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Onward’s Cruise Journal 2010
Cruise to New England

Corinthian Cruise Note: my crew from the Corinthians Cruise, Bill de Neergaard has written his account of his and Helene's sojourn aboard Onward during the cruise, 30 July to 7 August: de Neergaard's Tale.

August 2010

1 Aug 2010; Maddock Cove to Maple Juice Cove

• Onward was selected to fly the "Great Flag" - a very large Corinthian burgee and lead the parade of vessels out of the harbor as former Master, Bill De Neergaard, was aboard. Then they announced that Onward would be leading the fleet through Townsend Gut to the race starting point. The idea of leading > 40 vessels through the notoriously narrow Gut was a bit daunting but I was happier to be in the lead than to have to follow. At least I had the experience of making this passage in 2008 so it wasn't a complete unknown. It was near slack current at low tide. The Corinthians coordinated the passage with the bridge tender and he allowed the parade to progress uninterrupted for 45 min following the 0900 opening! Try that in SC or GA!.
• The rest of the trip to the race starting line was uneventful and we were in great position - and then the starting line moved as winds fell. The committee boat progressed E with the race fleet following. An attempt to set it up at another mark resulted in the loss of the committee boats anchor when it got fouled in rocks at >60'. A start further E across Muscongus Bay was finally successful. Onward made a great start - although in the casual racing class, the committee boat just records GPS time when the boat crosses the starting and finish lines. With the winds SE, we were on a long Stb tack to round the tip of I but the strong incoming tide set us well to the N. Bill and I decided to take a flier and stay on this tack until we had gotten close to Allen I where we could make a single tack in hopefully less current to make the turning mark off the S tip of Allen I. Alas, current did not decrease but we got swept further up the bay and rocks prevented us tacking at a more optimal time. When we finally did tack, I was busy making sure we would miss some underwater rocks and didn't understand a comment Bill made from his position on the Stbd deck. I thought he was telling me about lobster floats while he was telling me of an approaching race boat on Stbd. tack. When I finally figured out what was going on, the oncoming boat was close and I couldn't duck under his stern because there were those underwater rocks and there was no time to tack. I took advantage of Onward's ability to pivot in about its own length and I made a 360º turn to Port. We then continued on this tack until we were able to round Allen I. Well the other boats that rounded this point earlier took the wind with them and Onward was left to drift towards the finish. The race start was about 1115 and we timed out at 1715 and motored on only to snag a pot line on the rudder. I did another tight 360º turn and managed to free it.
• The result: Onward was first to leave the mooring field in the morning and last to enter the anchorage in the evening: a perfect bookend day!
• We anchored in Maple Juice Cove and quickly managed to snag a ride on one of the local lobster boats that was providing launch service to the pier at Wally Savory's home where a lobster bake awaited us. As a pleasant surprise we found an open bar - an unusual occurrence at these events I was told by my expert crew. I later found out that Wally had personally provided the bar with some of his neighbors as bar tenders as a quiet gift to his fellow Corinthians. Needless to say a great time resulted as we ate dinner on Wally's lawn with its great view S down the St Georges River. What a perfect event for the beginning of the Cruise this has beenWhat a perfect event for the beginning of the Cruise..

• The move to Rockland began with another parade of vessels to the start of the race. It was another light wind day and Onward, fully loaded for cruising (> 31,000 lb) did not distinguish itself. We did manage to cross the finish line this time though!
• I anchored off the public pier in Rockland and then we went ashore where there was a cruise newbie cocktail party hosted by the cruise organizers. After that we took a walk along the shore to the Amalfi on the Water restaurant where we had a great dinner. We were able to catch the harbor launch back to Onward for a peaceful night of rest at anchor.

