Log of Sunday, June 22, 2008

Sunday, June 22 - overcast, damp, Southerly ~5-8 k. Destination: Lewis Bay from Sippican.

I had been listening to a forecast of foul winds with unstable and deteriorating conditions, so on Saturday afternoon I called Tom and asked him to come earlier so we could get some miles under our keel and be sure to make the tide in the Hole.

I wasn't enjoying reunion much except for a good long discussion with my classmate Phin Sprague in which we failed to solve many of the pressing problems of our age. He and I differ greatly in our political outlook and we had a good time exploring the terrain. He also drew me a great little sketch of the Richmond Island anchorage just South of Cape Elizabeth. I look forward to trying it out soon.

0930 underway with Tom Gels & GW

1010 Converse Pt. abeam to Stbd. Closehauled Stbd tack under Jib & Jigger making good 174M @ 5 1/2 kts

Tom is a good local pilot for the upper reaches of Buzzards Bay, so he was calling the shots on how far we beat out the west shore before crossing over. It was blowing somewhere in the high teens and the forecast was for more later, so I was glad to be making tracks. We continued motor sailing to get to windward as fast as possible before the chop got too bad.

1036 - finished a hitch on Port to Pease's Point & back to Stbd. for the Hole.

At some point the wind eased and we raised the main. Then we started to labor a bit and I tucked in a reef. North Wind likes to sail on her feet, like most beamy centerboarders, so she was much happier after that.

1230 In Woods Hole - Engine quit while beating out Buzzards Bay - expect fuel starvation - so sailing through.

We were over on the East side of the Bay when the engine quit. My best guess was that the Racor filter just got clogged up with crud after a couple of days of bouncy Buzzards Bay seas, so I didn't worry too much about the machinery. And since we had a fair breeze through the hole and on out the Sound, I thought it was better to keep sailing than to stop and play mechanic.

We blasted through Woods Hole in fine style. It is fun to sail through and I always think of my father's story about visiting a member of the Forbes family on Naushon Island and, together, beating through Woods Hole in a six meter against the tide. That must have been some time shortly before WWII; it remained a favorite memory of his.

1315 hitting 9.8 kts on the GPS as we reach for the west end of the Hedge Fence with the current under us.

The tide runs hard through here. In many ways it is more important to have a fair current in the Sound than in the Hole; the current isn't as strong, but the distance is much greater.

~1340 Ryck calls to report a squall cell over Chilmark headed our way - we drop the main & suit up.

Oh, the marvels of modern technology. We had a weather eye peeled and things looked pretty murky to the south so it was great to get a timely heads-up from Ryck who was trying to get some work done, but was actually sneaking a peek at the weather radar and daydreaming about sailing.

We dropped the main and were all suited up in our foul weather gear by the time the squall line came through. Between our preparations and it losing some punch as it crossed the Vineyard, the squall wasn't much of a problem, but it was wet and windy and visibility dropped to almost nothing for a few minutes.

We cleared the East end of L'Hommedieu Shoal and bore away for Lewis Bay.

1455 R "8" Wreck Shoal abeam, squall long gone--non-event thanks to Ryck. Raise main with single reef. 057M for the Hyannis Channel 6.5 NM ahead.

Perfect timing; this was slack water almost to the minute. We had carried a fair current up to now, and as we put Wreck Shoal astern, we left the fierce currents which made Geo. Eldredge's fame and fortune and entered a part of the Sound where the currents are minimal.

1600 Entering the Lewis Bay channel--Spindle abeam to Stbd, R"4" to Port.

As we came up the channel I was putting things to rights and getting ready to leave the boat. After putting her on the mooring, I was flying to Alaska to join cousin Phil for two weeks of salmon fishing in Bristol Bay--a totally new experience for me--and then returning just in time for my stepson George's wedding. So it was going to be a long time before North Wind got any TLC again.

1715 Rigged mooring pennant by anchoring to windward, rigging pennant from Zodiac & then transferring to the mooring.

The final challenge was to rig the mooring pennant. The float was in place with the chain coming up through the center of it. We had to remove the shackle, put on the pennant and reconnect the whole thing. We did it by rounding up to windward, dropping the hook and then, after dropping back, bringing the Zodiac alongside and futzing with the gear from the Zodiac. It worked fine, but another time I might try to pass a temporary pennant and then work from the Zodiac while moored rather than anchored. Especially if I could approach under power!

