We reluctantly left Isles of Shoals on Sunday morning and made an 8 hour trip to Jewell Island. There wasn't much wind at first so we motor sailed, then managed to really sail for about 4 hours, and then as we still had miles to go and we were getting slower and slower, we turned on the power again. Good thing too, because the sky grew darker and the Coast Guard came on the VHF with a thunderstorm warning for right where we were.

We powered up as fast as we could and headed up into Casco Bay and Jewell Island. The sky grew darker and the thunder rumbled and we dropped the hook just as soon as we rounded the red #4. Unfortunately it didn't hold so we kept the engine on as we dragged back, and then when the storm abated for a minute or two, we quickly hauled it up (thank goodness for the windlass) moved forward and dropped it again - in a more receptive place. As we backed on it, it caught really nicely and we dove back into the cabin before the next flash and roar.

I had a couple of good steaks in the fridge, and although we couldn't BBQ, I cooked them up on the stove and we dined well on steak, new potatoes, and squash slices saut�ed with onion.

We decided to forgo a walk on the Island in the morning - we'd had a wonderful time prowling around here in the fall - and head out to Five Islands in the Sheepscot River.

No wind again so we motored along - once more going slower and slower. As we started by Seguin Island, two miles off the mouth of the Kennebec River, I convinced Jim to divert from his course and wait for a tide change. It turned out to be a brilliant idea and we stayed till the tide change ...the next day!

Seguin is a high island off by itself and boasts the the second oldest light with a 1st order Fresnel lens - on the coast of Maine. It seems isolated and rocky and is absolutely gorgeous. In the cove at the north end there are two metal Coast Guard moorings there (dangerous to tie to because the boats get bashed against them) and three small white balls placed by the Friends of Seguin. They're well secured and can handle large boats although two of them are too close together. We grabbed one just as another Canadian boat (folks from Quebec City) grabbed the other.

Ashore, we discovered the long tramway that leads up to the light at the summit (and if you zoom in close on google earth you can see it) and paths that lead to the top and other spots worth exploring. In the museum, we read about a lightkeepers wife who was on that tram when it slid backwards all the way to the bottom - terrifying!

Once at the light, we met Lynne and Tim, this summer's volunteer caretakers. It seemed like an idyllic way to spend a summer and Lynne agreed that it's next best thing to being on a boat. She keeps a blog/journal (HTTP://web.mac.com/one2travel) We thoroughly enjoyed talking with them, climbing the beautiful spiral steps to the light - now automated and exploring the little museum.

We had such a good time that we decided to stay overnight - and that turned out to be not as brilliant an idea. We thought for a bit that we'd have the place to ourselves, but 3 more boats came in, and despite the best efforts of Evergreen, the boat that tied up next to us, we banged (gently) into each other a few times during the night. Because of the way the wind and current worked, the boats didn't swing the same way at the same time, and it was generally a rolly night. Both men spent an hour or so on deck chatting and watching until they pulled away just before dawn.

We're still great enthusiasts about this spot but would probably make it a day stop next time. We headed off about 0700 on Tuesday for our shortest trip to date, arriving at Five Islands in the Sheepscot River by 0845.