This is a photo taken inside the Fresnel lense of the Seguin Island light. It is the highest light in Maine, not beacuse of the tower height, but because of the combined height of the island and tower.
More photos can be seen at: http://www.sailblogs.com/gallery/estelle
August 1, 2006
This morning we went in to tour the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath as soon as it opened, as we would have to leave by eleven o'clock to catch the tide. The weather continues to be very hot with little wind, so as we motored down the Kenebec, we discussed our destination for the night. Given the heat (32C) we focused on an anchorage that would allow some swimming. So we decided to head for The Basin, up the New Meadow River, where we had anchored in our earlier cruise. Although it's the warmest water in Maine, I wasn't able to get in. But Sarah spent most of the afternoon in and out of the water, racing from the boat to a nearby buoy and back (practicing for a triathalon), while Jeannie tried the water from a small beach we dinghied to. In retrospect, I probably should have tried it, as it was so hot that I had a cockpit shower to cool off.
When we came into the basin, we saw another Canadian-flagged boat (a bit of a rarity). After we had been anchored for a short while, the couple on board came by in their dinghy (with two Labrador Retrievers) and we had a chat. They were just sailing their boat home, having bought it in New York (as we did 3 years ago) and were sailing to Corner Brook, Newfoundland, where they were both setting up medical practices in General Surgery. We had a nice chat, and wished them well in both their cruise and medical careers.
A nice dinner of coconut shrimp and a light tossed salad (with a cold white wine).

August 2, 2006
Today we headed back to Boothbay to drop Sarah as it was time for Sarah to head back to Halifax to prepare for her thesis defense on the 21st (and she successfully defended it, completing her requirements for her MSc. in Epidemiology). We had a nice sail out New Meadows River and Casco Bay, along the coast, up Sheepscott Bay, back through Townsend Gut (the bridge operator must be starting to recognize us), and back to the Yacht Club. At the Yacht Club, everyone (except me) jumped into the water to cool off (and noted how much cooler it was than The Basin). We then took a last advantage of the car, and did a bit of grocery shopping. Returning to the Yacht Club, we unloaded the purchases, dragged them down the dock and into the tender just as the skies turned a deep purple. Too late to take cover (as the groceries would have been ruined) we headed out to the boat, and just about made it!! But not quite. Half way out all Hell broke loose with a downpour that obliterated everything beyond ten feet. With the rain came winds gusting to 30 knots, and thunder that shook the boat and had us covering our ears. But the game tender operator carried on (even circling round to pick up my new Tilly hat that had blown off) and delivered us safely. I must say, I felt badly, watching her disappear into the driving rain, holding her hands over her ears, and getting soaked to the skin in that deluge. But ten minutes later it was all over, and I heard her cheerful voice on the VHF radio, arranging to pick someone else up. Sarah spent the night, and then left next morning for Halifax.

ps: Two years later, we learned that the tender operator was the daughter of Bruce and Nancy Montgomery of Seabird, who we met in North Carolina and sailed with for three years!

August 3, 2006
I think I mentioned that the watermaker was on the maintenance list. Today I fixed it. There are a number of filters in the system designed to ensure that the membrane that separates out the salt from the water doesn't get clogged with dirt. Well, they work. I ran the watermaker in a cove a week ago, where I looked overboard (after the unit had been running for about half an hour) and realized that there was quite a bit of sediment in the water. And the watermaker alarm went off, telling me that the 20 micron and 5 micron filters were plugged. No problem! Just replace the filters with the spares I had carefully brought on board. Except that I didn't have the special wrench needed to change them. So I called the boatyard, and they not only ordered one for me, but arranged for it to be delivered to me in Boothbay! So with the wrench in hand (and some lessons learned about the watermaker), I quickly got it back in running order. But my maintenance list is not any shorter, as it is apparent that the dinghy repair did not hold. We now need to pump it up each morning, so I will have to look into another repair job. A quick check tells me that the problem is that my patch job is leaking.
With the watermaker project complete, we were ready to start the day. But what to do: Today is Thursday, and tomorrow Jeannie has a conference call (which requires a land line for at least an hour), and we pick up her brother Fraser tomorrow evening at Robinhood Marina, about 2 hours away (including yet another trip through Townsend Gut). So we set off for a leisurely sail over to Robinhood. The first summer we had the boat we kept it at Robinhood (run by Robinhood Marine, another of Maine's excellent boatbuilders). So it was fun to return. By the time we had picked up a mooring, it was time to start dinner preparations, and get organized for Fraser's arrival.

