Great Schooner Race 2008

Good morning everyone. A look at the schedule will tell you that this is Race Week in the Windjammer fleet. The Great Schooner Race is unlike most races in the yachting world. No set course… the course is made up the day of the race depending on the weather. The classes are divided up by age and relative speed and size. The handicap system tries to even things out but goodness knows it is all just guess work. In the end it boils down to skill, luck, and just plain fun with guests jumping in where they see an opportunity.

Mary Day starts at the back of the pack along with the American Eagle… the only other schooner regularly in our class. The schooner Roseway was up for a visit and sailed in our class as well. The J & E Riggin, Nathaniel Bowditch, Heritage and Angelique sail in what we call the Leeward Class sailing a slightly shorter course and getting a 15 minute head start on us. The pre World War One coasting schooners, Victory Chimes, Grace Bailey, Lewis R French, Mercantile, Stephen Taber, Isaac H. Evans and Timberwind start 15 minutes ahead of them and sail and even shorter course. In the end it usually works out about even depending on how the winds hold. In the case of yesterday’s race the early bird got the worm but the second mouse got the cheese.


On the up wind leg the Leeward class really showed their stuff and were in a cluster by the time they rounded the windward mark. American Eagle luffed us up from our weather advantage shortly after the start forcing us to tack away. Not to worry. I had personally given up any hope of catching the fleet so sailed my merry way to the far side of the bay. It was there that the wind and tide gave us a boost. In most places the breeze seemed to be easing up with the last of the ebb tide but held where we were and gave us enough lift so that we had a clear weather advantage on American Eagle when we crossed tacks. The Leeward class all of a sudden started to loom a little larger but distant none the less. All we needed now was a little luck (OK… a lot of luck!).

I lost track of the Coasters whose course was several miles down wind of ours but evidently they sailed into a hole, a place with no wind whatsoever. The Leeward class rounded the weather mark and promptly sailed in to a hole as well. I was frustrated to have to sail around yet another island just to weather of their turning mark until I realized that the we might hold the wind. And sure enough we did. The extra mileage began to look like an opportunity. We sailed a very fine line of wind while their sails hung limp in the hot afternoon sun. We had just lowered one of the small boats to tow us through a brief calm (yes, under oar power as allowed by the rules) when the onshore breeze came with the turn of the tide. Away we ran on the downwind leg to the finish line. Could we catch the Coasters? No way, no how. But as they say, it ain’t over ‘tyil the big lady with horns on her hat sings the final note.

The Coasters were stuck only a ½ mile from the finish in their own private calm as we whisked our way toward the finish. We managed to close the 3 mile gap in short order before hauling the wind with us. There was a very fine edge of wind close up under the Little Deer Isle shore that carried us past most of the Coasters. The Grace Bailey had clearly crossed the line under sail a good 5 minutes before us but the French and Taber lay close ahead. The perennial winner of the three master class, the Victory Chimes, had also cleared the line and won for an unprecedented 19th year in a row! The French sliced the ribbon just a minute ahead of us and the finish between the Taber and Mary Day was neck and neck. With the weather guage in hand we crossed just moments ahead of the Taber covering her in our lee. So it was not our day to be the fastest in the fleet but first in class and third two-master over the line was a fair prize in my book all things considered. The Leeward class finish was taken by Angelique who narrowly beat out the Heritage. The racing was all in all quite exciting and we loved the final lap down the Eggemmoggin Reach in company with the rest of the fleet to our evening anchorage at Wooden Boat.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Leaving the Nest

Good morning everyone. We just finished another wonderful week. The combination of natural history and photography is just great. I was amazed to see all the photos everyone had taken during the week. To see the coast from such diverse perspectives is inspiring. Sailing with our Audubon naturalists Erika and Ethan and photographer Jim Dugan is such a joy. They ply their craft with skill and passion. Jim will post some of his photos.