1740 Cleaning up & getting ready to go.

1810--Loading out--the voyage is over.

A very successful two week cruise. Thanks to all the friends and family who took part and made it so enjoyable.

Log of Friday, June 20, 2008

Friday, June 20 - Clear & Sunny - Light Westerly

Canal transits are, of course, entirely controlled by the current. While tugs with tows push through against the current, and fast motorboats don't much care, we must pick times of fair current if we are to make much headway at all. In this the tide was to turn fair around mid-day, so we planned to catch the first of this ebb to speed us on our way.

0700 up anchor N. of Clarks I. & out the unmarked channel - again at dead low. Spoke to the owner of the Island Packet who had proceeded us in and anchored in the same area. He grew up in Colonial Acres and will be back in Lewis Bay this weekend.

The anchorage was a magical spot; steeped in history and currently an exclusive summer enclave, Clarks I. has the wonderful feel of an isolated outpost against the sea while being within a short distance from bustling Plymouth, Duxbury & Kingston. Ryck's photo shows the anchorage at the North end of Clarks I. astern as we motor out. What you don't see in a picture is how we are in a narrow navigable channel in a huge bay clogged with sand banks and shoals.

0820 Approaching the mouth of the channel & the Gurnet - will shortly turn South for Manomet and then the Canal.

This was the first day of summer for lots of Massachusetts schools and it was fun to see many lobster and other fishing boats with kids on board to enjoy the first day of freedom.

0825 Pass out @ Duxbury Bell #1 New course 160M, 6NM to Manomet whis.

1131 Entering Canal

~1300 Cleared rr bridge

1415 Cleared Hog I. Channel & bore away on Port tack ~285M

This last entry glosses over a poor decision by the skipper and a resulting very uncomfortable 45 minutes. To understand the problem, you have to know what everyone who transits the Canal learns quickly; The fair current Westbound runs head-on into the summer Southwesterly funneling up the Bay, resulting in big square waves in the Hog Island Channel.

As we cleared Mashnee Island, Tom suggested we flop over onto starboard tack and leave the shore to head East to the old canal channel under Wings Neck. That is a little longer, but gets out of the current and some of the wind. For whatever reason, our pig-headed commander said no and we continued out the channel to take quite a beating before we cleared the Stony Point Dike and bore away on Port for Sippican Neck and Bird Island.

1500 Centerboard Shoal drawing abeam 350M for Ram I.

1530 Arrived Sippican Harbor and moored to #83.

The rest of the story, which can be imagined from Ryck's slides, has us finding our way ashore, registering for Tabor reunion, making ourselves somewhat respectable for somewhat polite company and having a nice dinner with our significant others under the reunion tent before going our separate ways. Thank you shipmates!

Tabor has a lovely and active waterfront and it is always fun to see how they take increasing advantage of their location to enhance their educational program.

My plan was to stay until Sunday when Tom had agreed to rejoin me for the final leg of the voyage to Lewis Bay. I thought it would be good to stay through the chapel service to remember Phil Smith, a classmate who had died since last reunion. That would leave scant time to make the tide through Woods Hole, but I was hoping for the best on that score.

For the moment, I was just happy to be ashore and showered and having a meal with friends without the flashlight in my back pocket and all the responsibility that symbolizes for the cruising sailor.

Log of Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thursday, June 19 Awoke at 0600,

Click image for slide show

after pancakes and coffee,
lifted the hook at 0705. toured the inner Rockport Harbor and headed out for Plymouth (or alternatively P-town). Temperature 62 F, light winds out of the south, partly cloudy--a beautiful day with unfavorable winds. Motoring.

I really wanted to go to Plymouth and anchor behind Clarks Island where the Mayflower spent the winter after arriving with the Pilgrims. Both Ryck and Tom were familiar with the channel and so this seemed like a perfect opportunity to work in there with some local knowledge on board.