• We went ashore near noon and were met by Helene's brother-in-law, Bernard Guerlain, who lives in Rockport. Our intentions were to go out to a local restaurant for lunch but he showed up with 4 lobster rolls and beer and invited us back to have lunch in his garden. His home is on the W hillside overlooking Rockport harbor. I had been on a mooring just below his home when I visited in 2008. We had a delightful time at lunch. Bernard had been the US agent for French art paper producers so we had an interesting chat about art papers. I really need to play with my watercolors more!
• Bernard drove us back by a store where I picked up some additional beer for the evening then we returned to Rockland. I spent a half-hour cruising the aisles of Hamilton Marine before we returned to Onward.
• Before we went ashore, a >100' motor yacht came in and anchored rather close. I was concerned that with its length and scope, its stern would be very close if the wind shifted 180º. When we returned from lunch, sure enough, its stern platform was extremely close. I could not raise anyone aboard by VHF. About 20 minutes later, the tender pulls up and the owner who had apparently been aboard came out to talk to his captain in the tender. I used my army-trained "command voice" to tell him I was not pleased with his anchoring job. I received a smart-ass reply in return. I have no patience for professional captains of large yachts that cannot handle them properly and think they have right of way.
• The Corinthians had been offered the opportunity to participate in the Rockland Yacht Club's Tuesday night races. As these usually finish up with beer and a cookout at their clubhouse, I decided to participate if I could get some crew. I turned this over to Bill De Neergaard who knows everyone and he arranged for Bill Kimbell and John Hilton from Madrigal to join us. We got out to the race course which had to be moved in the outer harbor to avoid the Navy ship visiting port for the Lobster Festival. We found the committee boat, a RIB, and called them on VHF to check in. When I asked for the starting time for the PHRF fleet, I was told we were already 45 sec past the start! That kinda set the tone for the rest of the night. The races are short and they run 3 to 4 on a race night. John and Bill had a fun "racing the Queen Mary around a dinghy course". We actually did very well on 2 of the 4 starts and managed to beat out some of the other racers. This was an accomplishment because by the time we made a turn at a mark and got back up to speed, we were at the end of a leg. John and Bill had fun with "Mr. Milwaukee" the 1/2" battery powered drill I have to run the big Harken 66 winches.
• At the end of the race, we found out that they were not going to have the regular post-race festivities with beer and a cookout because the Lobster Festival set up prevented use of their clubhouse. I brought Onward in to the marina where Bill's boat, Madrigal, was berthed on a T-head and tied up along side. We had our own barbecue and beer fest as I grilled 2 racks of ribs. It was a quiet night and I kept Onward rafted up until 0600 the next morning when I moved it back to the anchorage.

Intrepid Racers: John Hilton, Bill DeNeergaard, Bill Kimbell, & Me

4 Aug 2010; Rockland to Carver Cove

• The parade departed Rockland at 0900 and thence began the race to Carver Cove. The wind picked up to > 10 kts from the W - WNW and we had a great reach across W Penobscot Bay to the entrance of Fox Islands Thoroughfare. Onward and Summersault, a Catalina 42, had a photo finish at the mark. We then proceeded on to anchor in Carver Cove where the Cruise organizers had set up rafting assignments. Onward hosted Kindred, with Port and Kathy Draper, and Wenonah, a Friendship Sloop from Annapolis with Tom Berry and Richard Emmett.
• As this was the only "free" night without a formal Cruise activity, I invited all the boats from the Annapolis Fleet to come aboard for a pizza party. As some of the boats were hosting other boats on rafts, many could not attend. I made 4 Onward sheet pizzas and we managed to eat 3 of them.