August 4, 2006
This morning Jeannie went ashore to "The Library" at the marina, and used the phone for her conference call. The marina has some great facilities, and among them are two courtesy cars. So we booked one and drove into Bath to download email and do some more shopping. By the time we got back, did a laundry ashore, and tidied up, Fraser had arrived. So we set out in late afternoon for nearby Harmon Harbor.
We had been in there two years ago on July 3rd. We stopped there, on way to Boothbay Harbor to see the July 4th fireworks. Pulling in, we were surprised by the activity, and a local boat came up and suggested we relocate our planned anchoring spot, as they were having their annual July 3rd fireworks celebration that night. We were offered a mooring that gave us a great view of what turned out to be a much better show than Boothbay gave the following night. It turns out that what started a few years ago as one person shooting off a few fireworks has turned into a competition with fireworks shooting off from docks all around the small harbor (to the sounds of Barbara Streisand belting out "America the Beautiful" across the harbor). Very entertaining.
But as it was not July 3rd this year, the harbor was quiet, and we were again offered an excellent mooring for the night.

August 5, 2006
Another beautiful day. In Maine, as in many coastal areas, mornings are usually calm, with a sea breeze not developing until the sun has had time to warm up the land. And today was no different. We had been out to Seguin Island with Sarah and Jeremy, but the lighthouse was being restored, so we were not able to climb it, so we decided to return with Fraser today. In the calm morning, we motored the 6 miles out, and picked up a mooring, rowing ashore (after pumping up the dinghy). On the way in, we rowed past a small power boat with four people plus a baby less than one. They asked if we would take the baby ashore, and they would swim. I said I would return, and let them use the dinghy to row themselves ashore. Really an odd plan to come all that way (they had motored out from Bath, about 10 miles) with no plan to get ashore!
But we had a nice visit, and were able to get up to the top of the light, from where you can see for miles around. Back on the boat, we now had a nice breeze picking up, so we raised the sails and set off to clear Cape Newgan and The Cuckolds, for a nice sail up into Boothbay Harbor. On the way, we sailed a bit too close to one of the boys marking a shoal, and dragged the centerboard across it for a minute, reminding us to pay close attention to the charts! Sailing into Boothbay Harbor, we furled the sails, and motored through the harbor looking at all the flashy boats. August is "Cruise Month" in Maine, and the fleets from a number of clubs competed with the large motor yachts for attention. Altogether a bit too much of a circus atmosphere for me. So we motored out of the Harbor, up the Sheepscott River, and into a beautiful anchorage known as The Ovens. On the way in, we passed a 35' boat tied up to a dock where the owner was just tidying up. We called across admiring his boat, asking him about it. He replied that it was a Sabre that he had purchased new over 20 years ago. But as the current was sweeping us past at close to ten knots, we didn't have time to chat. We ran through the very narrow opening and into the anchorage which opened before us giving us a beautifully protected harbor that we were sharing with one other cruising boat. As we were anchoring, a small motor boat came in and it turned out to be the sail boat owner we had been speaking to on the way in. Seeing our Canadian flag, he came in to chat about cruising in the Maritimes. He had been to the Saint John River a few times and we talked about the area's sailing and about the area surrounding our anchorage. While most of it is private (and undeveloped) there is a small State park with walking trails that sounded worth exploring tomorrow. He offered us his car if we needed anything, but after we assured him that we were fine, he departed and we settled down to a meal of crab cakes.

August 6, 2006
This morning we went ashore (after pumping up the dinghy again; it's getting closer to the top of my list!!) and had a very nice hike of a few km through woods. Then we returned to the boat and headed back to Robinhood, a 6 mile sail down the Sheepscott and through the Goose Rocks Channel. Arriving at noon gave us time to tidy up, shower and set off in Fraser's truck to Hollis Center, where we attended a Robidoux family reunion (Jeannie's family name is Robidoux). We had a great time, ate lobster and headed back in good time to get back to the boat for the night (if we hadn't missed a turn and driven half way to Augusta).

