Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. The down rigging process has begun and with it the emotional change of seasons. Yesterday we all had a big emotional let down. We were all tired (we deserve it) and the thought of not heading out on the bay again for a year was clearly not too exciting. We live for this windjamming thing and I for one will miss the bay. Forgive me if I keep pining away for he summer sailing. I am not too good at transitions. Shipwright and dear friend Brad Ellsworth came down to help drop the centerboard out of the boat. We did something I have never done before and dragged the board up along the topsides (with a couple of 2X6s for fenders so that we could take measurements for a new one to be built some time this winter. Today we will put the board back in to displace the water in the centerboard trunk. This minimizes the ice build up when things freeze up this winter. Remember that water expands when it freezes so the less the water the less expansion inside the trunk....

Good morning everyone. Yesterday was a long and very beautiful day. After a quiet night at anchor we pushed our way down the east Islesboro shore in a very light Nly wind. We turned the corner at Laselle I and made one last tack into Camden. The foliage in the Camden Hills is turning but clearly muted this year by the lack of rainfall. Just the same it was gorgeous site to my eyes. I was savoring it all the way. Yesterday was one final sweet kiss before we had to start the work of getting the schooner ready for winter. Our arrival at the dock was our non-standard "bow-in" winter approach to the beach. What all summer were the bow lines were passed back to the stern and hauled up tight to brake our momentum. What all summer were the stern lines were passed up to bows and hauled up tight. It went as smoothly as one could ask for. Sometimes I get the sense that after 15 years I am finally figuring out how to drive this thing. I was sad to see the guests depart. The whol...