• The morning dawned with a good dose of Maine fog with about 0.75 nm visibility. After the parade of vessels, the day's racing began with a close reach start and Onward was 2nd over the staring line only seconds behind a smaller vessel - a nice start but since Division 3 scores by elapsed times - no cigar. The fog continued to increase as we headed N on a very broad port reach. We took advantage of the wind angle and guts to cut through some narrow channels between islands. This is something I would not contemplate without the integrated radar and chart overlay provided by the E120. This allowed me to watch the faster racers in Divisions 1 & 2 on radar and take advantage of their experience. Many of the faint of heart took the longer and more open way around so we picked up time on them. The wind died as we got to the other side of the slot and we had to drift for about a half hour. It was tempting to chuck the race but we pressed or rather drifted on. The wind suddenly filled in from the S at 15 to 20 kts apparent and Onward took off. We had a sleighride SW to the turn through the narrow cut W of Saddle I to head N to leave Lasell Island to starboard per racing instructions.
• At this point, we lost boat speed as the wind was on the stern. Bill had been doing a fantastic job as helmsman as I knelt before the chartplotter to navigate us through the fog. As we turned N into the narrow channel with rocks on both sides, I took over the helm because I believe the owner should take responsibility in hazardous situations. I had put in waypoints and thus had a track to follow. But, as we were racing, I couldn't let the autopilot take us through the passage. To complicate things I picked up a boat of some type slowly moving ahead of us. I had my foghorn going but got no response from the mystery boat. I operated the helm from my kneeling position trying to keep on the track line while avoiding the island to starboard, the ledge to port, and the mystery vessel ahead somewhere (it kept appearing and disappearing on radar). I became a bit disoriented and had problems keeping the right heading as I had no visual references other than the chartplotter. It was perhaps the most tense time I've spent piloting Onward. But we cleared the hazards without a close call and we finished in fog so thick, I had to use radar to ascertain when Onward passed the finish mark. When I stood up at the helm after clearing that narrow channel, I realized what a difference the small visual reference that the water that I could just see around Onward along with the feel of the helm when holding it "normally" made. I was instantly able to hold the right course without deviation. [Note: the next day I went back and inspected the recorded track of Onward through this area and found out my piloting had been spot on if a bit "wiggly" - in spite of my perception to the contrary.
• Onward dropped anchor in Cradle Cove and we went ashore for the "Salty Pot" dinner where each vessel prepares a one-pot meal that can easily be prepared while underway. I chose to make Onward Chili Stew - a chili without beans and heavy with vegetables. Delish! Dark Harbor Boatyard made a neat-as-a-pin boat shed available for the dinner tables. They also provided steamed clams that were amazing. But talking to Dave, one of the yard crew who was doing the steaming - and really enjoying himself (Corinthians provided him beer as he plied them with steamers) was just as much fun. Onward didn't win the prize but the huge pot of Onward Chili Stew was wiped clean!
• To top it all, I found out Onward had finished 3rd in the day's Division 3 race!

• Onward was the second boat in the parade that departed the anchorage at 0830 - a parade that turned out to be a 2-boat parade as the other vessels were not ready to depart. We went N around the tip of ? I before heading S to Tenants Harbor. As there was little wind, I decided to use Onward's great steaming speed with its newly clean bottom to get us ahead of the rest of the fleet that was taking the shorter S route. I planned this to get us into Tenants harbor early to have the pick of the first-come-first-served moorings. The wind piped up to > 10 kts from the NW so we flew at ~ 9 kts motorsailing S for a while until the wind shifted to the S and died. We still managed to be 2nd in the harbor with only a large power boat managing to catch us in the last mile.
• Along the way, I replotted our route to go through the Mussel Shoals Chanel which, based on some of the narrow passages Onward made earlier in the week was "wide open".
• In the harbor confusion reigned as to what moorings were available for pickup. I followed the information in the Maine cruising guide and picked up a mooring with a red buoy - supposedly offered by Arts Lobster company. When I called to find out how to pay for it I was told it wasn't there mooring and they didn't know whose it was. I then spent a frustrating half-hour calling every listed person that offered moorings and could not find out anyone who owned the red float. I was just going to stay there but my crew were concerned and suggested we move to the last visible rental mooring from Cod End. I moved Onward and then turned around to find out another Corinthian picked up the mooring I just left. I later found out that Lyman Morse had discovered who owned it and got permission to rent it out just a few minutes after I had been told by them that I was moored at the risk of having to move in the night. BAAAAH! Needless to say I was a bit put out by this confusion. To top it off there was a small boat next to my new mooring with its mast down. At the tide changes it proceeded to catch the mast in my davit falls as it did not move very quickly with the current shift. Tenants Harbor really ought to find a way to make is rental buoys easier to find and the owners easier to contact.
• The day finished well with a fantastic barbecue dinner held in the bay of one of Lyman Morse's buildings. Crazy Dave and his custom designed and built barbecue wagon provided a seemingly inexhaustible supply of 5 types of barbecued meats along with blueberry pie and chocolate cake to boot. Just what I took home from my plate when combined with some lettuce made a great salad that served for 4 meals!

