Sailing Vacations
A Maine Windjammer

Good morning everyone. Fullnesss.... that just about describes our live these days. We are pretty darned lucky to be out here sailing among the islands, enjoying lots of warm sunshine with occasional rain to keep things from getting too parched. This week is our annual Wooden Boat School course where participants get to play deckhand, learning some new skills and practicing the art of life as a crew member aboard a sailing vessel. I kinda like that image of "practicing the art of life". The full moon rose over the tree tops last night. And just at sunrise she was dipping along the western tree line. Sunrise was elegant and warm. As Jim Dugan says don't just look at the actual event but notice how things are reacting. Even a blackened charley noble seems to glow with the help of a wooden deck keg. Yesterday the wind came strong northwest as it tends to do this time of year as cool air begins to filter down from Canada. We sailed over 50 miles averaging 6.3 knots the whole...

Good morning everyone. I hope you folks are staying cool today. It is wicked hot here and we are quite glad we are sailing this week. The winds have been quite light these last few days. Swimming has been the order of the day. The annual Great Schooner Race was held yesterday in Blue Hill Bay and Mary Day did what she does best in very light air. She waltzed her way through the fleet and was at the finish line pretty much unaccompanied. But that is not much of a story really. We just happened to get many lucky breaks and held the breeze while many of the other boats were held back by fluky winds. I can tell you I never stopped looking over my shoulder as schooner upon schooner took great advantage of some of the lucky breaks. The schooners Stephen Taber and Timberwind were like Americas Cup boats match racing to within a few boat lengths at the finish. Congratulations to the Taber of the Coaster class. Heritage took a long tack away from the fleet that payed off big as she took honors...

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. We enjoyed a noon time picnic yesterday with big blue skies overhead. I had never been to this particular beach before. You can see why it might get a little crowded in mid-summer. We sailed off shore yesterday out around Isle Au Haut looking for pelagic birds. Gannets were everywhere diving from great heights into the water. Ouch! Made my head ache just to look at them. We could see showers passing off in the distance and big clouds made up over the land. The rainbow was just the icing on the cake. And the clouds billowing up over Robinson Pt Light reminded me that it is all about the light. Have a great day. Be well. Do good

Does your Mother know where you work?? Any guesses out there? Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Good morning everyone. Sun rise this morning in Fort Point Cove is quite peaceful. The sky last night was clear as a bell and the sun dancing on the calm waters is blinding. Grab the sun block folks, looks like another beautiful day in Maine. We are working on our photography and learning about the natural history of the Maine coat this week. Last week was our 7th leadership academy with the fraternity Delta Tau Delta and once again they have done it with style. We ask them to push themselves through unfamiliar territory as we challenge them to learn enough skills to get the schooner from A to Z on the final sailing day. Standing bow watch, learning safe line handling and knots, steering, helping with the domestic chores, and navigation... all in a days work for these guys. And a little soul searching about lifestyle choices and leadership to top it all off at the end of each day. Then up again the next morning for a run ashore and an invigorating dip. I know it was a challenge. Than...

Good morning everyone. We are dockside this morning in Castine. We spent a very peaceful evening here getting a chance to walk ashore and see this very beautiful and very historic town. Castine has a very rare combination of natural wonders, revolutionary war history and a marvelous rubble stone light atop Dice Head just a mile walk from the docks. We are so lucky. We spent Monday night at Isle Au Haut... one of my favorites and did sail out to Seal Island to see pelagic birds like puffins and auks. I am having a bit of trouble with my camera but managed to catch a few images. Auks set a wonderful example for us all, holding their chin high no matter what the weather. I know I am anthropomorphising (that can't be a word!) but I admire them just the same. The sunset at Isle Au Haut was just... well just... well, see for your self. Just like a watercolor painting created in just a few moments and then gone in a flash as the canvas roll away with the sun. The stars and planets popp...