0815 Londoner abeam to Starboard.
0934 42-32.8 N/70-34.3//4.1k@210M
1045 Boston Skyline visible ~22 miles distant.
Breeze died - turned from ~200M to ~225M expecting the breeze to fill in SW later. Trying to motorsail when the wind allows.

1110 Spoke to Rob Hurd G17 <=> G21 #83 is our mooring.

Rob is the Waterfront Director at Tabor. He had arranged a mooring for us in Sippican Harbor off the Tabor dock for the weekend and this was just confirming where we were to go when we arrived.

1135 Warned off the LNG deepwater port by a work boat on station --put in GPS.

Stumbling onto the new LNG deepwater port was a navigational embarrassment. I knew perfectly well that this facility had been installed, but had looked at the rhumb line from Midcoast Maine and the Canal, had assumed that we would be well offshore and hadn't given it another thought. In fact, the facility lies right between Cape Ann and Plymouth and our course took us right through the area.

As we approached, we were on course to pass close ahead of a sizable workboat, I watched carefully for a bit and realized she was not underway so decided it was OK to cross her bow. I took the precaution of monitoring VHF ch 13 and 16; the boat came up on the radio and let us know what was going on. We were going between the two hookups to the pipeline, which were marked only by polypro pickup lines. We offered to tack away, but he said it was fine to go through so long as we stayed away from the actual pickups.

1202 42-20.7N/70-37.4W. Plymouth bears 190M distant 20.6 mi. Wind light & variable, generally Southerly & trying to establish a sea breeze. Sunny & comfortable in the cockpit.

This was a pleasant afternoon, only marred by the necessity of keeping the diesel humming a lot of the time since we had quite a distance to cover to windward if we were to get to Plymouth at a reasonable hour.

Spent the afternoon beating to Plymouth.
1800 Weathered the Gurnet & entered the channel with a bone in her teeth. Sailed up the channel & dropped sail just West of the S. end of Clarks I. then motored to the North end to anchor among the untenanted moorings. The key to the unmarked channel is to come in at about 035M and headed to the left end of the vegetation on the beach ahead.

The finish was great. We swept into the entrance channel against the last of the ebb with a reef in the main, rounded the bug light and up the channel toward Clarks Island. The photo, by Ryck, shows Tom at the helm as we leave the Gurnet astern and slip by Browns Bank. Finally, we rounded up and dropped sail before the channel split and narrowed west of the island. When we got to the anchorage area, it was rather full of empty moorings and it was a bit of a trick to find a clear spot, especially since we didn't know the limits of the surrounding shoals. Happily it was low water, so if we were afloat, we were OK. So we poked around a bit and anchored near an Island Packet which had come in shortly before us.

1930 Anchor down & holding. Paul is again looking for the missing bottle of wine.

While Paul tried to solve one pressing mystery, we had our last dinner aboard and looked ahead to the morrow, when we would transit the Canal and, we hoped, arrive at Tabor for "cocktails under the great tent" and an arrival dinner with Betsy, Mary and Jenn, who would be meeting us. Ryck and I would be staying on to attend our reunion.

Log of Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Wednesday, June 18 Proverbial first light appears somewhat behind schedule, 0415 or so, owing to heavy overcast. Fish jumping in cove.

This was the big day of the trip. We had that long, inhospitable stretch of coast to put behind us and still a long way to go to be in Sippican Harbor on Friday. The weather forecast continued turbulent, with thundershowers and gusty winds. But it was calm, dreary and damp as we made final preparations and got underway.

North Wind stows dinghy engine & gets underway @
0515 bound SW w/goal: Isles of Shoals. Visibility 1/2 mile under low ceiling.
0606 Turned SSW at Outer Green I. Thick o' Fog.
0705 Cape Elizabeth on the Stbd bow distant 1.3 nm visibility a scant 2 nm. Making 4.4 kts against a foul flood current. Paul on the helm, Tom at lookout & Ryck is cooking toast. BW is naviguessing. ETA at Gong #2 is ~0730.

For a while the fog shut down tight, we sounded the required sound signals and made securite calls as we crossed traffic lanes. We heard a couple of lobster boats working in the distance and, on the radio, one tug underway in the inner harbor, otherwise everything was still.