• The parade of vessels departed from Tenants Harbor at 0950 and we motorsailed back to Maddock Cove on a very cool but sunny day. The wind picked up from the SW and we could have done more sailing but I wanted to get settled on the mooring in time to take a good nap so I would be ready for the closing dinner.
• The crew of Onward were "yachting smart" with Bill and I in our slacks & blazers and Helene in a beautiful dress. We must have looked good making the trip in by dinghy. The cocktail hour was great and we were well prepared with 2 bottles of sparkling wine and 2 of white wine. Bill Kimble and John Hilton did a fantastic job with a humorous send up leading to the presentation of the infamous "Nothing Award" given to the skipper who makes the most egregious navigation error. The award went to a vessel that got confused in the fog on the way to Maine and actually turned around in the Cape Cod Canal and headed back S until they had passed 6 other Corinthian boats headed N.
• The dinner was a great way to end the cruise. I will miss the great company of fellow sailors although I've made a number of new friends whom I will look forward to visiting with along the way of my future cruises.

• Bill and Helene de Neergaard did a great job of helping me maintain Onward in shape during the cruise. So, after a bit of additional spiffing up, I took them ashore so they could drive to RI for a birthday dinner with a friend. They were great crew and enriched my experience greatly. I enjoyed watching Bill enjoy himself at the helm. He has a superior touch. We had great fun during the races and he and Helene did a great job of putting up with the skipper. For Bill's take on the cruise see: de Neergaard's Tale. [Note he must be referring to some other skipper in this summary!]
• Alice & Andy Much who are summering in Maine arranged for transportation to and from the Costal Maine Botanical Gardens. I was delighted because I had such a great time there in 2008 with Tina and Ed Burke. The garden has improved since my last visit: the Garden of the 5 senses is now fully complete - it was under construction in 2008; a Children's Garden is now complete. Sadly only one of the many stainless steel kinetic sculptures that were so delightful in 2008 is in residence. I had a great time revisiting the garden. Port and Kathy Draper gave me a ride back to BRB and we stopped at Hannafords to do some shopping along the way. I returned to BRB in time to bring Onward in for fuel and water and to do a couple of loads of laundry before flaking out. I was so busy during the Cruise, I'm worn out. I made plans to meet up with Madrigal and Summersault tomorrow. They plan to cruise E to Mt. Desert I and I will join them.

• Onward headed E to Penobscot Bay. Madrigal planned to put into Owls Head to see friends and Summersault planned to put into Tenants Harbors for the same reason. I pressed further E to Perry Creek on Isleboro I where they will put in tomorrow. The trip E was uncomfortable with < 10 kt SW winds and a SW swell complicated by the swells remnant from the dead tropical storm N of Bermuda. A whole lot of rollin went on. And then the fog set in and made it even more interesting.
• Perry Creek is a neat anchorage off the Fox Islands Thoroughfare that I would have passed up because it looks so constricted on the chart. It was a great quiet anchorage for me to rest and recharge my personal batteries.
• Summersault and Madrigal joined Onward and we got together for cocktails and dinner. Kiren Kimbell provided delicious chicken parmesan, and I did veggies on the grill. Bill had seen my Yamaha keyboard when he was aboard for the races at Rockland. It turns out he plays the keyboard and Kiren plays the guitar and has a beautiful trained voice and sings opera! Needless to say we had a good old fashion singalong.

• No fog today - just lots of lobster pot floats as we progressed through Merchant Row to Southeast Harbor on Deer I. Not much wind so it was an iron-genny day. I anchored Onward between rocks indicated on the chart and Summersault and Madrigal rafted to me. We were at the top of a 10'+ tide so I was impressed with the size of that ol' rock I'd strategically avoided. Nice to have accurate electronic charts! Aboard Summersault, we had another great dinner and then enjoyed the heavens on a perfectly clear night with no light pollution. You could reach out and touch the Milky Way it seemed.

• Winds were > 10 kts from the E - on the nose for our trip to Mt. Desert I. We got there shortly after the NYYC cruise departed. I made a dash for the harbor to be sure we had a mooring before the pent up demand snapped them all up. I ended up on a mooring float which I have come to like.
• I got to meet Miles and Laureen Cherkasky on Ariel an Aerodyne 47 sloop I have encountered several times along the coast and in the Bahamas. It turns out they are friends of Leslie and David Wollin. We had a good if expensive dinner ashore as a group at Red Bird Provisions.

