MAINE......AT LAST

Mike, the Official Greeter

Mexican Train on the boat------

Lou, Mike, Donna, and Marlene at the Portsmouth Yacht Club, in Portsmouth, NH

July 7, 2010 Freeport, ME Temperature - HOT HOT HOT

We made it into Maine after talking about it for over a year......maybe two years. Actually, the coast from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and southern Maine could be the coast of Lake Michigan. We've seen little towns, trees, sand dunes, and water. We're not swimming (silly us) so we can't tell if the water is fresh or salty. I'm sure the famous rocky shoreline will begin soon.

Our ports-of-call have all presented different levels of peaceful sleep:

*On the Annisquam River/Blynman Canal our mooring was on the north end of the river which almost put us in Ispwich Bay. It was BUSY! We all thought that hundreds of power boats and skidoos were rushing in and out of the river and zipping by us. We were rocking and rolling in their wake until sundown, but then it got quiet. It was a peaceful/tranquil night of sleep.

*The dock at Newburyport (the first dock we've been on since June 15th) required a trip up a river and under a bascule bridge. We were there on the 3rd of July with all the party people. We enjoyed their music and laughter and didn't have any problems going to sleep. Sometimes the stress of the journey and the stress of the mooring/docking just takes all our energy. (I really admire Matt's and Tomeaka's friend in the Caymans, Judy, for all the different places she sails and all the situations she finds herself in.)

*July 4th found us in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on a mooring with no other people around. It was a beautiful deep water place to be with a picturesque New England scene off the bow. That's what we thought when we went to bed. WRONG THOUGHT! At about 4 am the lobster boats started passing by which created hugh wakes. The noise of Tequila slapping down on the water and then the boat rocking and rolling violently had us up and dressed by 6:30 am and on our way to Portland, Maine, by 7.

*In Portland we stayed on a dock at the Sunset Marine. They gave it the right name. We saw a beautiful sunset over the city of Portland and had fun playing Mexican Train on Mike's new table until it got too dark to see the dots. (Just a note about Mexican Train - we change the rules on each round to satisfy everyone's likes. Mike has the most difficult rules. Is that a surprise?) This is a busy port with a hugh cruise ship arriving at 7 am, so the slapping under the transom woke us up early.

*South Freeport was an adventurous trip up the Harraseeket River around 30 islands and thousands of lobster pots. Mike was helming and trying hard to stay on course, but it was difficult with all the swerving around the pots. S. Freeport is a beautiful quiet harbor, and we've decided to stay at for another day. The L.L. Bean main store plus 200+ outlet stores are here which aided in the decision to layover.

Mike and Marlene have settled into boating so easily. Mike learns another skill everyday and has been crowned our Official Greeter. He waves and smiles at everyone-----even the power boaters who are zooming by us and creating big wakes. His policy is to not discriminate.

Marlene has taken over the job of chart reader which really helps Lou follow the buoys into new ports. I'm so glad that Cyndi was here for a week and now the Cosgroves are here. How will we manage without them?

Last winter when I was reading the guide books for Maine, I read about Maine lobster pots, fog, and a very rocky shoreline. So far we've encounter the lobster pots-----lots and lots and lots of them. Here are a few things we've learned about the lobster industry:

*Lobster fishermen have specific territories where they drop their pots. Each licensed fisherman is allowed 800 pots. They cannot get a license until someone retires.

*Lobsters hatch from eggs and molt their shells as they grow. The first year they might molt 7 times, but then only once a year as they grow older.

*Each pot, really a cage, is attached to more pots in a row. The fishermen don't mind blocking the entrance to a harbor at all.

*As the lobster boats come to collect their catch, they must measure each lobster from behind the eyes to the shell to make sure the lobster is a legal length. If it's too big or too small, the lobster gets thrown back in. If the lobster is a female with eggs, the tail is notched and she's thrown back in. There are huge fines if the rules are not followed.