This was a fairly amazing week all around. Lots of laughter, some very exciting sailing and lots of it, and beautiful weather despite the doom and gloom forecasts. While all of that was very heartening I was touched by the sight of a fledgling leaving the nest for his first solo flight. After a couple trips together Sawyer sailed off while we were anchored in Pulpit Harbor Friday evening. I was excited for him and remembered my first solo trips and how liberating they were. He got a little spook on one jibe when the rail dipped down. Nature commanded his respect from the start. But now he is now free to roam the oceans and I am certain he will learn just how big and beautiful the world can be.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Hardship and Deprivation

Good morning everyone. Al and I were talking back by the wheel yesterday about the hardship and deprivation associated with a windjammer vacation. I think it takes a very special person to endure the kind of treatment one is subjected to out here. Yesterday morning the captain did not let us get ashore. Instead we had to go sailing under the majestic 600 foot cliffs of Somes Sound, the only fjord on the East coast of the US. The captain is a little bit of a whacko. He enjoyed sailing right up to the edge of the cliffs and marveling at how deep the water remained. I guess that is one good thing about a fjord. We did not know which way to turn our heads for all the natural beauty around us and many had stiff necks from looking up. I wish they would get some new birds up here. All we ever see are bald eagles.

Then the “old man” made us haul the yawl boat and sail out into the open ocean. He had all the sails set once again and the westerly breeze took us quickly offshore to see the Great Duck Light. Even the loom of Mt Desert Rock was seen by the time we tacked back in shore. I don’t know what the hurry was but we were going 9 knots the whole way. I wish they would do something about this sun. I am going to run out of sunblock soon. Poor Al had to hide under his shirt in the rocking chair for any relief. He looked like camel rider from the Sahara and claims to have learned the trick from a dear friend back home who knows about these things. My hair was a mess by the end of a day of sitting out in all that wind. I don’t mean to whine but the Captain is a lazy man. He makes his guests steer the boat.

Last evening was the final straw. The “whacko” at the wheel parked us off this beach out in the middle of nowhere and forced us to sit on the beach and eat lobster. The cook had to walk around and force the last few lobsters upon us. Aren’t there laws about this kind of treatment. No malls, no stores, no nothing. The sunset made the rocky hills of Mt Dessert all golden colored. Of course, Cap had to park that darned schooner in the foreground spoiling the picture. Several folks went swimming and claimed that the water was really warm. You can’t fool me. Finally, the crew rowed us back and we got rid of the last of the cookies. Those things are dangerously addictive. I don’t know if we will ever be the same after a week of this hardship and deprivation. Ed, Al may be a little fragile when he gets back to the office so just humor him with the thousands of pictures he is taking with his new camera.

Have a great day! Be well. Do Good.

Clearing away the Fog

Good morning everyone. Lots to report to you this week. We have had a very busy last few weeks as you might guess combined with a lack of technology to get the blog out to you. Thanks for your patience. Working backwards… we are presently anchored here in Southwest Harbor. Yesterday was just about the best sail of the season. A westerly wind carried us under the bridge and easterly through the Eggemmoggin Reach. The topmast cleared by just a few feet… quite exciting. The onshore breeze carried us across lower Blue Hill Bay and across the Bass Harbor Bar past the lighthouse with full sail set. The cameras were pointed in both directions as the scenery was just amazing. Having any scenery at all is a wonder after Monday’s fog which followed a very foggy last week.
Some of you know we have been the platform for a sailing leadership academy for the fraternity Delta Tau Delta for the past 5 years. I am so pleased to be associated with these fine men and to see a fraternity so committed to bringing out the best in these young adults is very heartening. These guys worked their tails off all week long learning the ins and outs of life in these close quarters. Never did we lack for enthusiasm or for volunteers to get the job done. Each morning broke with yet another shade of fog and drizzle, a run ashore and then a dip in the invigorating waters of the chilly North Atlantic. I challenged them to grab the week by the horns and discover what it had to offer and what they were made of. On Friday they brought the schooner home to Camden with precision and care. They certainly left the schooner better than they found it and touched my heart with hope for these young men. That these men overcame the coldest foggiest week of the season and did it with alacrity is a credit to the strength in their hearts.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Midnite Oil

Good morning everyone. Here at the global headquarters we have discovered a new fuel supply that we are tapping into with wild abandon. It is an energy source that is renewable on a daily basis and seems to have no limits when put under pressure. Midnight oil is what I am speaking of course and we are burning it in great quantities. As the saying goes... we will have plenty of time to sleep when we're dead.

