Everywhere you look in Maine there are rocks, rocks as big as a mountain,medium sized boulders or as pint sized as a pebble and about every size in between.  You’d think that with all of the rocks milling around together would also spawn some sand.  Alas, no sand but many, many rocks.

So, the other day we packed a lunch and decided to head out and see how many rocks we could climb over.  Well, that’s not exactly what we had as a goal but that’s more or less what we ended up doing.

The plan was to climb up a a really big rock and visit, well,  “bubble rock”.  I have to say that I had no idea what exactly was meant by “bubble rock”.   My first thought was that the “bubble” was the mountain.  I was wrong.  This is the “bubble” on top of a sort of bubble mountain.   It’s way bigger than it looks.  Craig stood next to it and try as he might, he couldn’t budge it.   Where is “hulk” when you need him?  “Arnold?  Can you help me out here?”

I claimed the peak, of course.  More rocks. The view of Jordan Pond from Bubble rock was spectacular.  There is a restaurant at the other end of the pond, in the clearing to the right at the far end to put a fine point on it.  That’s where we began and ended our hike.  They are known for their popovers.   We “knew” some popovers after our walk.   Pretty good.  The view from “lake level” to where we climbed. OK, so about that title.  I saw an eagle carrying a snake.   Perhaps not a happy snake at that.   “Weee!!!  Take me higher!I also got a shot of a loon.  Check.   He was pretty busy fishing so kept ducking, or would that be “looning”, under the water and popping up somewhere else.   I had a tough time getting a good shot.  As many times as I told him “look at me loon”, no luck. The water was impossibly clear.  What a view.And finally, a frog in water, not so clear. So, rocks of many sizes, an eagle, a snake if an unhappy one at that, a loon and a frog plus a popover or two for me and ten thousand steps.   Good day.

Arguably, there’s nothing more “Maine” than wooden schooners and I had a generous “helping” of them a few days ago in Somes Sound on Mt Desert Island.

As is the case with so much of life’s experiences, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time.   And, as luck would have it, we were as 2016 is the 100^th year of the founding of Acadia National Park and the organizer of the Corinthians Cruise found a way for our fleet to participate in a parade of schooners up Somes Sound.  And, as if that’s not enough, we were to lead the parade up one of the most beautiful pieces of water in all of Maine.

And it gets even better.  To make the sight even more of a spectacle for the thousands that watched from shore, about 35 of our member’s boats dressed ship with signal flags galore.

We waited at the mouth of Somes Sound for the schooners to approach as they emerged from the summer afternoon haze.  Well, actually, there wasn’t much of a haze but I liked the sound of that.  As the schooners assembled to begin their run up the sound they tacked back and forth.   This one came pretty close to Pandora’s bow.  Our fleet began to head up the sound ahead of the schooners in single file. Well, sort of single file.  Then the word came from the Master of the Corinthians, “hurry up, they are going to pass us”.   And hurry we did.Things got a bit chaotic after a while and we ended up in more of a clump than single file.  Chaos or not, it was a joyous sight.  My friends Alice and Andy have a cute little tug called Loon.  It was fun to see her chugging along with the fleet. Many local boats got into the act including this lovely little red sloop making her way with the fleet.After reaching the head of the sound, The Corinthians turned to face the schooners and watched them sail by.What a sight as the schooners passed by and saluted the spectators on shore with cannon fire.Love the fine lines of the stern.  Hard to believe that something this big can be so sleek.As the schooners passed, the perspective changed and the afternoon breeze freshened.

The schooners turned to short tack back down the sound into the wind.  It was impressive to see them maneuver in so tight a space.Our Master Leigh was aboard “All that Jazz”, leading the fleet.  To see the largest schooner in the fleet tack in front of his boat was quite a sight and a fitting way to finish up the parade. We all scrambled to the local boat yard to pick up moorings for the evening.  Like the rest of the day, and to use a phrase that my late father loved, it was “organized chaos”.  Yes Dad, and what joyous chaos it was.

This trip is my 16^th to Maine and I have to say that to be in a parade with these magnificent schooner was one of the highlights of those many  years.

What a day.  I was blessed to be a part of such an iconic spectacle that makes Maine, well, Maine.

Anyone who’s cruised to Maine, and certainly those who love wooden boats, have made the pilgrimage to the Wooden Boat School and the headquarters for Wooden Boat Magazine.    So, yesterday the cruise headed there from SW Harbor, a distance just short of 20 miles.

As we made our way there yesterday were we passed the iconic Bass Harbor Light.  I believe that this is the most photographed light in Maine.   You can certainly see why.  She’s a beauty.Of course, that’s not the only one to feast your eyes on.  How about this one?  It’s still active but unlike the Bass light, this one is someone’s home.  I wonder how well they sleep when the fog horn is blasting away.Unfortunately, we weren’t able to sail yesterday or again today as the wind was just too light.  That’s one of the downsides of club cruises as the meals and stops are all planned in advance.  When Brenda and I cruise, we wait to move when there is wind and therefore spend a lot more time sailing.

Let’s hope that by the time the fleet heads back toward NE Harbor in a few days, that we won’t have to beat our heads against the wall to head east. Uncharacteristically, the wind is forecast to be out of an easterly direction for the next few days so we’ll have to wait and see.

