Sailing in the Caribbean is all about not wearing shoes, being warm and the sun being so hot you have to hide from it. Sailing in northern climes focuses on donning your hiking boots and thick socks, generating body heat from romping up hills to spectacular views and warming yourself in great bars selling great locally brewed beer. Since saying goodbye to Mount Desert we’ve been sailing with the benefits of the Caribbean and with all the great things of being ‘down east’.

With our sea boots safely stowed downstairs we absorbed the rays and recovered from our super social week. The seas were flat and with no passage planning we were magically whisked to the top of Penobscot Bay where we found the cutest of towns and the most lovely of walks.

Waking at dawn we ventured ashore at a Holbrook Island Sanctuary. Signs of wildlife were everywhere from the birds singing above us in the tree’s to the footprints of deer in the mud below us. Chipmunks skirted around our feet like squirrels on speed and seemed so psychotic they made Larry look like a balanced well behaved pillar of society. In the morning mist we dreamed of catching sight of a bear or a moose, or better still a bear riding a moose, but Iain’s imagination was, as usual, being just a little bit too overactive.

Basking in the sunshine we ventured into Belfast and were charmed beyond belief. Everywhere we looked was a picture postcard view, from the red white and blue brick buildings to the welcoming bars with their beer menus that went on forever.

Feeling like we deserved a big night out the magnetic attraction of the menu pulled us in. It was possible to have your beer flavoured with anything and everything. There was blueberry beer, yeasty beer, sailor’s beer and every beer was yummy. Unfortunately there were only so many days in a town but so many beers to try.

Now full of beer, the classic pub food was calling. Burgers in American bars are always a good call and we were in for an all American treat. As they were delivered to our table we thought that instead of being served just another burger we’d been given one of the fabled EEC food mountains. With the beer lake depleted and the naughty food mountain reduced to a little hill we returned to Ruffian content in every way.

The pretty town and sunshine experience continued as we headed south, but the fun couldn’t continue forever. Chores had to be done and cleaning duty was upon us. Ruffian was to get her yearly clean, whether she needed it or not. Decks were turned from nasty slimy yellow to non slip white, Fiona worked her magic all over the boat while Iain cleaned up from his impatient pressure cooker opening explosion, which resulted in chilli covering everything within 6 feet of the cooker.

Ruffian is now all ready to go on a true vacation. Tomorrow we set off in company with Tom and Mary Ann on their fine ship “Christmas” for a week of turbo cruising before we have to start thinking about heading south. Tom has promised to take us to new places and give us insider knowledge. We just hope that we, and Ruffian, will be able to keep up the pace. We can’t wait.

Now that is the way to see Maine.


Flat anchorages and blue skies rock.


Water + Lilies = Mossies.


Buddy. Slow down. You’re like a squirrel on speed.


Larry. Bad Larry.


Belfast takes it’s red, white and blue to the extreme.


Penobscot Bay will be flat today then.


And it stays flat going upwind.


We like Maine. It makes us smile.


And the downwind follows the up.


The lovely Harbour of Rockport.


Fiona gets to go to the best places.


Ruffian gets some much needed TLC on the dock.