Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. Sunrise at Isle Au Haut was nothing short of inspirational today. A low, thin cloud shield to the east was crimson at dawn as Katie and I rowed ashore for a run. When the sun broke the horizon there were just not enough eyeballs in my head to take it all in. And of course my camera was aboard. Katie and I agreed that mental photographs keep longest, or at least until the mindful hard drive crashes. This entire week has been filled with sunrises and sunsets that fill my heart with joy and my hard drive with images to carry me through the winter. After several weeks of heat and humidity and great swim calls fall temperatures are at the door. A frost warning was posted for northern Maine yesterday morning. We picnicked earlier this week in one of my favorite coves with the hills of Acadia as our backdrop. We had the place to ourselves, unusual for this time of year. I cherished that night with all my soul. The previous night anchored off the busy summer anchora...

Good morning everyone. We sailed off the anchor yesterday morning after breakfast and enjoyed a light onshore breeze all day long. Once again sunny skies were the rule. Eider ducks are everywhere. I love seeing the males skittering across the water as we approach the ledges. We sailed through the dozens of islands in Merchant Row and ran down the East Bay passing very close to the Deer Isle Light, Eagle I Light and Dice Head at Castine. We had a distant glimpse of Pumpkin I light which marks the west entrance of the Eggemmoggin Reach. We finished our day with walks ashore at Fort Point State Park. Ranger Terry Cole welcomed guests with tours of the tower and the original 4th order fresnel lens. How cool is that! Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. Well yesterday was about as good as it gets in our neck of the woods (or should I say bay). We left the dock at 10 o’clock and with all sail set and the yawl boat hauled we tacked our way up the bay towards Rockland on the ouitgoing tide. This being a 4 day lighthouse cruise we were able to view the lights at Curtis I, Indian I, Rockland Breakwater and Owls Head… all before lunch! We snuck through the Fox I Thorofare and across to the Deer I Thorofare, a route which gave us views of Browns Head, Goose Rocks and the Deer I Thorofare Light on Mark I. Dinner time found us anchored next to a delightful small island where we feasted on lobster and enjoyed a spectacular sunset. Guests exploring the rocky outcroppings discovered a small seal pup hauled up on a ledge. Keeping a respectful distance we all enjoyed a sight that is common along the coast during the spring but rarely witnessed by guests at a beach during a lobster picnic. How lucky we are. Have a great ...

Good morning everyone. We had a great sail yesterday along the outer fringes of Penobscot Bay from the Fox Island Thorofare to Rockland and up the shore to Rockport. We beat across to the islands, Mark, Saddle and Laselle which lie just east of Camden before running up to anchor through the Bracketts Channel. Bracketts is a very narrow passage squashed between Job Island and Islesboro. Those on shore saw a parade of sail as we followed the schooner Stephen Taber and were chased by the Lewis R French. At one point half way between Vinalhaven and Monroe Island we counted 8 lighthouses visible from where we sailed. Brown’s Head, Heron Neck, Two Bush, Whitehead, Owls Head, Rockland Breakwater, Indian Island, and Curtis Island lights were all clearly visible though a few were admittedly only visible due to the crazy refraction of light coming over the horizon. Still, had it been a dark night, the beacons would have done their job. We will sail about 93 miles by the time we get back to ...

Good morning everyone. We are having a quiet morning here at Fort Point Cove at the mouth of the Penobscot River. We are on the first of 2 four day lighthouse cruises this week. Though the forecast was dreary we have actually had surprisingly good weather and have seen 10 lighthouses so far. Today we will get up in to the lighthouse here at Fort Point. Ranger Terry Cole was stationed here in the 70s and will give us a guided tour. This park is one of the gems of the state park system. The grounds of the old fort date back to the Revolution and are just beautiful with wild flowers everywhere in bloom. I took the kids for a walk and we just couldn't get over the aroma of the deep woods with their tiny little flowers carpeting the forest floor. Have a great day. Be well. Do good. PS I was finally able to get a picture from our cruise on here. This is the Eagle Island Light. Notice the lack of an attached keeper's house. The government burned it to prevent vandal...