If you don’t like the weather…

You know the old saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait an hour?”  Well, if that sounds about right to  you, you’re in Maine.

After spending months in the Bahamas and Cuba, one can become used to weather that rarely changes, just more of the same… warm, sunny, breezy.  During our two months cruising Cuba I believe that it rained ONCE.  Yup, the weather is pretty predictable!

Not so in Maine.  After only two days here we have experienced just about every type of weather you could possibly expect to have mid-summer.  Yesterday we had light rain, hard rain, bright sunshine, warm temperatures, dense fog and chilly evening, and that was in ONE DAY.  And the weather combined with really dramatic scenery makes it a real winner.  I LOVE IT!!!

Some of the folks we have run into during our travels aboard Pandora have commented on the contrast between the Bahamas and Maine and told us that if they had to choose between the Bahamas or Maine, they’d choose Maine.   Me too.  It’s just beautiful.   Bummer that it’s only a good place to sail in the summer because that’s when I want to be home in CT.

“So Bob, what’s the weather right now?”   Good question.   Wait a moment while I look but I think it’s sunny.  Yup.  Sunny, for the moment anyway.   Satisfied?   Good.

As I write this we are on a mooring in Southwest Harbor, on Mt Desert/Acadia.  It’s a lovely spot.   Yesterday we moved here, in the rain (did I mention that it rained yesterday, and was sunny too?) from Frenchboro where we made landfall in Maine.  What a lovely island.  This is the harbor.   Big tides here.About 60 make their home on this little island, nearly all fishing for lobster.   From the harbor you can see Mt Desert and Acadia in the distance, behind the fog bank.  You will just have to trust me on this.About ¾ of the island is set aside as a nature preserve.   The coastline of the island is very rugged and is nearly all made up of pink granite. There were butterflies doing their butterfly thing everywhere.  Don’t you just love the new camera?Remember the changing weather thing?   Here’s the fog rolling in.  One minute, 10 mile visibility.  The next, well, a lot less.When we arrived in SW Harbor I couldn’t resist taking a walk through the marina.  This boat, and she means business, was designed by Steve Dashew.  He’s known for designing and building easily driven hulls in both sail and power.  To me, this design is a near perfect blend of form and function. Personally, I’d love to see her painted but Steve is insistent about low maintenance.    There’s even a grill built into the aft deck.  This is a real ocean going vessel.   And, she’s as expensive as she is impressive.  I’d just love to have one of these. Well, today the Corinthians cruise begins and it will be rah-rah for the next week with 100 of “my closest friends”.   I wonder what the weather will be like?   No, I can guess but I’ll have to wait a few hours to know if I am right.

So far?  Yep, weather.  Welcome to Maine.