• Today we took the free LL Bean bus to Jordan Pond where we hiked around the pond a bit and then sat in the shade on the lawn to eat our lunches that we had brought along. We then took the bus to Bar Harbor where we took an Oli's Trolly bus tour of Acadia National Park. It was a beautiful clear day and the view from Cadillac Mountain was spectacular. We topped off the day with beers and appetizers at a waterfront restaurant followed by a light dinner before taking the bus back.

• Today I received the email from Mary West with the Corinthians race results. Onward did pretty well considering the skill of its captain. Actually since Onward's PHRF rating is based on a "weekend sailing" profile - vice the fully loaded cruising vessel/home it is, them results are purty good.

• Bill Kimbell called to say he just received word his mom is doing poorly so they will leave Madrigal here and get a rental car to go home to help his dad. As I plan to remain here until Joseph visits, I moved Onward to the float next to Madrigal to keep an eye on it while I am here.
• Bob Smith another Corinthian and owner of Amandolyn, rowed over to say hi. He came in yesterday while we were in Bar Harbor. He suggested I think about joining the Ocean Cruising Club.
• I went ashore for a walk around town and to see what events were coming up in the next week for me and perhaps Joseph to attend. I saw a notice of an art show with 3 artists at the "Neighborhood House" and dropped by. As I walked in, I first came upon a watercolor by Randy Eckard. His interest is on light, line, and visual textures. His work is meticulous in detail. I found myself being mesmerized by his textures and use of light. It is was one of those times that I rue the lack of wall space for hanging art. As I walked around the exhibit, I encountered the artist, we began a really enjoyable discussion of his technique and approach to subjects. He talked about how special the light is in Maine and how he finds the last couple of hours of the day to have magical light qualities. He really loves his work and it shows. I described my faltering attempts to begin to watercolor and he was very encouraging and gave me some tips about how to start and build my skills. What a wonderful experience this has been. One of the things I so enjoy about my cruising life is visiting art galleries wherever I go ashore and periodically this results in great exchanges with artists like I had with Richard Harrington on Nantucket and Randy Eckard here.
• This was another pizza party night. Bill and Kiren Kimbell (Madrigal), David and Leslie Wollin (Summersault), Miles and Laureen Cherkasky (Ariel), Bob and Marylyn Smith and Ron Blazo (Amandolyn) participated. David dropped off earlier in the afternoon some local italian sausage that was a nice addition. It was a fun time and not much pizza survived. It turns out most folks are departing in the morning and Onward will carry on here alone until Joseph Arrives on the 19th.

• I took Bill and Kiren ashore at 0530 so they could begin their drive. I hope to see them again when I return to EGYC.
• Miles and Laureen took Leslie and I on a hike from Ascitou Gardens to Jordan Pond House where we met David and had a nice lunch which, of course, included their famous popover muffins.
• Summersault had us over for cocktails and munchies dinner. I got to spend time with Bob and Brenda Osborn from Pandora - two Corinthians who were also on the Cruise.

• A wet, cold, foggy day as a cold front came through. I caught up on some computer work then went hunting for a good book to read from the iBook Store. I bought a Dick Francis book and settled in to read for the afternoon - interspersed with napping. Bob and Marilyn Smith invited me aboard Amandolyn for a delicious beef stew dinner - perfect way to end a cold and dreary day.

• The sun came out but fog rolled in and out all day. Ariel, Summersault, and Amandolyn departed. I caught up on financial management, read, and napped. Joseph called and I realized he is to arrive tomorrow not Thursday. I will have to be on task tomorrow!

• I spent the day doing boat chores and preparing the guest suite for Joseph. I was expecting him in early evening but he called to say flight delays would result in an 2100 arrival. About 2300, I hadn't heard from him so I was about to call when my phone rang. He had called me many times but could not get a response. There is something weird about the E side of the harbor here; sometimes it is a black hole for cell service. He had the harbormaster about to go look for me when I answered the phone. I quickly picked him up in the dinghy.