We seem to be in a seal fishing grounds. It's fun to see them poke their heads up and dive back down. We haven't seen any sharks although it has been reported that they hunt the seals.

During breakfast this morning, we sat on the deck and watched an osprey fishing for her chicks. The nest is off our stern. What a neat place to be.

It is difficult to find wifi so there may be some gaps in the blog. Thanks for keeping up with us.

Cosgrove Crew Arrives

Mike and Marlene arrived on schedule even though I had left Jim's street name out of the email I sent them. Their GPS was going nuts. Fortunately, they are resourceful people and found us!






We spent their first day aboard off the boat. Go figure. They had never been to Boston, and we had only been there once with Bill and Karen. So, we took the Harbor Ferry to Long Wharf in downtown Boston for a beautiful day of sightseeing in the Cradle of Liberty. We jumped on a Trolley Tour to catch the highlights of this historic town, enjoyed the street entertainers, saw the places where the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre occurred, and learned that there are 300,000 students here. We also learned that there are 2,000 Dunkin' Donuts stores. (These east coast people love their coffee.) We strolled through the Quincy Market and thoroughly enjoyed all the people milling around and all the bike riders. This is a vibrant active city that we'd like to come back to spend more time exploring.

Our first day sailing, July 1, was perfect. We hoisted the main and jib and sailed at 6 and 7 knots north to Marblehead. There are huge marble rock formations marking the harbor......I didn't know that. Marblehead is called the birthplace of the American Navy. At the start of the Revolutionary War it was the 10th largest city. Today, the old town is the way it was then with narrow streets and houses that have plaques on them saying who they were built for and the date. Marlene and I talked to Marie who lives in a house built in 1683. She said that I would fit quite nicely in the low ceilings and doorways. Their friend visited and had to kneel in the bathtub. They still have the original windows with the wavy glass.






We are on a mooring at the Boston Yacht Club. It's the 3rd oldest yacht club in the country......1866. It's a very interesting harbor with 1500 moorings and million dollar houses.
We are amazed at the enthusiasm these New Englanders have for the 4th of July. It's a shame we can't be back in Bristol, NH, or stay here in Marblehead, but we'll continue to move north and stop when we stop. I don't know where we'll be so Happy 4th of July everybody. Hope it's a great holiday at White River Campground.

Martha's Vineyard to Boston

Jim Halpin

Martha's Vineyard

Cyndi McChesney

Tequila on a mooring ball (black sail cover)

Martha's Vineyard looked so cute that we decided to stay another day to see more of it. In a town (Oak Bluffs) on the island is an area filled with Victorian cottages and stores. Before the Civil War Methodists from all over the country would come to the Martha's Vineyard Camp Meeting and live in tents. Shortly after the war the tents were converted to tiny houses with small front porches and gingerbread trim. The meeting house is called The Tabernacle and was converted from a tent to a wooden structure in 1879. It can seat over 3,000 people. One of the residents told us there was something happening there every night. It is worth another trip to the island.

On Friday, June 25th, we headed toward Boston through Woods Hole (a tricky channel from Martha's Vineyard to Buzzard's Bay), through the Cape Cod Canal (with the tide running against us), and stopped north of Plymouth in a town called Scituate. It was a 12 hour day with the wind on the "nose"which meant no sailing. Still, it was a beautiful day with no navigational mistakes. Yea!!!!

Cyndi has become a valuable crew member. She can roll out the furling, handle dock lines, bungee the bikes, swat at mosquitoes, and helm. I drive like a drunken sailor, but she can head for a point and hold steady. That was great because Lou could check and recheck the navigation into North Weymouth, Massachusetts, and I could observe the islands and forts along the way. She has gotten her "sea legs"and finds it somewhat disturbing when things continue to "rock and roll"on land.