=>Watch Schedule for the day: Tom 6-10; Ryck 8-12; Paul 10-2; GW 12-4.

Even tho' this was just a long day, I tried to treat it as a passage with watches and regular log entries. It was too long a day to let someone carry an undue share of the load and there was certainly a chance we would end up underway overnight, since there is really no place to hide along the way.

0805 43-29.59 N/070-12.37 W -- 4.7 kts, vis good.
0905 43-25.50 N/070-15.47 W 4.5 kts OK 1-2 nm.
1050 43-20.94 N/070-17.66 W Sky clouds purple [?], Scale up 5+ vis
1205 43-11.9 N/070-20.75 W 4.75 kt, 4 mi NE Boon Is.
1218 43-10.8 N/070-21.2 W 4.5 kts Boon Id light on Stbd bow 6 mi distant--Sunny, clear, thunderheads astern, light Southerly. Minky (?) whale breached a few minutes ago.

Not much literary value in the log entries of this day. In the late morning, we emerged from under the heavy overcast and could see thunderheads to the North and West over the coastline as the unstable air was roiled by the sun. But for us it was a pleasant day only marred by the diesel and the headwind as we strove to make the best mileage we could.

1330 Hoisted main and jib. Making 6 kts at 230 deg.

Though the log doesn't say it, we never stopped the engine and continued to motorsail close hauled for most of the afternoon. The wind gradually clocked around, putting us below our course, but we got a net boost of a knot or so from the sails. This was enough for us to change our destination to Sandy Bay, outside Rockport from the Isles of Shoals. The extra 15 miles or so of progress made our subsequent days underway much easier.

1415 43-01.925 N/70-26.838 W, 5.7-5.8 kts at 219 m w/jib reefed. Continued motorsailing beginning 1330.

1505 42-57.5 N/70-28.9 W Continuing to motorsail close hauled Port tack. Wind ~12-14 k. Seas 1-2 ft. Sunny, cool. Making good ~5.7 kts. and ~216 M.

1755 - 42-44.7 N/70-38.3 W - Cape Ann lies 3 miles on the weather bow. Wind has gone light but we are still making close to 5,5 kts. Plan to close the shore and then motor around the northern headland and into Sandy Bay. Expecting light air and flat water in shore.

The other factor in the decision to go to Sandy Bay was the weather. Both anchorages on our route are a bit iffy, but Sandy Bay is very exposed in any breeze with some East in it. Our judgement was that the thunderheads that day were paper tigers and we had nothing much to fear even in an open roadstead. Happily events proved this correct.

1920 Set anchor in Sandy Bay at Rockport in 30 ft of water, Tide is 1 ft above low.

We considered a trip ashore, but in the end settled for a lounge in the cockpit surveying the scene with a drink in hand while we made dinner aboard. It may have been reheated chili--I don't really remember and the log is silent on the subject. But it was a tired crew after a long and successful day. The fog and solitude of Maine was behind us now and we were entering the busy waters of Massachusetts Bay. This transition is always rather dramatic, whichever way we are going and it is rather like closing one novel and opening another. It reminds me of the "sea change" referred to by passengers on pre-war liners as they traveled between Europe and New York.

Log of Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Tuesday, June 17--Grey, foggy, still. Rain overnight. The birds on shore at Lewis Cove are making a racket. Once again the coal failed to catch in the stove overnight. We haven't been doing very will getting it to light. 0620, Paul is trying again.

The plan--confirmed by phone yesterday--is to meet Ryck at the town landing at about 1000 and then depart for Casco Bay.

0815--Coffee & cereal.

0900--Diesel in prep for getting underway.

Truly 'thick 'o fog' this morning, the visibility can be measured as a few boat lengths, perhaps 100 feet. Luckily we only have to sneak around the corner to get where we are going. But this is the sort of morning where you need a compass course inside the anchorage so you don't embarrass yourself within the first hundred yards of the voyage. This was one of the rare occasions I set up the moving map software on the laptop and actually relied upon it. I also had a course on the handheld GPS and a paper-and-pencil course as well. Belt, suspenders and one hand on waistband felt about right to keep from being caught with ones pants down this particular morning.

0930--Lifted anchor, underway, motoring to Boothbay Harbor Public dock to meet Ryck (dense fog).