• We had a leisurely morning while Joseph adjusted to the time zone change. We then drove into Bar Harbor and then toured Acadia by car before returning to Bar Harbor for lunch. In the evening we decided to get lobster at the Docksider just up the hill from the marina. It was full and we had to wait in line outside and were the last to get in before they closed the door to new customers. The wait was worth it.

• We took the dinghy to the Ascitou float and then hiked to the gardens. The flowers were beautiful in the bright sunshine. What a peaceful place this is. I was disappointed that I hadn't taken a book and a snack earlier in the week and just spent a day there reading - next time. Joseph and I then hiked to Jordan Pond where we had lunch before taking the bus back to the harbor. There we visited the oriental azalea garden - another great place to sit and read - next time. Joseph drove me into Bar Harbor where we had dinner at Galyns. I then picked up my prescriptions that I had to have transferred from the CVS in East Greenwich because they weren't ready when I departed EGYC. We topped the night on the town with a stop at Hannaford's for groceries.

• Today we decided to do a day sail and after we departed the harbor the winds cooperated and we had a great sail clockwise around the Cranberry Islands and then by Southwest Harbor where we took the narrow channel between it and Greening Island. We then sailed up Somes Sound so Joseph could experience America's fiord. We again went to the Docksider for dinner before returning to Onward where Joseph cleaned my clock again playing Scrabble on our iPads. He's gotten quite good and I'm going to have to study up to beat him.

• I checked out Madrigal before departing the mooring float and talked with Bill Kimbell who said he planned to return on Tuesday. We then took Onward in to the water float so I could fill my water tanks. I took Joseph ashore so he could drive back to his business meeting in MA and when I got back to Onward, I departed. I laid in a route to head W down Eggemoggin Reach to Castine. The day was overcast with a few light showers. As I crossed Blue Hill Bay, I remembered that Ed and Tina and I had thought about visiting there in 2008 so I decided this was a good time to check it out. There are also many attractive anchorages on the W side of Mt. Desert I that need exploring in the future. There was no appreciable wind so I motored to Blue Hill Harbor; it was nice to go through an area with many fewer lobster buoys.
• The entrance to the harbor was a bit tricky - narrow with rocks on both sides. I actually threaded my way into the inner harbor - much easier using the chartplotter than by just looking at the chart. I managed to anchor between the many unused mooring buoys as there is really no open space between the many rocks. I had a quite night aboard and made a comfort food dinner of angel-hair pasta with olive oil, bacon, and pine nuts. Delish!

• I took advantage of the 1100 high tide to be able to take the dinghy into the town pier at 0900. I then walked to the laundromat and did the post-guest laundry drill. While waiting I explored the town and found a great natural food grocery store. I also visited Gallery where I had delightful discussion with the owner - sculptor Jud Hartmann. He specializes in bronzes which focus on the Native Americans from N New York. He has done many sculptures of the them playing lacrosse. One of his large bronzes is at the Lacrosse Hall of Fame and many smaller ones have been used for college lacrosse trophies. He does extensive research on his subjects and told me that there is a much more extensive written recored of the natives of the NE than of the W. The Jesuits, in particular, kept extensive records. He composes a "back story" for each piece of sculpture. I encouraged him to publish these along with photos of his work because they are so informative and interesting. He is an amazing font of knowledge of his subjects and the respect he has for them is evident in his work.
• This was the 3rd tête-à-tête with artists that I've managed to have on this cruise - one of the great joys I've found in cruising!
• Onward departed Blue Hill Harbor before 1200 under overcast skies with a few light showers. Once out in Blue Hill Bay, the wind picked up from the NE and I had a great reach down the bay to Pond I cut over to Eggemoggin Reach. Just after entering the Reach, the wind died so I motorsailed to Bucks Harbor where I anchored for the night. No schooners came in to anchor about me as they did in 2008 and I had a quiet night.