Here is a picture of our "new best friend", Jim. He lives in N. Weymouth in a house he built in the mid-1950s. Jim has tried to teach Lou about the tides, talked him through the many turns from Massachusetts Bay into the Back River of the Fore River, and found us a mooring for the few days we'll be here. It's time to say good-bye to Cyndi and wait for Mike and Marlene to arrive from East Lansing, so it's a great place to "lay-over." Jim's boat (on the right) and our boat (with the black sail cover) can't be more than 200 yards from his deck. He is able to bring his 44 foot Islander to his dock and haul it out or put it in up his own ramp and store it in his yard. Imagine that!!!

Jim regularly races with his friends on Tuesdays. He's the captain (84) and everyone else is slightly younger. His neighbor and friend, Dot, is 80 and tells us that she can "tail"or helm but doesn't have the strength to crank the wench. Another crew member has a bad back, but they usually finish in the top half of the field.

On our long day last Thursday, we saw a whale. That's a first for Lou and me. Thanks to Cyndi's sharp eyes we could identify it as a Northern Right Whale. We're in a protected habitat for this species which likes to summer in Cape Cod Bay, Gulf of Maine, and Bay of Fundy. We're in the right place to see more of them. There are only 400 Right Whales and they grow from 35 to 55 feet long and weigh up to 70 tons. We saw a little guy. It would be like comparing Kyle to his dad in height. We be watching for more.

MOSQUITOES!

We're finally on our way. Hooray! This is an old picture, but here's Tequila on Lake Michigan. We met our Colorado friend, Cyndi McChesney, on Sunday, and set sail (read that as motored) out of Narragansett Bay and into the Sakonnet River on 6-21-10. We're accustomed to Indian names in Michigan, but the Odawa speak differently than the indians in this area. We're having some difficulty pronouncing Waquoit, Quissett, Apponaug, Naushon, Pocasett, etc., and understanding them when spoken with the Rhode Island accent. We often have to be corrected.

We found a mooring in a quiet little harbor called Sachuest Cove for our first night "on the road." As we settled down for Cyndi's first night aboard, I was worried that our "night noises"(might also be known as snoring) might keep her awake. Instead it was the Invasion of the Mosquito Brigade. Thousands, or so it seemed, of those buzzing biting bugs were dive bombing any part of our bodies that was uncovered. The ATTACK mode would force us to cover our heads with the sheet until the heat and carbon monoxide would force us to poke our noses out. Word spread quickly and the ATTACK mode was put in gear quickly. Lou, Cyndi, and I all suffered in silence thinking that the other two were fast asleep. It wasn't until morning that we realized we were all swatting at those little buggers. It was after 1 am before the army moved on and we got to sleep. You can imagine how happy we were when the Harbormaster was banging on the boat at 6:30 am to collect his fee. Some days are just like that!

Cyndi's a good boat buddy who's willing to put up with no shower for a couple of days, water conservation, and many trips up and down the companionway steps.

The second night was at Cuttyhunk Island and found us prepared for the Mosquito Brigade. Screens were in place, all ports without screens were closed, and we sprayed with Deep Woods Off (should be renamed Ocean Off). No mosquitoes this night......only a huge rain storm that got the head pretty wet because we left the hatch up for air. Still it wasn't as bad as the biting bugs.

Now we're at Martha's Vineyard for the night and enjoying the cute town of Vineyard Haven.

KER-SPLASH!

Up the ladder ---- down the ladder------up the ladder=====

Going down is better than going up.

Good-bye 13 foot ladder; hello dinghy. We're in the water and floating just fine. After a weekend in Maine at a wedding, the sailing will really start. Cyndi McChesney, our friend from Colorado, will be joining us for the maiden week. Good thing she is a very flexible person with a positive attitude. Sometimes we need those traits.

