From Life at Finestkind Boatyard
We're in Maine, working on the boat to get it tucked away for the summer- sort of the opposite of what people are doing around here. Despite the ridiculous weather, it was actually really beautiful for the 2 day trip up here. The first night we stayed at Isles of Shoals which is a group of islands a few miles off of Porstmouth, NH. They're really beautiful and are usually too busy in the summer but at this time of year there was only one other boat in there. There are birds everywhere including lots of Eider, which have a nice call. Very peaceful and out of the way. It was perfect for drinks in the cockpit & BBQ.
From Life at Finestkind Boatyard
The second day we made the rest of the trip to Harpswell, we both got sunburned & then for the last 2 hours there was thick fog so there was no question we'd made it to Maine! But as long as you have radar and electronic charts, you can really see where you are in space and the fog is not so disorienting. But it did get us remembering that although Maine is incredibly beautiful & wonderful to sail in, you get this feeling like your boat is rotting around you since everything is in a perpetual state of wetness. Makes us nuts and all I can think of is the varnish going, going, gone!
We hauled out the next morning at high tide after being escorted in to a small basin where there used to be a mill with a rock wall that blocked the entrance except for a very narrow break to let boats through. It is not marked. They haul boats up here on a ramp with a large trailer that comes down under the boat and then a winch is used to pull the boat & trailer up the ramp. It took a long time to get the supports right on the hull. We both get very anxious when the boat is being hauled & since this boat is 34 thousand pounds, it always creates a stir. We busted a bunch of slats on the ramp and then broke a part on the trailer, which I understand happened the last time they hauled a Tashiba 40 like ours. Anyway, they had to block us twice but now all is well and we're living up in the air working on projects. This is a really friendly place and it is quiet with incredible running roads & views. The marina cat, whom we haven't fed or let in the boat has nevertheless decided that our boat is home. She's very cute but I don't like her sandy footprints all of the deck- no matter, she won't leave!
We had hoped to have the mast pulled by now and get that painted before we left but with all the hub-bub around hauling our boat combined with the holiday weekend, they said they couldn't pull the mast till next week. So now we've been doing other projects to try & eliminate the amount of work needed when we return in Sept & as soon as they can get it pulled & get us moved inside we're going to leave & get back to Vermont to pick up our backpacking stuff. The best laid plans... not to mention there is fog & dampness till at least noon around here so, no varnishing in the morning!
I took a few pictures of the interior while we were underway for a comparison of space between the camper & the boat, plus so people could see what it looks like.
From Life at Finestkind Boatyard
We had drinks in the camper last night since it is parked right next to the office with the internet signal, then we headed back up to the boat to make dinner !The camper is a small space! But it draws a lot of attention- people love it; they come up & right away start looking in the windows- we've gotta get those shades up! We were joking that between the truck, Jon's MGB, the camper & the boat, nearly all of our fine possessions are here with us!
Well, that's what's going on right now. Looking forward to getting going, but we are also enjoying ourselves some too, trying to slow the pace & get done what we can get done, let go of the rest (till Sept anyway!). I think we're getting lobster tonight- after all, we're in Maine! Ayahh!