• The day dawned bright and sunny and Onward departed Bucks Harbor at 0715. The wind picked up from the NE so I was able to reach down to the turn for Castine and then tack up W Pennobscott Bay under genoa alone. There are several interesting anchorages E of Bucks Harbor that I want to try in the future.
• Near the entrance to Castine, I decided to make a counterclockwise loop around the islands before sailing to Castine. This is a great anchorage and it would be great to stay here in the future.
• I took a short tour up the river before turning around and returning to the Castine anchorage area. While at Norton's Marina, I had met Scott Williams who lives in Castine and he has said I could use his mooring if I happened by. Well, I called him on the phone but couldn't raise him. I didn't see the mooring on my way up the river so I decided to look again on my way back. I f I found it I would spend the night at Castine ; if I couldn't locate it I would move on to Camden. Well, I stumbled over it and, after making a bollix of picking it up due to the strong wind against the strong current, I settled in.
• After a quick lunch aboard, I showered and took the dinghy ashore so I could do some walking and exploring. After leaving the dinghy at the town pier, I walked along Water St. to the yacht club. Along the way I met a nice woman and we ended up having a chat. She was 85 aond one of 11 children who grew up in castine. She has a lovely cottage on the shore that she has lived in most of her life. She told me that her sister had had a cottage next door on a double lot. She sold it for $1M and the new owners built a beautiful modern Cape Cod there. They also painted the cottage of the woman I was talking to.
• I continued a long loop around the outskirts of town and again visited the village green and the historical society building I enjoyed on my last visit. There I met two lovely women volunteers who are summer residents. In town I visited another art gallery and got to chat with one of the owners about her painting while I helped her install new spotlights on the artworks. The nearby waterside restaurant / pub caught my attention and I went in to sample a couple of local draft beers and had an early dinner. I then took another long walk around the W end of the town before returning to Onward.

• The day dawned with high overcast clouds. The weather charts indicated that the low pressure center that had been beating up S NE with rain was moving into this area. It looked like I should be able to move to Maple Juice Cove where I hoped to invite Wally Savory aboard for dinner. As I reached the mouth of W Pennobscot Bay, I received two disappointments; first Wally was leaving at 1500 to visit his daughter in Portland and second, the low got here earlier than I expected. I had been motorsailing S on a port broad reach and as I got to the coast the winds, seas, and rain increased. I toyed with the idea of pressing on to Boothbay Harbor but the conditions made me stick with my original route. When I turned to the NW and jibed, I shut down the engine and was surfing at hull speed on a broad reach. The density of lobster pot floats is disgustingly out of control. They are a real hazard to safe navigation especially on a day like today.
• I put into Maple Juice Cove and anchored in torrential rain. I got to chat on the phone with Wally and he invited me to stop by his home on Amelia Island when I head S.
• I had a nice bowl of hot soup fortified with Cabernet Sauvignon for lunch. Then, in an unusual move for me, after I checked that Onward was nicely settled for the night I poured myself a dram of Jamesons to warm me up and settle me after the exciting transit here. Conditions were mild in the anchorage and the wind and rain eventually died out for a quite night.

• The weather forecasts promised clearing and peaceful seas offshore so I decided to continue the journey S. After weighing anchor at 0715 I motorsailed under genoa with an initial destination of Richmond I Harbor which is SW of Portland. Along the way, I was making such good VMG that I changed my destination to Wood Island Harbor at the mouth of Biddleford Pool and the entrance to the Saco R. It was an easy trip and entrance to the anchorage where I there were 4 other boats anchored in the limited space outside the mooring field. Onward was soon joined by two other sailboats in the anchorage which proved to do a good job of keeping the E ocean swell out. I rewarded myself for a good day's journey by enjoying and extended cocktail hour and playing with my iPad. The sunset was beautiful. This harbor with its small town and yacht club is now on my list of places to visit again and spend some time exploring. The anchorage is much better than it first seems from the charts and there is protection in the outer area in all but NE weather. Again, I continue to remark how much my cruising and anchorage experience in the Bahamas has changed my concept of how much "protection" from shore I need to feel comfortable at anchor. Then, again, Onward continues to prove what a sturdy and stable home she provides in all sea conditions. I forwent dinner and enjoyed a long quiet night of peaceful sleep.