While we've been waiting to get in the water we have been discovering how important this area was in the War of Independence. Last Saturday Lou and I went to the Gaspee Parade in nearby Warwick. What does that commemorate you ask? And, so did we. In 1772 the men (some wealthy people, some merchants, some shipbuilders and pirates) of the Warwick/Providence area attacked a British tariff ship, the HMS Gaspee which had gone aground near Warwick, RI. The British officially declared it "the first act of war by the Americans" because it was a planned attach and there was a shooting. The patriots captured the crew and burned the ship. So, every year the fife and drum corps from RI, Connecticut, and Massachusetts parade in costumes and people come from all around to celebrate the beginning of independence. Bristol, the little town we have been staying in, lays claim to the oldest Fourth of July parade in the nation. Everything is red, white, and blue. We're a little sorry that we won't be here to see the 2 1/2 hour long parade.

Stepping the Mast

A wall in Bristol

Going up!

Lou was carefully watching while the crane lifted our 54 foot mast into the air and onto the boat. These guys have done hundred of these procedures, but Lou still had to supervise it. :-)

We've been "camping out" on the boat since June 1 expecting to hit the water any day. But, we're still not there. We climb up and down about 13 feet several times a day. Actually, we've been enjoying having the time to catch up on tons of projects. This is such a cute town and area of Rhode Island, that we've done some exploring too. This is a street in Bristol.....

My birthday dinner at the New York Yacht Club in Newport was a memorable experience. We sat in the lawn chairs on top of a grassy ridge over-looking the busy harbor. Now as we sail by, we'll know how it is to actually be there. Ït took a letter of introduction for us to be able to eat there. We shared lobster macaroni and cheese. It was delicious.

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS SAILING LIFE:

Never set a schedule because it's bound to change. (We thought we would be in the water by June 1st.)

Only invite guests who are very flexible. (The schedule is likely to change on a moments notice.)

If it can go wrong, it probably will. (We moved the sink top. Then we discovered that that disconnected the drain hose. So, when I drained the dish water, it all went into the newly painted bilge.)

We have met the nicest people. (The marina staff are fabulous, the Commodore and his wife have gone out of their way to socialize with us, a stranger wrote a letter of recommendation for us to go to the NYYC, etc. etc. etc.)

Cleaning and maintaining a boat is darn hard work! (Lou takes Ibuprofen on a regular basis.)

Making little repairs in a timely manner is so important. (It means that you are always working on a "fix it" project.)

Sleeping in sheets is a true luxury. (Sixteen day of sleeping in sleeping bags made us appreciate a "proper" bed last night. However, it was so cold we had to break out a sleeping bag to add to the covers. Thank heavens we brought them on the boat.)

Still Landlubbers

Neighbors......

Rhodedendrons

June 2010 is so much better than June of 2009. We're still sitting 13 feet in the air on jack stands but the weather is warm and sunny as opposed to cold and rainy. We always have hopes of being in the water and on our way before Memorial Weekend, but that never happens.

Our neighbors in the marina yard (that's us on the left) have been super. They invited us to dinner, poured over the charts and shared their favorite stopping spots and then gave us the charts. Bob is the Commodore at the yacht club next door. He invited us to the Friday night dinner and got us an invitation to the New York Yacht Club in Newport. That's where we'll spend my birthday this year. It's very exclusive. Lou will have to borrow a coat and tie from the front desk in order to go in. Bob is also taking Lou on a Wednesday night club race and I'm going with Camille to see their son play lacrosse. We are so lucky to have met them.

We might have missed the tulips in Holland and the lilacs on Mackinac Island, but we were here to see the rhododendrons in full bloom. I didn't know they could grow so big. People use them like privacy shrubs.

The other thing we've noticed in Rhode Island is that the drivers are fearless
(read that as crazy). They drive erratically, run red lights, ignore stop signs, and merge whenever they want. You have to be a defensive driver to survive here. The high seas must be safer.

The work has begun on the cracked rib so our nicely cleaned boat will have to be washed again. That's OK.......you always find the little bit of mold you missed the first time. Both Lou and I agree that having all these days to thoroughly clean, paint, and do projects has been wonderful. Hopefully it won't be too much longer before we are in the water.