The crew is really stepping up to the plate getting everything ready. We have Coast Guard deck inspection on Monday and many details to take care of before then. The passenger cabins and companionways are all getting a makeover with new paint and varnish. Just when the crew thought they were done sanding we are once again tackling a major painting project.

During this past weekend we began a new electrical installation that will allow us to supply 110 power to all of the cabins. The new inverter/charger will supply a very limited (read No Hair Dryers!) amount of electricity to the passenger cabins for folks with sleep apneia who need a positive pressure ventilator called a CPAP machine to keep ticking through the night. These are appearing more and more frequently and the portable inverter we have does not fit the bill any longer. The battery bank that supplies power to the navigation electronics is being replaced as well. Each battery weighs in at 165 lbs. and let me tell you that getting them up out of the bilges is not fun.

Training is also big on the menu these last few weeks. As you can see the crew learned to prime the pump and we ran through some fire drills reviewing appropriate tactics for large wooden vessels. I am fairly confident that they don’t have time to read this but don’t be surprised if I spring a drill on them today. Prevention is the key of course and by the time the crew is done there will not be one area of the boat that they have not seen intimately. Next week we bend on sails and by Friday we will be ready to go... I think.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Paint and Tar and Elbow Grease

Good morning everyone. The weather here in Maine continues to hold for us. The blackflies have appeared inland at our home and drive us to the coast where the cool sea breeze makes life more tolerable. Temperatures inland threaten to reach the 70-degree mark. Yeeeesh! Let’s go sailing.

Our schedule is currently driven by our annual Coast Guard deck inspection on the 19th of the month. With most of the rigging finished we now turn our attention to passenger accommodations. We will brighten things up with new paint on the overheads and in the companionways. In the past these have been painted off-white. We are going to try a bright eggshell white this year. Some of the bright work needs renewing with a hand rubbed effect varnish. The whole combination feels bright and cozy all at the same time. Not that any of us spends much time in our cabins but we do think the little touches make a huge difference.

Our last crew member Molly has finally joined us. She is currently attending the Maine Maritime Academy where she specializes in small vessel operations. She was thrown straight to the masthead where she sat for the better part of a day hooking up all of the wires that support the foretopmast. From the photos you can see that she can eye splice with the best of them. You can also see that rigging a schooner sometimes takes a few schematics to accurately describe how the rigging should be lead. Every boat is rigged just a little bit differently and every year I change one or two things. There is nothing static about these boats.

Jen and Alex spent yesterday prepping and painting the green accent on the stern. There are some folks in this world that can’t paint a straight line working right side up on hard ground (I know... I am one them!). Imagine painting an ellipse on a bouncing paint float upside down. Once again my amazing wife proves that defying gravity is not all that difficult. At least she makes it look easy. Alex learned not to paint with his mouth open. Of course Dad does what he does best.. stay out of the way. As you can see it did not take much bait to lure him and Sawyer off the schooner. There is something about men in plaid.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Thanks to Professor Jim Dugan for grabbing our camera during his lunch break and taking these photos.

Happy May Day!

Good Morning! It's a beautiful one at that! We're still enjoying the sunny days, cool, but at least they are sunny. Ice on the decks in the morning makes for the first trip to the heads an exciting one! The crew have been "itchy" to rig and rightfully so. They have been sanding and painting for months now with the end of painting in sight. Rigging takes their jobs to a whole new dimension. Each block is hawled up and shackeled and moused in place. Lines are rove in a certain direction (sometimes taking more than once to get it right). Topmasts are ever so carefully lifted up and attached to their heel ropes. The crew are using these rigging days to "learn the ropes" as they say. Pins are in place on the pinrails now to hold their respective lines. Today they will be placing the jibboom back out for the head rig to go up. That funny piece they painted and smirked at this winter called the martingale (this is a test for Ed & Al) will finally make some sense for them. What a great day it is when it all comes into place.

