07 December 2010
06 December 2010
Long time no see...
View Fall Cruise. in a larger map
2. Motored down Eggemoggin Reach. Anchored Opposite Wooden Boat. Nasty storm.
5. Sailed downwind to Cross Island, Northernmost home of Outward Bound.
7. (Monday) Sailed Cross I. To Roque. Walked on white sand beach. Listened to forecast of hurricane to arrive on Thursday.
8. Roque to Jonesport - spent 3 hours on dock - got ice and diesel. Motored to Great Wass, anchored in Mud Hole.
9. Great Wass to Baker Island (Part of Acadia National Park).
10. Baker - South of Long Island - East side of Isle au Haut (crazy currents!) Merchants row - to Seal Hbr on East side of Vinalhaven.
11. Preparation and Preparedness
13. Windy! Remained in Seal Hbr.
14. Seal Hbr to Duck Hbr. on Isle au Haut (Part of Acadia National Park)
16. Warren I. to Belfast.
12 August 2010
The "To Do" List
14 July 2010
History - Part 3 - S/V Houqua
Houqua is a famous ship name, first used on a clipper ship in the 1840s it honored the Chinese tea merchant, Houqua. After researching the name we decided to keep it, although wondering if it wasn't a bit much for our Sailstar to live up to. To keep with the caffeinated theme we named our tender Green Tea, and attempted to write the name in Chinese as well as English. Though a Japanese friend later informed us it was missing an important brush stroke.
A friend's Chinese Crested models atop Green Tea. The name is upside down because we were living in the Rockland apartment so the tender spend most of it's life upside down, atop SS's car.
08 July 2010
The Shakedown Cruise...
After a walk on the rocks and breakfast we set out for Isle au Haut through Carver's harbor, passing South of Vinalhaven. There was a SE swell and the forecast was for winds S 5-10 knots. It should have been a lovely reach. The gods had other plans. As we rounded the Southern tip of Vinalhaven the winds were coming from the West. We set the sails and were able to run wing on wing on wing for a time. As the reached the middle of West Penobscot bay the swells were at their peak and the mizzen began to creak with each roll. Louder and louder.
We anchored in 26' of water on the North shore of Winter harbor next to a vertical rock face. It was unseasonably hot and we set up a "bimimi" SS had sewn for the old boat. By dropping the 1/4 lifts we were able to secure the awning over the cockpit and created a wonderful shaded space. We spent a relaxing afternoon reading and knitting, waiting for the cool air of evening to arrive.
View Shakedown Cruise in a larger map
01 July 2010
History - Part 2.
I blame credit Chesapeake Light Craft with bringing us together. CLC sells and designs kits for glue and stitch boats. Originally emphasizing kayaks their line now includes canoes, sailboats, and row boats. When we met back in 2000 we each owned a home build kayak. The boy had built his 17 foot kayak while living in Alaska. Mine was built by my father when I was sixteen, at 18 feet it is a beautiful boat, but was in need of some TLC nine years after construction.
We spent much of the winter of 2000-2001 re-glassing the bottom, painting, and varnishing my boat. At the same time the boy, let's call him SS, was building a trimaran rig with amas and akas for his kayak. Once Spring arrived we ventured along the Southern Maine coast checking out harbors, inlets and rivers from the vantage point of our kayaks.
(My Cape Charles 18 is on the right in the photo, his Chesapeake 17 is on the left. - alas this story predates digital cameras - so no photo of the trimaran rig.)
Once graduation arrived we had to decide where to settle. Due to some extended family issues mid-coast Maine became the location of choice. We each found employment at local boat yards and set up house in a second floor apartment.
Although on Rte 1, almost across from McDonald's, that apartment was a jewel with a picture window framing both the breakwater lighthouse, and Owl's Head light, in Rockland, Maine.
But how does sailing come into this story? More to come...
30 June 2010
The history of...
Let me take you back... the year was 2000.
The boy and girl met when they became bench mates in the Marine System program at the Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design in Kennebunkport, Maine.
They build boats like this...
.....in the boat building programs. However we had each signed up for the marine systems program. Which means.. engines.. electrical systems.. air conditioning... refrigeration.. dirty skills.
Why?