We arrived without incident, perhaps a few minutes late, to find Ryck and Jenn on the pier. The log makes no mention of two of the more amusing aspects of this rendezvous. The first was that when we scoped out the public float the afternoon before, we realized that large sections of the decking had been taken up for repair. This wouldn't matter much except that Ryck has limited vision and so we duly warned him that Boothbay seemed to possess a black humor we had never noticed before. Then, when he actually arrived, it seemed that Ryck and Jenn could both visualize where the coffee was in their kitchen at home, but neither had packed it. This wouldn't have mattered at all, except that the rest of us live in such fear of making the wrong move regarding coffee around Ryck, that we had almost none on board. So a short detour to rectify this oversight was the first order of business.

1020--Alongside the Public...
Seguin current calc: Boston High 11:30, Low 5:10; flood starts +2:10 = 13:40, Ebb starts +1:35 = 18:45

The current calculation for the mouth of the Kennebec can be really important, since with the wind against tide this stretch of water can become unnavigable on an otherwise benign day.

Usually the delay to get that last minute item before setting out is the source of some impatience on the part of all concerned. But in this case, we were going nowhere until the fog scaled up a bit more, so we just chatted on the dock and kept an eye on the harbor, biding our time.

1145 Slip the docklines at Boothbay Hrbr. (fog scaling up.)

I really wanted to get to Western Casco Bay--Jewell Island to be specific. The only touchy navigation is the last half mile where one rounds the north end of the island to enter the anchorage in Cocktail Cove, so I was ready to go as soon as the visibility was half way decent. We probably could see about 1/4 mile as we cleared the harbor, but that was plenty for our purposes.

1350 Kennebec to Stbd.

On this day the tide was just starting to flood and the wind had a good bit of East in it, so the water was flat as we passed the Mighty Kennebec.

1400 Seguin appears on in its lower reaches. Horn faint.

The visibility was up to almost a mile in patches as we passed Seguin to Port.

1415 Paul sights finback whale 150 yds to port.

North Wind exceeds 6 Kts for 1/2 - 1 hr.

1500 Wind subsides; restart engine visibility deteriorates.

1600 Fog scales up significantly. Many Casco Bay features--lighthouses, sm. islands; toothy ledges, etc. appear.

This was a happy moment for a scale up, the final approach to the island anchorage was near and I didn't want to work my way through the last ledges blind. If push came to shove, I was of two minds whether to use GPS and echo sounder or change destinations. Probably if it was calm I would have pushed on in, but in a breeze or a heavy ground swell it wouldn't have seemed prudent.

1700 Landfall @ Jewell Is. Hook down in Cocktail Cove @ 1730. Put Ryck to namesake work w/adequate if lime free dark 'n stormies (after much discussion).

Subsequent discussion dissolves amid considerable good fellowship, as one might well imagine.

Jewell I. is, like the Boston Harbor Islands, a lovely spot close by a major city. This time we didn't go ashore, but even from the anchorage in Cocktail Cove you can see that it is a wild spot in danger of being loved to death by all the people who have access to it. We slipped in near low tide with the big shingle beaches on each side of the cove and the misty island beyond. Chilly, a bit bleak, but beautiful.

We turned in early with the plan to leave at first light for the long trek past the inhospitable coast West of Portland and the hope of getting to the Isles of Shoals or perhaps Rockport before nightfall. Today was a short day of only about 25 miles, tomorrow we hope to cover up to 65 miles.

Log of Monday, June 16, 2008

Monday, June 16 grey, still--forecast for rain later.

1630 Plan to get underway after coffee.

The schedule calls for us to end the day in the vicinity of Boothbay Harbor so we can be sure of meeting Ryck there the following morning. That means 30 miles with variable visibility and no wind to speak of. We motor at about 5 kts, so the distance is not a problem. But we aren't particularly looking forward to six hours of standing in the chilly rain peering through mist with the monotonous rumble of the diesel making it just a bit noisy for easy conversation.

0715 - Aweigh-misty morning. Tom at the helm, Paul learning the quirks of the stove, GW navigating.