After the rigging goes up, the schooner takes on a new look and feel, beginning to come alive. She seems as though she's sitting at the dock, tugging on her mooring lines, ready to be released. Patience, we say, sails will be bent on soon and passengers will arrive soon (21 days and counting!). It's hard to believe, but it only takes two days to rig the vessel...two very long days at that!

So it seems only fitting to share this photo of Alex on the masthead on May Day...as Sawyer and Nadie are preparing for their May Pole dance at school...It's amazing that May Day traditionally divides the year in half...can that be???

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

P.S. To those who have commented since this was published,

According to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, striking dolphins is clearly criminal activity. Now we won't judge what you do in your spare time but we here at the global headquarters of the schooner Mary Day protect the rights of all dolphins to swim the oceans freely without fear of being stricken by a piece of varnished wood. What did they do to deserve such poor treatment at the hands of maniacal schoonermen and square riggers alike, arm chair or otherwise, as they gracefully swim in the bow waves bringing joy to the hearts of many? On the other hand the term martingale speaks of beauty and grace. In that spirit we have chosen the more sensitive and graceful term to describe such a beautiful object. I reference, of course, Van Nostrands 1922 " Standard Seamanship for the Merchant Service", second edition, sixth printing, authored by Felix Riesenberg, C. E. (credits and accolades too long to list) where on pages 182, 192, and 194 he refers to the dolphin striker and martingale as one and the same.


Besides which, we just wanted to see if you were paying attention. By the reports of brown outs throughout the Alabama power grid it is clear that you were paying very close attention. On behalf of all of us here at the global headquarters... thank you... we are glad someone is reading this thing.

Best,
Jen and Barry

Homeward Bound

Good morning everyone. We launched the schooner yesterday on the tide (1 hour before high tide, that is). All went well on the trip back to Camden. We are grateful to have had Mary's smiling face gracing our yard period. She even brought the brownies!


This was a quick yard period for us. Normally we might spend a few days in the yard but the forecast for rain (which was wrong by the way) drove us to work by lamplight late into Friday evening and raise the sun yesterday morning. Pre-planning was critical. The crew had already painted the majority of the water line area and the green boot stripe so minimal staging was required saving hours of time. The great deal of work we have done in years past allowed us to take a little less time as well.

The return trip to Camden provided the opportunity to review the "station bill", crew duties in the event of any kind of emergency. We even did a man overboard drill as we motored past Curtis I Light. Sara and Alex recovered the fender and the proper CPR was administered accordingly. And as if 21 hours of work in 2 days (that is 147 people hours +/-) was not enough the crew turned to and oiled the deck for another 4 hours as soon as we hit the dock (an additional 24 people hours). We are very proud of this crew and they are discovering what a days work really looks like. I know they are tired and will be sitting in the pews for morning service praying that we go sailing soon. Feeling the roll of the vessel on the way to and from the yard was heartening. To feel my hand on the wheel, at home once again, with such beautiful weather.... well I am ready to get sailing as well.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Brush Work

Good morning everyone. The weather this week has been just beautiful and we have “made hay.” The Michelin team came to tar the rig on Monday. Cabin houses were painted Tuesday and Wednesday. The reflection of the cover in the mirror finish was amazing. Topsides have been sanded from the cover skirt down including the green boot stripe. You will notice the vacuum attached to the sanders. Alex and Jeb sanded the Velcro right off the disc! Even the “dumpsters”, those deck storage areas above the main saloon were sanded and painted. It is all looking great. The crew has been putting in some very long days and we are grateful for their hard work.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Hardware

Good morning everyone. We boiled down the first batch of sap this week, 30 gallons worth. Sawyer dutifully tended the boiler, literally an old boiler that was found living out in our back woods. There was never any reason for that boiler to be there but there it was just the same. The wood for this first firing was 3’ lengths of what were spruce rafters on the shop attached to the house. That roof has for years been leaking clear through the sheet rock and over head light fluorescent fixtures. Our contractor friend Scot gave Alex and I a hand as we stripped the old roof, replaced all 22 rafters and applied a new sheet metal roof. We still have the soffits to finish but it is “good enough” until I get back from Texas in a few weeks.