So, back to the Wooden Boat School, a place that is a must stop for anyone that admires beautiful wooden boats.  Many credit Jon Wilson, founder of Wooden Boat magazine, with the revival of wooden boat restoration and modern construction.  It takes someone like that to galvanize interest in a dying art.  Clearly the tide has turned and wooden boats are a vital part of the boating community these days.

Speaking of lovely craft, I took a turn around the harbor and photographed some of the lovely craft that are moored there.

This is a sweet canoe stern launch.  Very elegant lines.How about the stern on this beauty?I loved the detail work on this Friendship Sloop.  Great trail boards.I think that this is a Herreshoff 12½ or perhaps a Haven 12½ designed by Joel White as centerboard takeoff on that classic design.   The varnish work is perfect.I think that these are International One Designs and may not be wooden.  However, there is a very active fleet in SW Harbor and was racing yesterday afternoon.   Each spinnaker had a unique design and made quite a sight as they raced to the finish line.While most of the boats that were moored at the Wooden Boat School are of classic designs, there are plenty of beautiful wooden boats being crafted in Maine of thoroughly modern designs.  How about this wonderful gentleman’s launch that I spied at a marina in SW Harbor?  She’s a real head turner.  They had better never let the varnish work get away from them. I’d say that Pandora takes “modern” to yet another level.  Not a lot of varnish on her.  However, I just love the way she looks and sails.  She looks right at home here in Maine too.The sunsets, and I do love sunsets, over the last few days have been spectacular. And a bit later.  Hard to believe that this shot was the same sunset.  Perhaps it’s my new camera but this photo actually is better than real life. I guess that’s what they mean when they call it “sunset porn”.   Well, they probably don’t say that but you get the point.   Right?

We are approaching Blue Hill so I’d better finish up for now.   Adios!

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.

It’s Thursday morning and we are about 10 miles from our destination for today, Frenchboro on the island of Long Island.   No, not the Long Island in NY the one in Maine.  You can tell because the beaches are, well they aren’t beaches at all, there granite and really, really bumpy and hard.  Oh yeah, the water is 55 degrees too.   It’s worth noting that the water temperature dropped from the high 70s overnight as we made our way north of Cape Cod into the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine.

Yesterday Rodney, my crew for this trip, and I headed out of the Cape Cod Canal to make the 200 mile run across the Gulf of Maine to meet up with the Corinthians Cruise this weekend.

I particularly like the “decoration” on this bridge crossing The Canal, an otherwise unremarkable structure, it looks remarkably delicate with this adornment. I decided to time our departure from the canal so we’d be off of Province Town during the day with the hope of seeing some whales.  And see whales we did.  The winds and waves, well there weren’t any of either and it was very calm which made for easy spotting of whales in what seemed like every direction.   And, a few times we saw huge splashes in the distance as they rose out of the water and landed with a thunderous crash.

It was very tempting to head every which way to see these magnificent creatures up close.  As we still had a long way to travel to get to our destination we opted to keep going with one exception.  Not far from us and only about 4 miles north east of the tip of Cape Cod, we spotted two spouts, one small and the other large, rising perhaps a steamy 10’ out of the water,  about a mile off.

We headed toward them and enjoyed watching a mother and calf (daughter?) swimming lazily along.  I cut the engine and drifted nearby.  What a sight.  You could hear the rush of air as mom took a deep breath. Calf or not, they were big and bigger.   You can see her huge “fins?” showing white on either side.  It is easy to imagine how these creatures were hunted to near extinction as it is very easy to see them “blowing” miles away.  If it wasn’t for the timely discovery of oil in Pennsylvania that made whale oil uneconomical, I doubt that there would be a single whale left anywhere.  Doesn’t that make you want to hug an oil company?  Hmm…

While we were enjoying our “whale encounter” there were plenty of SUVs spending time in the “wilderness” at the very tip of The Cape.  I don’t get the whole “let’s drive out to the beach and sit by the truck honey.”   “Don’t worry kids, you won’t have to step in that icky sand, I’ll leave the engine running and windows rolled up so you can stay cool and play video games”.

There was a mile or two of them lined up like birds on a wire.  Go figure.And speaking of going to the beach, this tug, moored in The Canal, looks like business and I can imagine that they have been called upon to keep some stricken ship from finding their own special place on the beach too.As I came on watch last night, I was treated to a rising moon.  Amazingly, the new camera took a photo in such low light.  Don’t you just love image stabilization?

All, and all, it was an unremarkable crossing with some sailing but a lot of hours on the engine.  Today, we’ll enjoy time ashore and go for a walk on Long Island.  Tomorrow, off to South West Harbor to get ready for a week of “rah-rah” with 75 of our closest friends.

That will surely be a contrast to the solitude of mother and daughter humpback enjoying a lazy day on a glassy calm ocean.

Well, I guess I’d better sign off now as I am back in cell range and anxious to talk to Brenda.  Besides, it’s been more than 24 hours since we talked.   Actually, 25 ½ , to be exact, but who’s counting.

However, it’s good to be in Maine again.  It’s been a while.