Our course took us out the Muscle Ridges past Whitehead Island, then on SW past the mouth of Tenants Harbor. At Mosquito I. we turn West past Port Clyde and on, more West than South, across the mouth of Muscongus Bay. The legs range from a few miles down to a few hundred yards and, while there are plenty of ledges all along the way, the course is well marked. The visibility is up and down all day, so things keep appearing and disappearing in the mist. But from a navigational standpoint it remains tolerable.

10:00 Eastern Egg Rock abeam, gray, wind 3-5 SSW, motoring, scotch mist.

We are just running compass courses all day, but there is no particular tension.

10:10 Whale (probably Minke) dead ahead 200-300 yds surfaced several times.

1114 Pemaquid Pt. Abeam.

It doesn't seem to matter what is going on in the rest of the world, the sea is always a bit uneasy off Pemaquid Point. The sea monsters are stirring somewhere in the depths around here.

Went thru Fisherman's Is. passage & into Boothbay Harbor. Many romping seals. Fueled up @ Carousel Marina @ 1300; drive around harbor; reconnoiter mtg. place for Ryck. Motored around to Linekin Bay & anchored @ 1430. Exclnt lunch, nap, chat; rain stops around 1530.

Another one of North Wind's favored anchorages is in Lewis Cove, just around the corner Eastward from Boothbay. This is a quiet spot surrounded by summer cottages set in the woods, but if you land at the little park at the head of the cove it is only a five minute walk to the bustle of Boothbay Harbor's waterfront.

1830 - after taking a spin around the anchorage on a plane to bail the Zodiac, we went ashore for dinner. Walked around the waterfront and shopping area. Admired "Ernestina" on the ways and finally settled on a restaurant at the footbridge where we had fine lobsters & other seafood. Back to the boat ~2200 and to bed.

Somewhere in there we made phone contact with Ryck. He is back from his trip, and is staying in a B&B in Bath, we confirm the town dock meeting place for the next morning.

Log of Sunday, June 15, 2008

Sunday, June 15. Overcast cool & damper than last few days. Wind variable around SE. A bit gusty.

Awoke in Pulpit; the morning was a bit raw and bleak. We were headed back to Rockland to put Betsy and Mary ashore and to meet up with Paul, who was joining up for the delivery portion of our adventure. We did what we could to enjoy the morning, since once we were headed back we would be engaged with the mechanics of the changeover.

Tom & Mary had dinghy tour of harbor after leisurely breakfast.

11:00 Underway after washing endless mud off anchor rode heading for Rockland crew change. Motoring, light wind. Spotty rain.

I don't know if it is our cleanliness or the Pulpit Harbor mud which has improved, but we have been spending a lot of time getting the anchor clean and put away on our recent visits.

16:20 Steady rain most of the afternoon. Paul arrived around 13:30, Mary and Betsy left shortly afterward. The boat re-provisioned, we left for False Whitehead, motoring. Overcast, but rain stopped around 15:00. Maybe to Tenants Harbor.

Paul Cillo had driven over from his home in Vermont to meet us (Mary was going to take his car to Mass. for him), we again used the big, well maintained, town landing with its sizable parking lot for our changeover. Betsy ran up to the grocery store, we got some more ice, watered and generally set things to rights for the next leg.

The day continued to be wet and gusty, with only moderate visibility and a forecast of more of the same. Our schedule called for us to be in Boothbay first thing Tuesday morning to pick Ryck up, which suggested a fairly full travel day ahead on Monday. We would be much better off on the morrow if we made some progress in the right direction before settling in for the night. As a result, I really wanted to get off the dock and out to the other end of the Muscle Ridges if possible. The note in the log about perhaps getting to Tenants Harbor was mostly wishful thinking, but reflected my anxiety about the chance of the morning being socked in.

Long days in June allow for making good progress, but if the weather is wet and foggy, the visibility only scales up for a bit in the middle of the day and so pressing on becomes difficult and anxious work. We don't have Radar, but I am quite confident about traveling safely with careful navigation and a good lookout in even quite foggy weather. But it often requires taking longer routes and traveling slowly, and it is tiring. And getting too ambitious toward nightfall can lead to trouble--the prospect of dark and thick 'o fog is absolutely no fun at all.