August 7, 006
Fraser left this morning after a breakfast of pancakes (Belizean, of course! For those who don't know, I travel to Belize four times a year on business and have what I feel are close connections to the country. Next year we hope to make it down there in our boat). But it is time for us to head back to the Boatyard on Mount Desert Island to return to PEI for a few weeks. We're heading back due to a number of family commitments (a wedding, I am going to Belize for a meeting, and Sarah's entry to Medical school, which begins with the Hippocratic Oath ceremony). The forecast was for strong south-westerly winds, and the forecast held true, giving us an excellent sail. Without a destination in mind, we let the weather decide. By the end of the day we had sailed past Boothbay Harbor, Muscongus Bay, up through Muscle Channel, and across Penobscott Bay to anchor in Pulpit Harbor. And the harbor was as crowded as we have seen it with cruising boats of all sizes and types (but mostly very expensive!!). But we found a nice spot to anchor in the midst of the visitors, and settled in for the night. The night continued windy, and as a precaution, I set the anchor alarm on the GPS that will go off if the boat moves outside a certain area. But all was quiet in the night, and in the morning, we decided to take the bikes ashore for a tour.

August 8, 2006
We have been here in Pulpit Harbor a number of times, but without bikes, meaning our touring options were limited to our appetite for walking. But the bikes allowed us much greater freedom, and we biked in to the village of North Haven which was interesting, but not too active, bought a few supplies, visited an art gallery, and biked back to the boat. Since we covered so much ground yesterday, we weren't too concerned about getting away early today. So we hoisted anchor around noon (just in time for another boat that had come in and was obviously searching frantically for a spot to anchor) and set out east again. But the winds today are much lighter than yesterday, so today's trip will be much more relaxed, and shorter. We sailed around the north tip of North Haven into Isla Au Haut Bay, which we crossed, and headed into Merchants Row. The winds were light, and we ghosted along, beside a few other cruisers headed in the same general direction. But as we approached McGlatherty's Island (a favorite anchorage of ours), the wind decided to pipe up. So with all sail set, we roared into the anchorage, and rounded up (sailing directly into the wind), pulled down the sails and dropped the anchor in a perfect location.
Having anchored, we tidied the boat, and I decided that it was time to repair the dinghy (again). While rooting around in a small, hard to get at, locker a few days ago, I came across an official Avon dinghy repair kit. It looked much better that the one I bought, so I decided to try it. The instructions also have a lot more detail about the process, so it seemed worth a try, rather than the kit I bought in Portland again. So I brought the dinghy up on deck for the operation. This is not a big problem. We hoist it up, bow first, with a halyard, a rope normally used to hoist a sail, until it is level with the deck, then swing it in and lower it. Not surprisingly, it wasn't difficult to remove the old patch, or its glue. So, I applied the new patch according to the instructions, which included a warning not to inflate the dinghy for 24 hours. And another nice evening on a beautiful anchorage. By the way, I think this is where I clogged the watermaker filters a few week ago, so I won't run it here.

August 9, 2006
Today our plans are for returning to Mount Desert Island, a short sail from here. Se we are in no rush to get away. But as I watched another boat leave (or attempt to), he obviously got his propeller tangled in a lobster pot. As he was alone on the boat, he worked for a while on it from the cockpit with a boathook, but without success. Because the patch instructions warned about using the dinghy for another 12 hours, I watched from a distance. But I was pleased to see another boater row over to help. They gave up trying to free the line from the surface, and began taking turns diving down to try to cut it free. Having been in the same situation myself, I had a great deal of sympathy. From experience I know that sometimes the only way to get yourself free is with SCUBA tanks, which I carry aboard, for that purpose. So after watching for a while, I decided to launch the dinghy (against the instructions!!!), and row over to offer my services. As I arrived, I asked how they were getting along, but before I offered my services, the first person to arrived said that he had SCUBA gear that he would use if they didn't get it free soon. So I kept my offer to myself, rowed back to the boat and set out for Somes Sound, where we arrived in early afternoon.

August 10, 2006
Today we emptied all the perishables off the boat, took the jib down for repairs (a rip had developed last week), and set out for PEI. We plan to return at month end to begin our trip south. No more posts until then!!