So I really wanted to tell you about the hardware store and how everybody is somebody if you take a minute to listen. Our local “big box” beater is not vanishing anytime soon from what I can see. It is the place I spend your money because I think you would vote for the little guy in the fight to keep small town America going. Linda Norton works behind the counter. She helps folks find the odd things that little hardware stores have. Like the plastic license plate screw holder that fits in the hole in your Chevy bumper… it is in the box on the back wall next to the ones that fit in the Ford bumper. I am not kidding she helped a women find one the other day. Screw sold separately. Linda also does the custom paint mixing and that, as you will see, is something she does better than most. While the rest of the world sleeps between midnight and 4 AM Linda paints with passion. What you don’t see at first glance is that she is actually a very well known marine artist specializing in sailing vessels. She has been featured in several prominent nautical magazines. She recently painted Jen and Annie in the fore crosstrees furling the topsail. Linda writes, “Two of the ladies of the Mary Day are aloft furling the topsail. Rope, ditty bags, and knives tied to their belts, they work carefully and swiftly in unison. Conversation is unheard from where I stand and I doubt needed. The female crew of the Mary Day are well known and respected for their sailing abilities.” I am pleased to see anyone get credit for hard work but these 2 women have spent the better part of their adult lives practicing their craft and deserve all the admiration that Linda gives them. And, yes, I am just a little bit proud to know them.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

From Sap to Planks

Good morning everyone. We hope you folks had a nice a week as we did. The sun has really been working hard to bring spring to New England. The sap has been rising in the trees and we chose this weekend to tap the maples. We only have 20 taps out at the moment but if the weather holds as predicted we will be boiling very soon. 24 hours after tapping Sawyer and I hauled in 20 gallons of sap just yesterday. The first run of sap usually makes the fancy syrup so I think our timing is just right. I can taste Mary’s pumpkin pancakes now.

Alex and Jebb have had our harbor yawl boat “Chadwick” in the barn this week. The varnish really needed some work and it is really coming along well. Alex is very good with a varnish brush. My neighbor Glen built a new fuel tank from a recycled stainless steel tank to fit under the towing thwart back aft. It is just perfect and will help Chadwick trim more evenly on her waterline. I will spend some time over the next few days plumbing in the new tank and moving the battery to a new location. Working on the yawl boat in a wood heated barn is a real balancing act. We need the heat to dry the paint but it tends to dry the wood as well. We should get that boat out of the barn in the next few days to make sure the planks don’t dry out too much. We won’t do any bottom work until just before we launch sometime in mid-April. It's amazing how much we rely on trees from sap to planks... there's alot of beauty that comes from those trees.


And for anyone wanting to know....Chadwick is named after "Major Chadwick",once a dear friend to all, who always had a kind word, a welcoming phrase of the day, and a warm hug to boot. He continues to give us strength. The following photo is the Major aboard the Mary Day back in the 70's, just when we were still pups.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Hunney

Good morning everyone. You should see the snow banks around here. Another 8" of snow came down Saturday and the driveway is beginning to take on the tunnel effect. We had a family day today skiing at the Camden Snow Bowl. Sawyer was quite amazed at the view of Penobscot Bay. We could see forever.


Last year I wrote a blog about our cat, Gussie Hodgkins. For those who have sailed with us you have heard the tale of how she was named for the heroic life saving station surfman who rowed out to a schooner on the ledges (no small feat as you can see)and saved not only the people aboard the wreck but rowed a second trip to save the poor the poor cat that had been left behind. Ted Panayatoff, our official Mary Day pharologist (lighthouse expert) on our lighthouse cruises recently unearthed photographs of the wreck of the Joseph Luther and of “Hunney” the actual cat that, after being rescued by our hero, spent the remainder of it days at the Hunnewell Beach Lifesaving Station at the end of the Kennebec River. Ted works as tirelessly as Gussie Hodgkins to keep the history of these lighthouses from fading into a distant memory. His book about the Rockland Breakwater Light, his work at the Maine Lighthouse Museum and the lighthouse cruises that he sails with us are just a few of the ways he shares his wealth of knowledge. I think we’ll name our next cat Ted.


Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Making Sawdust

Good morning everyone. What a beautiful couple of days we have had around here. The sun was just brilliant these last few days and you can really feel the warmth despite the northerly wind. I am starting to think about putting out the maple taps. It won’t be long day before spring is here. Yahoo!

Alex and Elisa finished the large acreage varnish work in the barn this last week. On Friday afternoon we hauled in numerous small pieces, oars, spreaders, ladders, etc. that will be the focus for the next week. Jim Dugan put in a hero’s effort this last week launching our new home page for the web. I know I spent a couple days sitting with him and he spent countless hours that I did not see. It was time for a new look and Jim did a great job simplifying the look of the site and yet adding a little bit of “flash” as well. Let us know what you think. There is more to come so stay tuned.

The exciting news around here was the tuning of the sawmill this weekend that we have just purchased with shipwright friend and former crew Brad. With thirty two acres of woods filled with pine and oak we should be able to justify this mill in short order. The mill was used to saw out most all of the timbers for a small “pinkly” schooner here in Camden. Built by a real ingenious craftsman this mill is homemade but saws quite a straight line when dialed in. We actually brought it here before Christmas. My neighbor down the street dug holes for the concrete piers that keep the mill leveled up just before the frost crept too far into the ground. The Honda engine doesn’t skip a beat with a sharp blade slicing through the locust log you see here. In this picture Tom is sawing out an eight foot timber to build a “log” anchor windlass similar to the one aboard Mary Day. That locust should last just a few days shy of forever. We have plans and material on hand to extend the track to about fifty feet. That should be enough to whittle out a stick or two. Brad also just got a lead on a dozen more locust logs. Let's make some sawdust!
Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

In Shape for Sailing

Good morning everyone. Yesterday was a busy one as usual none of which was made any easier by my truck deciding it needed a vacation. The kids have been very patient with us this week as they are on school vacation and we have a full schedule here in the office. Jen took the kids skiing at the Camden Snow Bowl for the day so they could all blow off some steam.

Back at command central the big event of the day was helping our sail makers, Grant Gambell and Brad Hunter, bring the mainsail over to the village school gym. That basketball court is the only place we can spread out a sail that large. This year we are taking time to have all of the sails surveyed and necessary repairs made. Talk about "keeping it local" Brad is our next door neighbor and the service these 2 fellas provide is beyond comparison. In the past they have dropped their weekend plans to patiently make repairs to sails that I tried to get "one more season out of."

In looking over the mainsail I realized that it has been through 8 seasons and that is about when we retired the last mainsail. That old cotton canvas mainsail mildewed to death. I can remember seeing constellations of pin holes whenever the sun was behind it. This main, and all of the sails are now made from a synthetic canvas called Oceanus. Aside from some chafed stitching it is in remarkably good condition. The fabric appears to have a number of more seasons to go. Grant will be taking it to his loft to do some touch ups. Brad has already completed a survey and repairs to the staysail, jib and jib topsail. All should be in great shape in time for the sailing season. Remember, shape is everything when it comes to sails and that is why we take them to the gym.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Lunar Gravity

Good morning everyone. Well wasn't last nite a real treat. I don't know how many of you stayed up to watch the eclipse but we certainly kept the kids up to see it. Though lunar eclipses are not rare we here in New England don't see them often. Seems like you have to be in Australia to see the most of them. Perhaps as rare as any part of the event was the fact that we had clear skies on the particular evening in question. The kids were not disappointed.

Some of you might remember that we had a "Transit of Venus Cruise" a few years back. We got the silly glasses and everything so we could look at the shadow of Venus cross the early morning sun low on the horizon. We anchored in a protected little harbor that would give us clear access to the unbroken horizon. All night long the sky was brilliantly clear. I remember getting up several times to check on cloud status. As morning approached the Maine coast worked its magic and fog rolled in from offshore. Oh, you could see a crystal clear sky above us but the horizon in question was obliterated. Waaaah! Such is the "magic" and shrouded mystery of a windjammer cruise. But as you can see, magic is what you make of it and we certainly tried to not disappoint anyone.


