On Thursday Hannah and Hayden departed from the boat. Grandpa Peter and Grandma Happy met us in Boothbay Harbor. After a fabulous dinner, and loading up the car with kids and bags, Peter and I were on our own. Kid-free (for the first time since last August!) and on a boat in Maine. It just doesn't get much better than that. Our plan as always was to sail with the wind, but to cruise in places new to us. So we headed out of Boothbay and up towards the St. George River. Lobster pots are thick in this area. Using autohelm is not really an option. In the Caribbean and Bahamas, autohelm (Otto) was a much valued and trusted crew member! So much for reading and taking it easy on the passage portion...Once again I was on the look-out, not for coral heads or really shallow water, but for lobster buoys and their submerged toggles. At an ebbing high tide on the river, some of the buoys were more than a foot underwater! Once anchored, we enjoyed the stunning views surrounding us. Blue island waters --no. Sandy beaches stretching for miles --no. Sea turtles peeking out to see us --no. Tall evergreens hugging the coastline met by granite rocks -- yes. Off to our starboard, a large group of rocks hosting a gathering of seals. Big seals, small seals, fuzzy baby seals and noisy seals. Endless entertainment direct from nature!