• The day dawned as the sunset promised: beautiful and clear. Onward departed the anchorage at 0615 for Gloucester to take advantage of NW winds for motorsailing and calm seas. I contacted Andrew and Carolyn Fowlie who will sail to Gloucester tomorrow morning to spend the weekend with me.
• With winds W to NW at 10+ kts, I motorsailed under genoa on a beautiful and sparkling day. It was a bit sad to be leaving Maine behind for this cruise but I had a fantastic time and met many great people I plan to keep in touch with. I remembered Ed and Tina Burke were about to leave the US for their new temporary home in London so I was able to get them on the phone the day before they left. We had a great time together in Maine in 2008. Now I'll have to work out a way to go to London for a visit them and my new acquaintances from the Little Ship Club.
• I entered Gloucester harbor about 1500 and found a place to anchor of Niles Beach as recommended by Andrew & Carolyn who will sail in in the morning. I spent a relaxing afternoon and evening reading and enjoying the sunny weather. Tomorrow I will have to spend the morning cleaning up the interior of Onward which needs some attention after spending the last week moving S.

• I spent the morning doing the cleaning up I hadn't been able to do during my travels. Just before lunch, Pendragon sailed in and anchored nearby. I hadn't seen Carolyn and Andrew since EGYC last July when they had to make a quick departure to have Pendragon hauled for hull work. I picked them up in the dinghy and we went into town where they took me on a walking tour.
• Gloucester [Link: http://www.gloucesterma.com/contact-virtual.html] has substantially declined as a working harbor. Yet its great waterside location and history have not been exploited in the way so many costal locations - with less to offer - have been. We walked by the entrance to the Annisquam River / Blynman Canal and after looking at it and talking to the Blynman bridge tender, I concluded my decision not to try a traverse was very sound. It has many of the huge homes I say in Salem but they have not been restored to the same extent. It is definitely worth coming back for another visit. I also found a good link for the area harbormasters: http://www.harbormasters.org/index.shtml
• On the walk back to the dingy we picked up a new piece of art Andrew had purchased for his office. I bought some red and white quinona that Joahna has been recommending that I try as a healthy side dish. I also managed to fix my scarcity of Bounty paper towels - I had gotten down to the last roll. These are one of the most important supply items aboard Onward.
• Mystery Solved: While visiting the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce on the waterfront, I noticed a brochure for the Hammond Castle Museum. I had noticed this distinctive structure on the W shore of Gloucester harbor across from the breakwater. I wondered what this mysterious edifice was and assumed it was a religious organization. Turns out it is a home / laboratory / museum established by John Hays Hammond Jr., who was a prodigious inventor second only to Edison in the early 1900's. His patents, including exploiting radio waves for control, enabled him to build his medieval collection and the castle to live in and house it. This is a place I must visit on a future trip.

• We gathered aboard Onward at 1700 so we could recreate one of our regular cocktail hours in the Bahamas. It brought back a lot of great memories of cruising together. Carolyn brought the makings for a delicious Jambalaya that she prepared aboard Onward and we had a grand evening together.
• I let Carolyn and Andrew play with my iPad. Along the way Andrew made some good suggestions for better organization of Onward's Home Page that I planned to implement in the morning.

• A lazy day. Carolyn and Andrew came over for a breakfast of Onward Omelets. We then retired to Pendragon where we chatted until it was time for them to depart for Boston.
• Hurricane Felix looked like it might come closer to the E coast than I'd like so I canceled the idea of following Pendragon to Boston for a few days visit to the city. Instead I made plans for an early Monday morning departure for the Cape Cod Canal and Buzzard's Bay.

• Onward made an early departure from the anchorage and after clearing the breakwater, set course straight to the Cape Cod Canal. I had a good broad motorsail to the canal but the wind had changed to the SW on the S side. I put into Cuttyhunk and picked up a mooring after finding out the eel grass W of Peases Ledge was much to thick to try to anchor.

• Onward was underway at 0610 headed for Narraganset Bay. At 1000 I was off Beavertail Light and called Wickford Marina where I had ducked in for a TS in 2008 with Merlin. Paul, the owner, remembered me and made room on his pumpout pier for me to berth. Whew! A bit stressful for awhile. I went ashore to talk with Paul after getting Onward all tied up. Then I celebrated by walking into town and having a great lunch including a cold local draft beer and fresh cod fish & chips. I then gave myself the balance of the day to rest up for the fun to come.