Last night I wanted to capture the moment in the worst way possible for the kids to remember. I hung out the one of the skylights in the attic where I would be clear of the tall forest surrounding our house. I tried shooting through a binocular optic (Sawyers idea!). I guess I will have to sign up for Jim's Photography Cruise. Jen finally managed to catch the image you see here. I don't know if the kids will ever remember seeing the eclipse. Maybe they will remember laying on the attic floor looking up at the sky and hearing Mom read another chapter of Charlie Bone. I was thinking there would be people everywhere huddled together in the cold clear darkness to witness, if not the mystery, at least the magic. The magic is not just in the eclipse but how the gravitational effect of the moon pulled so many of us together.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Tribute to Trees

Good morning everyone. Hope all is well for you folks. We are enjoying another blast of winter here before the rain comes tomorrow. Zero degrees this morning and quiet as can be out in the door yard. I have been feeling like we have turned the corner on winter. I have seen robins and even a catbird yesterday. The days are getting noticeably longer. I walked out to the barn last night to load the wood stove and was struck by the brilliance of the moonlight on the snow, the chill in the air, and how quiet the woods can be. My heart leaps with joy on nights that catch my attention like that. I think I have been spending way too much time inside this past week. I am healing well from last week's surgery. My mind says go but I can feel it if I overdo myself.

Varnish is the word of the week around here. Varnish, varnish, varnish. This kind of work is unforgiving. Jen and I once had a boat with all bright finished cabin houses. A fella came walking down the dock one day as we were spreading the amber liquid over the acres of mahogany cabin trunks. He pointed out that paint would be a heck of a lot easier. I can't repeat here what it is I said back to him. Maybe I contained myself and thanked him profusely for his kind words. But I have never been know to take the easy way around much of anything.

Varnish work is one of those things that mirrors the soul of the varnisher. You can't hurry through it. Poor preparation shows in the results. You can't cut corners. You can't go back to change the past. You gently lay it down with the best brush possible and you get what you get. If you missed a spot 2 minutes back you cannot go back and fix it. You just sand it all down and start again. We call those little blemishes holidays. Maybe like Christmas, the anticipation and the reality don't always match up. The disappointment feels the same. But when right mind meets right technique under the right conditions the outcome allows the nature of the wood to lift our spirits and there is no better tribute to the life of a tree.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Time and Tide

Good morning everyone. I am healing nicely, at least that's what the press release says and I am sticking to the story. Believe it if you will. I am way less sore today and am getting ready to go plow from the last 48 hours of flurries and mixed precipitation. This is one of those snow falls that coats everything with a hard crusty rime ice about an inch thick on the wind shield. Add to that a dead battery on the plow truck and you get a challenging morning right off the bat. But Jen managed to jump the plow truck in fine fashion and away we go.


I have been thinking about tides the last few days. High tide is such a joy. The world is so clean. No messy inter-tidal zone. No bathtub ring. It is much easier to get provisions to the schooner because the ramp is level. For lots of reasons high tide is a joy. High tide also hold the peril of running aground and being stuck for hours, maybe even days. So high tide requires no less attention to lifes direction than low.

And then there is low tide. A whole different critter that uncovers the mess that high tide covers. I am kind of feeling like the mudflats are exposed at the moment. But it is at such times that life shows us what we are truly made of, the very life of life as the Sanskrit Salutation to the Dawn would describe. Forgive me if I have written this before but it is a good reminder.

Look to this day for it is life,
the very life of life.
In its brief course lay all the verities and realities of our existence;
the bliss of growth,
the joy of action,
and the splendor of achievement.
For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Bitter Pills and Salve for the Soul

Good morning everyone. What does it take to get this captain to slow down? How about hernia surgery? Well it works. Nothing like sitting in pre-op to get you thinking about all sorts of things...friends, family, how beautiful the world is. Now I know a hernia repair is small potatoes in the world of health care. Just the same it is one of those moments that gets your attention. All the pain medications they have given do not take away the feeling of being kicked square in the abdomen by a good size draft horse. Only dreams of being on the bay bring any relief.