In the event, we got to the anchorage we often use behind Sprucehead I. and it was obviously time to stop, what with the late hour and the visibility decreasing.

1845 - Anchor down in False Whitehead. Rum all 'round & the prospect of (chicken) Fusion in the immediate future.

We are accumulating a list of places, many of them quite lovely, which are close to the routes we travel to use as fair weather overnight stops. False Whitehead Harbor is one of these. We have yet to go ashore there, since we are always eager to be on our way. But it does look as thought it would be a lovely spot for a ramble if we were more patient.

The timing was pretty good, the rain returned soon after the hook was down. The rum was a welcome restorative, but the chicken fusion turned out to be a disappointment. Turns out there is a limit to how many ingredients can be left out of a recipe without compromising the results. In this case, a chicken and asparagus stir fry without either chicken or asparagus or even soy is rather flat.

Set the alarm for 0600 and turned in, hoping for the best on the weather.

Log of Saturday, June 14, 2008

Saturday, June 14--Clear sky, high cirrus, light air.

Awoke to sunshine and warm stove. Scooted over to Buckle Isl for a short hike--sat in cut-out tree chairs...took pictures.

This is a nice little island with a path through the middle which pops out at scenic spots on the North and South ends. At the North end one has a fine view across Casco Passage to the islands beyond and at the South end there is a sweet little grassy spot behind the rocky shore where we took the photo above. By coaxing the crew out on the rocks, we were just able to get North Wind into the frame. The little grassy spot seems to be the yard of an old cottage--only the foundation remains. Wildflowers bloom and two stumps have been carved into chairs for admiring the view on out the Bay. The island is privately owned, but is on the Maine Island Trail, so the rules for use by members are in the MITA handbook.

9:35 320 deg heading for Eggemoggin Reach & Pulpit Harbor.

Pleasant motor across to Egg. Rch. Took a tour past the Wooden Boat School & chatted w/ our rigger [Hans] who happened to be on the dock. Then took a short cut over to Center Harbor by going inside the Torrey Islands. (*see below)

(* Little Babson directly astern, then steered 345 deg thru the channel toward the nun off Chatto Island.)

We often swing through the WoodenBoat anchorage as we pass by, its a pretty spot and often an interesting boat or two will be moored here. A couple of times I have noticed Jon Wilson going through the passage inside the Torrey Islands, but this was the first time we had tried it. The good water is in the middle of the gap, but there isn't much in the way of nearby landmarks to help one aim.

Took tour of Center Harbor and then headed out the Reach.

11:55 raised sails as breeze seemed pretty good.

12:00 becalmed it would seem. Wind shifting.

12:10--lunch as we sit, no helmsperson needed to drift.

12:30 done w/lunch, breath of air.

12:45 Terrific breeze, close hauled. Heading for bridge.

1:20 "Raced" a while with Steve White who was sailing Tendress, a BBY fast sloop with a girlfriend / daughter(?). Kept pace only briefly as he moved past us despite having his traveler too high. (;-)

2:05 Passed under Deer Isle bridge. Waved goodbye to Steve. Wind has moved toward SW so now on broad "reach, as we slowed in the "Reach".

The wind is often variable at the West end of the Reach, but this was an exceptional day in that regard. Anybody who has sailed with me much knows how much I enjoy the changing breeze of a day on the water. The pauses as the wind changes round are moments of anticipation and a chance to have lunch before the afternoon thermal fills in is a delightful interlude.

3:30 Wind died, so motered into Bucks H. to see sights including funicular. Did a *"drive by" at the Marina [boat yard?] for ice (and wine). Now we are back out in the West end of the Reach, with a brisk SW breeze. Sailing closehauled.
(* bumpers but no docklines--B. jumps off first pass, jumps back on 2nd pass.)

1545 on to Pulpit. Breeze up and down, reefing in the mouth of the reach, drifting off Two Bush I. Always shifing to put us dead down wind of Pulpit. Frustrating and slow. Beat out past Hog, Beach, Great & Little Spruce Head, Horse Head & Compass Is. Wind basically SW, shifty & puffy.

