Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. We are very excited to announce that we are partnering with the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) for our September 5th, 6 day, lighthouse tour with pharoalogist Ted Panayatoff. We are offering a 10% discount to anyone that mentions supporting ALF and then donating 10% of that fare to ALF. Your cost will be $832.50 and we will donate $83.25 per person to ALF. You win, ALF wins and we get a chance to show off Maine's extraordinary lighthouses and give back to our community. For more information check out the ALF web page . Call or email Jen in the office to make reservations. Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. What a day we had yesterday. The sun was shining, the wind was perfect and the temperatures, although cool, were just right for a sweater and shorts. We left Castine's docks yesterday after a wonderful visit to Dice Head Light. All was calm so we pushed with the yawl boat up through my favorite eagle watching spot in Holbrook Harbor. We were not disappointed. The bay seems to be teeming with wildlife this spring. We sighted two razor billed auks and a storm petrel the day before. And late yesterday afternoon we sighted a whale breeching, at least a half dozen leaps clear of the water. We are debating wether it was a very young humpback or an adult minke. The spout was not distinct enough for us to truly identify it. Some folks have told me that minkes do not spout although I have read that their spout is indistinct because they begin their exhale before reaching the surface. I found a photo of the spray from a minke spout but the mystery of yesterday's m...

Good morning everyone. The weather here continues to be dry with chilly mornings and warm sunny days. This week we are looking at lighthouses and our resident pharologist and friend Ted Panayotoff is sharing marvelous stories about the keepers that made these lights live and breathe. On Monday we saw 8 lights close up and one off in the distance. Tuesday we sailed offshore to visit Mt Desert Rock Lighthouse and Great Duck Lighthouse. Hurricane Bill really battered Mt Desert Rock several weeks back and destroyed the bottom floor of the barn adjacent to the keepers house. The boathouse is completely gone, save on wall that is still standing. Just imagine the seas that must have been washing over the Rock to have done damage the likes of which hasn't been seen in many years. I have been told that the water was up into the first floor of the keepers house. Yesterday we had a chance to walk out to the Bass Harbor Head Light from the harbor of the same name. We also had a fine ch...

Good morning everyone. We are certainly savoring this stretch of weather. The air is noticeably cooler and and we have seen our first flock of cormorants headed south signaling a turn in the seasons. But with clear days and starry nights we can't say that we have too many cares other than how many lobsters we'll eat at the picnic today. On Monday we left Camden with just about the most perfect nor'west wind. We sailed all day and dropped the hook at Islesford in time for dinner 45 miles later. I am always fascinated by Bear Island Light which guides sailors in to the principal anchorages on the south side of Mr Desert. Privately owned for many years now the keepers house and light must afford quite a view of Acadia National Park to the north and the ocean with all its moods stretching as far as the eye can see to the south'ard. Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. The festival of Santa Lucia, patron saint of light, was this past Saturday, the 13th. This coincided with the largest tides of the year following the Full Cold Moon on Friday and the moon at perigee on the 12th. The range in Portland was a whopping 14.1’ on Saturday! The moon also happened to be riding high on Saturday well above the celestial equator. With just a little snow on the ground here in Appleton the full moon negates any need for a flashlight while walking to the barn to check the woodstove. All is bright and moon shadows through the trees tell me how clear the night is. Light is a precious commodity this time of year. Time to bulk up on the D vitamins to ward off the cabin fever. Winter has yet to begin and already we crave light on these darkest days of the year. We take great comfort from lights. My guess is that we are the only household in town that lights an outdoor tree all year long. I’ll put our string of LEDs up against a stark white 60...