God, get me back out on the bay, full sail set and a fair SWly breeze. Can someone take the wheel so I can climb back into the yawl boat hung in its davits and sing a few quiet tunes to the porpoise and the eiders. For lunch, a bowl of fresh lemony ceasar salad chased down with a piece of Mary's chocolate cake that I squirreled away in the ice box last night. How could it get any better? We sail through dinner unable to help ourselves for the warmth and beauty of the day. Sails are furled as the sun sets and the call of the loons in this secluded cove coax the moon up over the mountains of Acadia. Some guests talk quietly on deck while laughter stirs from the main cabin over a feisty game of cards. And I collapse in my bunk for a good nights sleep, secure in the cocoon of the fo'c's'l, smelling the salt air from the incoming tide. All is right with the world the salve of sailing heals my soul.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Swimming Anyone?

Good morning everyone. Winter is still here in New England though it seems to be taking a rest these days. We have enjoyed a little bit of a thaw. We still have snow covering our field but it is thinning out in the sunny patches. Mary Day rests comfortably in the harbor, bilges dry, cover intact, waiting for the crew to return.

Another busy week has passed so I will get you up to speed on everything that is happening here at the global headquarters. Jen is putting the finishing touches on year end taxes. Blockfest 2008 is finally finished. The blocks have received quite the massaging. And while we have the off-white paint out we are starting in on the lifeline stanchions, the davits, and a few other miscellaneous parts. Alex asked me last night how we were doing with our pace. We are doing great but in the back of my mind I know that there is never enough time to do it all. Having perfectionist tendencies is a curse. I want to do it all and know we will never have enough time.

There several big projects in the works, one of which we can finally reveal to the world. Visit the homepage to see a PDF of our all new brochure. Not that our old brochure was all that bad but we felt it was time for a new look. With the digital age upon us we realized that the 40lb box of lead plates that comprised the old brochure was limiting. Many thanks to Mimi, Tim and Jim and those of you who granted permission to use your photos. Jen has also revamped our educational program overview in a similar fashion. She amazes me everyday. She spent about 10 days learning Adobe InDesign and putting together a marvelous 22 page document with some great photography that gives potential sail training groups a good picture of what to expect.

Other projects in the barn include replacing the bearings on our tandem axle trailer. We finished that yesterday. That trailer is about to make a road trip on our next big project, all to be revealed in good time. We have been interviewing potential crew and met some great folks in-person and over the phone. We would hire them all if we could. I have been busy on the fire department and ambulance service. I am in the process of getting certified to teach first-aid and CPR to our crew. Around here it is also the season for chimney fires and ice rescue classes. Hope you like the fashion statement. The swimming is actually pretty good. My guess is that most of our guests would enjoy more of our summer ocean temperatures with one of these "Gumby" suits. But what fun would that be? Thanks for the photo Becky... I think.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Happy Birthday Mary

Good morning everyone. Blockfest 2008 continues on this week in the barn. Alex and Elisa have been sanding and overhauling the last batch. We are taking extra care with the footblocks (the one attached to the deck through which the halyards fairlead so that everyone can pull in a line along the deck). Those foot blocks have only been thoroughly overhauled a few times over my 16 year tenure. We give them the annual greasing and paint but this process on the bench in the barn gives us a chance to use the fine toothed comb. So far all of the blocks look great. (No mice in the rigging this year!)

On the birthday front we are celebrating 2 very special birthdays this week. Mary Day was launched on the 21st of January 1962 just 2 days under six months after her keel was laid.


Our lovely and gracious executive chef de la cuisine was launched on the 23rd of January 19?? We aren't telling you the year but, for the curious, you can find out without asking only you have to come sailing. Do you need any other excuse to go for a sail on the coast of Maine? Both Mary's are an inspiration to us. How do they keep going year after year? Both Mary's are loved by many. We could make comparisons between their grace and beauty and they both come out tops in our book. Happy Birthday to both Marys! Thanks for the many years of joy you both have brought us all and long may you both sail the Maine coast.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.