Debi and Jack sailing on SV Iroquois

After Pulpit Harbor we stopped at Warren Island state park for a night before checking into Belfast. Nate came by in his little boat and took us up river which was way cool. We passed some houseboats, one of which was covered in plants. He even had peas growing up the stanchions and lifelines.

12 July 2019 | Pulpit Harbor, North Haven, Maine

Pulpit Harbor

Iroquois is afloat again! We launched Wednesday in Rockport where we stayed all day readying and organizing. We had a nice get together and dinner in Camden with our Rockport friends then yesterday we did a shakedown sail to Pulpit Bay on North Haven. There was a light wind, 8-15 kts, so we put up the [...]

27 July 2018 | Lincolnville Maine

2018 The End

Iroquois is getting the full spa treatment. Every locker, cubby, lazarette, bilge emptied and cleaned. Varnish in and out. Metal cleaned. Winches serviced. Sails washed and repaired. The engine is serviced and winterized. Even the fuel is polished! The boat is going to enjoy a well-deserved rest in a [...]

05 July 2018 | Boothbay Harbor Maine

Boothbay Harbor

Our apologies for the lack of recent posts. We hung around Portland and Handy Boat -- visiting with family and friends and trying to adjust to a more land-based existence. Lily and Anthony came up for a Saturday dinner (oysters and lobster) aboard then sailed to our mooring at Handy Boat. The next weekend Zach and Maura came and we did the same thing. It was a pleasure to have Zach aboard for the first time. Thank you Maura! Hopefully it was enough fun they will want to come again. This past weekend the Garbers came and we did some sailing around Casco Bay. Lily was a good helmsman. She and Hubbard shared the duties. There wasn't much wind, but also no accidents. We had some great food in Portland, including two excellent meals at Fore Street, which did not disappoint. In between all the family visits we caught up with Stephanie and Brian on Detour. We met them on the OCC Norway Rally in 2016. They crossed over the next winter and spent last summer in Maine. They are just getting ready to take off on their next adventure as we wrap ours up. Hopefully they will have an excellent trip wherever the winds blow them. Handy Boat was very welcoming to us. It was fun to come back and see everyone who took such good care of us before our first Atlantic crossing. We also took in a concert by the Frank Vignola Hot Jazz Trio, which was really good and a nice break in routine. Yesterday we motor sailed and motored to Boothbay Harbor. We will stay here a few days and visit with John and Ann who live here. We met in the Bahamas when Ann greeted us with a freshly baked loaf of bread. We were hungry and tired after a six day passage from St Thomas and her bread is amazing. It's hard to repay something like that. Anyway, this is our last hurrah for the season. Saturday we'll stop in Rockland. Sunday we move to Rockport and prepare to get hauled out Monday morning. Then we'll start work on the long list of deferred maintenance and repairs. We plan to be home in Wisconsin by August.

17 June 2018 | Falmouth Foreside, Maine

The Atlantic Circle is Complete

We have completed the Atlantic circle. Today we sailed from Portland to Handy Boat in Falmouth Foreside with Lily and Anthony. Almost exactly three years ago we left here on a transatlantic adventure. It's hard to imagine and even to remember all the places we've seen and all the people we've met. We [...]

14 June 2018 | Portland Maine

BacK in Maine

Jack woke me at 4:20 this morning, claiming that it was light, and we left Portsmouth harbor a little while after along with a fishing boat. It started as a slow day of dodging lobster pots. Every time I get annoyed by them I try to think about how delicious lobster is. There are so many of them, either there are a lot of lobsters or there will soon be none. Somewhere between Portsmouth and Portland we heard a sound we haven't heard for a very long time, it was the call of a loon which brought smiles to our faces. The wind did pick up and it turned into a nice sail all the way to Portland Maine. This is only the second place we've been in four years that we have actually been to before. We also stopped twice in Bergen Norway. Anyway, we have certainly seen a lot of new places and the end of the journey is a little sad. Luckily Jack bought an oyster knife and we are docked near the fish market so we can treat ourselves and enjoy the moment.

Who's the Fairest of them all?

24 May 2016 | Fair Isle Shetland Scotland

Fair Isle well deserves its name. It's magically beautiful. The harbor entrance is difficult to see because there is a turn at the entrance so you only see rock against rock, but once you make the turn you are in a small cove with high rock walls and at the back a small sandy beach leading up to a green valley full of grazing sheep. After tying up in front of The Good Shepherd, (those of you who've read the Ann Cleeves mysteries will recognize the ferry to the mainland) we noticed sheep grazing at the top of the cliffs at the edge of the sea. We wondered how often they fall in. There are no floating docks so we waited until low tide to be sure our lines were long enough then walked up to the bird observatory to use their showers, wifi and bar. They were by far the most expensive showers we've had--3 pounds each using our own soap and towel (5 if you use theirs). We had a pint in their lounge which is upstairs and has expansive views of the island. It was difficult to strike up conversation with the birders. I guess we didn't have much in common. We have been sort of traveling the same path as a French boat since we both left Inverness. We could see them rounding the island from the lounge so Jack went down to help
with their lines and then they came up for a drink. They are also heading to Bergen, but will be leaving their boat there while they go home to work for a few weeks. Brigitte's english is about as good as my french so it somehow works out that we can communicate. Fail Isle is essentially managed by the Scottish National Trust. They are perhaps the most politically correct (nothing wrong with that) group ever. They are making an effort to maintain the sustainability of life on the island. They are making the houses more energy efficient and are trying to create jobs which maintain the people financially while at the same time continue a traditional way of life that would whither under the demands of the modern world.

For those of you who want to follow us on AIS, you can use marinetraffic.com or shipfinder. I think there are other apps as well. Our MMSI is 367605970 and our call sign is WDH3265. The boat name is SVIroquois.

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