I'm gradually learning how complex are the forces at work on the breeze in this part of the Bay. When the wind is from the SSW, Great Spruce Head Island casts a huge, turbulent wind shadow which extends almost to the water East of Hog Island, while the land masses of North Haven and Deer Isle seem to affect the timing of the afternoon thermal in their vicinity. As a result there is often a marked difference in the wind direction near Deer I. compared with the waters closer to Islesboro. The dividing line moves back and forth--sometimes one breeze prevails and sometimes they fight all afternoon. There is generally a line of near calm between the two.

On this afternoon, I played the game exceptionally badly and we spent a frustrating afternoon fighting shifts and holes in the wind as we tried to beat South to Pulpit in a boat which is not very weatherly to begin with.

2015--Egg Rock finally abeam. Started the engine & motored in to anchor in our usual spot. Several cruising yachts on anchors & moorings around. Sky still clear with filmy cirrus, but heavy clouds approaching from the West.

Finally, with about an hour to go before sunset, I admitted defeat and allowed us to "crank up the plant" so we could get in and set for the night. This was the last day with Mary and Betsy aboard and the last day before a change in the weather to a moist and unsettled regime which was forecast to last through the delivery. In fact, it lasted into August and while the weather affected our plans somewhat, it really wasn't a problem.

2115-2300--Anchor down & dinner of sausage, onions & spuds. Delicious. Bed.

Log of Friday, June 13, 2008

Friday June 13, 2008, Clear blue sky, dry night, no dew. Mid 60's!! No need for heat from stove.
Stay abeds started coffee at 8. Breakfast of bb. [blueberry] pancakes in cockpit. Underway at 10:30 with favorable North Wind. Heading for Stonington and then perhaps Buckle Harbor.

Lovely relaxed morning. We slept late and had a nice beakfast before getting underway. There is always a little anxiety in the pit of the skippers stomach going in and out of Perry Creek. The chart seems to indicate some sizable boulders on the bottom which could cause a surprise and there is a big ledge making out about half way across the entrance from the South shore. The good water is about 2/3 of the way from that shore to the island in the mouth. But since there are no good landmarks to indicate the spot, one just has to judge it by eye. Not hard, but it keeps one from getting too casual.

1115--Fox I. Thorofare astern--heading across East Bay to W. Mark I, Deer I Thorofare & Stonington. Blue Hill & Mt. Desert showing in the far distance. Barring a little gausey stuff, there is not a cloud in the sky. Light N. wind propelling us eastward at a bare 3 kts.

This is just a great day for sailing, not a ton of wind, but we don't have to cover much distance, so everything seems in balance. One of the crew off a large yacht told us that they tried to plan for two hours underway each day with guests aboard. That way they can have a relaxed passage and time for something else too; or if it is too fun to stop it is always possible to just continue on. We are having one of those days, when we can just follow our inclinations and go further or not as the spirit moves us.

1220--Tom--Expert anchoring under sail off Stonington public landing. Lunch of cold cuts & good conversation; foray ashore for things that shipboard life cannot supply--books, more coffee & ICE CREAM! We admire promiscuous overuse of granite blocks in this old quarry town. Filled water tanks @ Billings marine; admired NYALLA, small composite schooner w/ easy to handle heavy weather rig. Set sail for points east @ 1610.

While hoping for some diesel, we had plenty for immediate needs, so with Billings closed for the weekend we settled for filling the water tanks. The little schooner was lovely--a nice deep cockpit nestled between the aft cabin and the more normal main cabin.

--Mary--George's favorite so far was the puffin; Mary loves the lupines.

1640 Sailed thru the Deer isl. thruway (Thoroughfare). Seals along the way; traveled East to Jericho Bay. Anchored in Buckle Harbor w/ one neighor. Great chili/cornbread dinner followed by 3 games of "bananas". Mary finally won one!

Buckle Harbor is a cove on the North West shore of Swans Island. It is another scenic spot with pines leading down to granite ledges and little shingle beaches. Buckle Island on the West side of the cove, is privately owned but allows walkers ashore according to the MITA guidebook. It took most of our willpower to stay awake for the postprandial Bananagrams after a full day on the water and on foot ashore in Stonington. Tomorrow we will head up the Reach and then head back nearer to Rockland.