out the drivers side window of an on coming vehicle, fingers dancing about the frets. And I was worried about folks driving motor homes through town with one eye on the road and the other eye capturing the sights and sounds of Camden through a video camera. I am not even going to go into the fashions of the day! Don't for a minute think that we don't see some unusual guests aboard the schooner. Friday morning we were greeted by a stowaway that was hiding in the folds of the foresail all night long. "Just cunning" as my grandmother would say. From what I can tell from my very limited knowledge of bats, this would be a little brown bat (as opposed to a big brown bat) because of its ve...

Good morning everyone. Most of our guests from this last week have returned home. I hope they took my advice to savor the sweetness of the week. I know Zeke and Zelda are so happy to be back home in the garden along with their newborn Zachary and all the relatives. Many congratulations to the newly weds. My those zucchinis work quick. Have a great day. Be well. Do Good.

Good morning everyone. Another delightful day here in windjammer world. After Wednesday night’s picnic we pushed across to Mackerel Cove, Swan’s Island. Of course we had to get up to visit the Earl of Swan’s. Earl was waiting to greet guests and talk about his garden and island living. This is the height of Earl’s social season so he couldn’t visit long. He had plans to go for a boat ride to North Haven for lunch with summer friends Becky, John, and Betty. Earl sent a bouquet of parsley and basil back for Ina and a very special something for Zeke. More on that in a moment. Under way just before lunch with a light SSE wind that carried us out through Jericho Bay and down the east side of Isle Au Haut with the ebb tide. I am not sure what possessed me to stop at Great Spoon I. but it seemed like a crazy idea that might just work. We anchored up in the bight and got folks ashore with ease. Getting to the top of the island didn’t take long. I have admired the wildness of this remote offsh...

Good morning everyone. The weather continues to bless us with sunny days and clear nights. We had a brief fireworks show Tuesday night as a cold front passed off the coast. Last night we sat on deck telling "Zeke" stories and counting shooting stars. The annual Perseid meteor showers peak tonight so get out and watch the magic. We enjoyed a wonderful picnic yesterday afternoon in the shade on a sand/shell beach surrounded by pink granite and a wonderful view of Mt Desert and the schooner. Zeke went a little crazy at the limbo contest. I am not sure we should have let him try a sip of whine. He was a regular party animal (?vegetable?). There are some photos I just can't share... this being a family vacation after all. Zeke and I will have a long heart to heart today. If he plans on making it 'til the end of the cruise he really needs to clean up his act. I will also tell you that he was involved in a bit of a scandal when he suddenly disappeared, replaced by a rans...

Good morning everyone. Zeke went a little crazy yesterday. He begged to go aloft to house the main topmast as we passed under the bridge at Little Deer Isle (there is a whole story that goes with that but I will leave that for another day). Please don't be concerned, Zeke was harnessed in at all times. No vegetables were harmed in the making of this sailing vacation. He loved the view from aloft. What's next Zeke? Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. Here in Maine the gardens are well ahead of schedule. This is good news for the farmers but some of us have been caught off guard. Most folks ashore start locking their car doors this time of year as friends feel compelled to share the bounty from their gardens. We normally secure the ladder and lifeline unless guests are boarding. We don’t usually expect this kind of shenanigans until mid-August at the earliest. But, there we were setting sail when we noticed a stowaway quietly reading the New York Times. A man of few words he would only identify himself as Zeke. Would the legal guardian of Zeke please claim your zucchini before the cook has her way with him. Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. Well as if Monday wasn't enough we did tack offshore yesterday towards Mt Desert Rock. With full sail set we left Frenchman Bay with our eyes peeled sharply on the horizon. Getting through our watch rotations was nigh on impossible. Late afternoon brought the cry from the bow watch "she blows!" Far in the distance we could see a humpback whale breeching so we eased sheets to get a closer look. She was a wary creature keeping at least a half mile off at all times. To see her spout was magic enough for me. If you look closely at the right side of this picture you will noticed the spray still in the air from where she first spouted. Please forgive my pictures. They are not that good but they might convey a little of the excitement we all felt. The show close aboard was no less amazing as shearwaters, a lone puffin, petrels and a blue fin tuna chasing fish and leaping clear of the water did not go unnoticed. Who says you can't have your cake and ...