Day 176 - Sat 19 Sep 2015
Moored – South Freeport, ME

[photo: Norma, Gwen, and Diane aboard Diva Di]

It didn’t get cool enough overnight to want the heat on, so that was a good thing. When Diane got up, I used the last of the sourdough bread to make some great French toast. Diane got the boat all cleaned up for our visiting friends while I was able to fix the port navigation light that turned out to be simply a corroded connection between the bulb and its socket.

I ferried Diane ashore to do a load of laundry (I really wish she would get confidence in running the dinghy herself just for safety’s sake) and then tackled some chores myself. About 1030, our friends, Gwen and Norma, from our former homestead in PA arrived at the marina. Diane confirmed via phone that they would like to see the boat and even take a short ride, and the only way to accomplish that safely was to bring the boat to the dock.

We tied the dinghy to the mooring ball and moved Diva Di, tied up for 5 minutes and got the ladies safely aboard. We cast off with Gwen steering most of the way and a light fog slowly enveloping us. Visibility was fine for navigating and steering clear of lobster buoys, but left little to see along the coast, so we turned around after 20 minutes. To continue the on-the-water experience we picked up the mooring again and hung there for an hour chatting on the flybridge.

It started to get windier and much cooler, so we dropped the ladies off back at the dock, put Diva Di back on the mooring, and took the dinghy ashore. We walked next door to the Lunch and Lobster place where you place your order at the window and then pick it up as they call your number. Most of the patrons were seated outdoors, but we dined inside.

The lobster rolls were quite good and my fish sandwich was a large, tasty portion. When lunch was over, we said our goodbyes with a promise to see them again in PA on our way home. It was a great visit and fun catching up. Diane almost forgot she had laundry to bring back, but we got it and then relaxed on the boat for a while.

About 1630, I packed my shower stuff, some sausages and utensils and dinghied ashore. These are definitely some of the very best facilities we have encountered. Brewer’s really does it right. After the shower, I got the very nice gas grill going and started cooking the sausages. I met a few folks visiting the waterfront and had some great conversations. When a lot of these people we meet casually express amazement at what we are doing, I usually say it doesn’t matter what it is you like to do or wish to try in life, you just have to have the courage to make a plan to get there. It usually doesn’t happen by itself.

Diane was still full from lunch, but I snacked on a little of the sausage, peppers, onions and tomato sauce over penne pasta. The rest will serve us 2 more suppers, and we will need them because we are deliberately using up our provisions. The end to our trip this year is rapidly approaching.

Barring any changes, our current plan is to anchor tomorrow (Sun) somewhere close by, take a mooring at Kennebunkport on Mon, a mooring in York on Tue, a dock in Portsmouth, NH, on Wed, and then be in Newburyport, MA on Thu.