Down East Shakedown Sail

Not yet ready for prime time but happy to be in the water!!!!

Soon to have good meals!

Leaving the harraseekette River in the sun!

A few hours before on Strouts marina dock

David preparing the best dinghy, a PortaboatDavid planning thesailto BoothBay

fog is about to lift on entry to Casco bay from Freeport LL BEAN

Holly at the helm

Mark at the helm

It makes every one happy

leaving Casco Bay

Seals on the way to BoothBay

Entrance to BoothBay

Cape Point Southport Island Boothbay this is now a private home

two choices with a 30 knot wind and a broken drive belt. Go to see or take a Boat US tow to a nice comfy mooring.

Noah gets a shower from dad Brian camping at Boothbay

lunch at boothbay SHACK

Patricia, Tyler Bobby-jo jeremy Kysa reagan Max Zack Tiya in serial lunches

Tiya likes her PB&J

Zack did not like jail Joan and John off Pemaquid point

Pemaquid point

Getting ready to return Joan's John, John's dad to the sea

John takes his last voyage after many boats and cruises with Joan.

Scooner near Penobscot bay

Forest Gump's lighthouse at Marshal point , now a museum

Heather dons shoes at th Vinylhaven dock. We rowed in from the boat , quite a current

I do not reccommend going here it is very commmercial and they do not seem to like private pleasure boats. While we were in town someone rammed my boat three times in three different places causing dents and a small hole. John getting ready for a drink at Jill's bar This ramp is flat at high tide

Mark David and Holly test out the waters with Whats up Doc after 22 months on the hard. She was happy to be in the water. After a day on the mooring trying to get things ready and somewhat organized on the Harraseekette River in Freeport Maine and a lenghty 5 hour shuttle drop to Booth bay ( 75 minute drive without trafic), we left Friday morning 8/6/2010 at 9 am for Boothbay in very light winds and had a reech to the bay arriving about 14:00 at anchor. However the holding was not good with the CQR and only 60 feet of chain in 15 feeet of water ( space too tight) as soon as i said ' we are in trouble if the wind shifts' the wind not only shifted but started to blow in gusts to 30k. We lost our 20 year old winalss finally - it gave good reliable service for a long time. and the stbd drive belt broke - 4 years old. so we limped around the bay in circles trying to beat up wind with one prop. could not do it so the choice was to sail downwind out to sea or get towed by boat US to a mooring. It was nice to get on the mooring at Boothbay Shipyard.

Mark and Holly return to their home and I shuttle back from Freeport arriving at 00:30! so much for an early entrance! After 2 days of camping with Tyler Bobbijo, Tiya, Zack, Max, Reagan, Kysa, Jeremy, Missy Aiden Noah Brian and my love Patricia. No boat rides of course except two dinghy rides. BUT, very sucessful shopping for Paulines aniversary.

Back on the boat for 2 days waiting for Boothbay region Boatyard to find a winlass and John to track down some belts. John arrives on Tuesday August with 6 drive belts for the electric engines! they fit except we can't replace the port belt due to the way it had been installed this year.

Joan gets her first ride on a catamaran around Boothbay to test the new belt. She is several decade coastal cruiser and is impressed with the space, view and stability on the cat. The next day 8/10/2010 John and I rig the schreecher and we head out in almost no wind to pemaquid point to cast the ashes of Joan's John (John's dad) to sea where they had been over 50 years earlier before John was born. After a mid ocean rerig of the screecher it was on to Eastern Egg Rock Island where there is a 75 pair Puffin colony reestablished in 1973. Then on through the gutt with the red NUN to Forerst Gumps light house on Marshal point. A wave to Chief Justice Roberts and on the Tennants harbor for a very vicious buggy encounter.

The next days brings some wind and we sail out to Matinicus rock and in to Vinylhaven, lobster boats, a swim for John for a wrapped prop, a good black Russian by Jill, long dinghy row up a real current and a good grilled steak!

Friday brings a downwind sail into Camden and more troubles for the Scheecher, could not furl correctly.