M/V Katie Mack – Living Aboard an Old Wooden Boat

Wrapping Things Up for the Winter

Sunday, September 30 – Tuesday, October 30, 2018

On Sunday morning, Hugh was able to pick up a few parts from the hardware store and fixed the leaking gaskets. A couple days later, we left the inner harbor, and cruised over to the bridge, which wasn’t scheduled to open (due to a death in the bridgetender’s family). We had already lowered our mast and antennae knowing we are 11′ from the top of our searchlight to the waterline and the bridge had 14′ of clearance at dead low tide. PLENTY of room. Whew!

We followed the marks into Lagoon Pond until we picked up Gannon and Benjamin’s mooring # 148, just off the fish hatchery. G & B assured us that they had indoor storage for us off-site. It was just a question of finding someone who could haul out KATIE MACK and transport her to the shed. They were wonderful to work with, particularly Brad Abbott, the third partner in the business.

A few days later, we flew out to Louisville, KY to join friends and family for our son’s wedding. Charlie and Kyle were married on a gorgeous day at the Yew-Dell Botanical Gardens. A magical day!

Once we returned to the Vineyard, we agreed that keeping KATIE MACK in the Lagoon over the winter was not an ideal plan as it has been known to ice over, and that’s definitely worse for a wooden boat than drying out a bit while “on the hard”. More phone calls, and finally Matt Murphy of WoodenBoat Magazine suggested we give Peter Cassidy of Buzzards Bay Yacht Services in Mattapoisett a call. Logistics were agreed upon and on Tuesday the 30th we made a rainy but calm crossing through Woods Hole and across Buzzards Bay to Mattapoisett, where, a few days later, Brownell’s Transport hauled her out and tucked her in at Buzzards Bay Yacht services for the winter.

From Yarmouth, ME to Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Wednesday, September 12 – Saturday, September 29, 2018

After last-minute preparations, I did some laundry at Ginny’s and left our car in her driveway. Lucky for us, Ginny is within an easy walk to the marina! We didn’t depart from the pony dock at Yankee Marina until 3:45, as we were only going as far as Portland Harbor. Karen offered us guest space at Chandler’s Wharf where she and her cat live aboard m/v JUNIATA, the Consolidated Industries cruiser I think I’ve mentioned before. She also offered her mooring #178 across the channel.

We opted for the dock space so we could more easily visit Karen and walk Annie around town. We found ourselves behind M5, the largest sloop (single masted) in the world. At 277′ long and 54′ wide, she was berthed on the facing dock at DiMillo’s Marina. [Not many weeks later a storm came up and M5 was blown off the pier, taking much of the facing dock with her!].

M5 at night at DiMillo’s, across from us at Chandlers Wharf

The head was beginning to get a bit smelly, so Hugh cleaned it thoroughly and put ____ in the holding tank to “break up the solids”. We then planned to add a tablet down the head after each pumpout.

It looked as if we had a “weather window” for our trip south, from today through Sunday or Monday, so despite the drizzle, we departed Portland, and made our way to Biddeford Pool by way of a quick trip up the Saco River to check things out. We had intended to pumpout at Marston’s Marina, but they were already on winter hours. Good to know! This reinforced our happiness that we decided last November not to risk bringing KATIE MACK down to the Vineyard so late in the season with all the potential “what ifs” along an unfamiliar route. Whew! Back to Biddeford Pool, we once again picked up BPYC’s mooring #89 for the night.

So much for our weather window! We woke up to thick fog, decided to stay put for the day, and hoped for better weather the next day. Ha! This is why we don’t make plans or keep to a schedule. More fog the next day meant we stayed a third night in Biddeford Pool. I baked an apple crisp and made pesto with fresh-picked basil from Leslie Oh Hell No’s garden. She and I went on a long walk around Biddeford Pool, and she showed me all the paths to avoid walking along the roads.

We got an early start on Sunday morning. The sky was blue, and there was barely a ripple of breeze over the gentle swell. Just off Ogunquit, we saw a sunfish, and had to find the youtube video of the guy with the wicked Boston accent seeing one for the first time: “Holy shit, Jay, it’s a baby whale . . . .” We also came across another dead baby seal. Apparently Asian flu and distemper are a problem in the seal population.

We continued past Portsmouth, NH and decided to stop at Newburyport, MA. We crossed the bar into the Merrimac River near half tide. This bar is known to be treacherous, and if the wind and tide hadn’t been cooperating, we would have kept going. We proceeded up the river to the City of Newburyport Public Docks for a pumpout, and then picked up a Newburyport Marina mooring (cone-shaped with a blue stripe. $50 and no wifi, but nice showers). There was a swift current in this channel, and lots of “Sunday drivers” whizzing up and down the river.

Monday dawned with gray skies. After topping off the water tank and walking Annie, we were on our way down river by 9:15. We safely and easily crossed the bar, and made our way across Bigelow Bight into Ipswich Bay to the Annisquam River.

It was low tide, which made for a lazy cruise past mud flats full of shore birds, lovely old wooden boats, and lots of funny-looking houseboats. Once we made it through the two bascule bridges into Gloucester’s Western Harbor, we hailed Karen’s friend, Viking, who owns the Gloucester Marine Railway at the mouth of Smith Cove.

Route 1 bascule bridge
RR lift bridge

KATIE MACK at the Gloucester Marine Railway’s float

She directed us to a 40′ float near the travel-lift. We were so happy to be tucked in here, snug and secure for the torrential rains expected the next day — remnants of Hurricane Florence that devastated so much of North and South Carolina a few days earlier.

Due to the high winds outside the harbor, we stayed at the Maine Railway ($25/night) for 4 nights and then moved onto a Harbor mooring for another 2 nights ($40/night). We only had one rolly night with a gale blowing.

Since it wasn’t raining all day every day, we had a chance to do a lot of walking all over East Gloucester and Gloucester . There is quite an artist’s colony here on Rocky Neck with adorable houses and gardens nestled all side by each, and good provisioning “up to the Shaw’s” within walking distance of the town wharf. Don of f/v SCOTIA GIRL, loaned Hugh his truck so he could drive up to the fishermans outfitters for lures to catch stripers. We never did make it to the Market Store, a little place similar to Rosemont — maybe next time! Dinner at Halibut recommended by Amelia, and another dinner at Maria’s recommended by Zach for its great chicken parm, which lived up to its billing. At one point we got a phone call that Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard didn’t have any room for KATIE MACK. More phone calls and recommendations needed.

Finally the storm passed and we were able to depart Gloucester under blue skies with very little breeze. We made it across Massachusetts Bay to the Town Landing in Cohasset Cove, where we met Kate, a college friend of Hugh’s, for lunch. We continued on down to Plymouth Harbor, where some locals encouraged us to follow them to pick up a free mooring near the anchorage but a little less exposed.

The next day, Monday, the winds picked up. We checked in with the harbormaster who suggested we move into the inner harbor anchorage inside the breakwater on a HUGE mooring normally used by a fishing vessel. No charge! We walked around town and found the British Store which has Sherbet Dabs and Turkish Delight. Woohoo!

On Tuesday, my college roommate’s parents, Harvey and Mary, took us for a delicious lunch at the Lobster Pot in Bourne, followed by a tour of the Plymouth area. So much to get caught up on with the doings of their kids and grandkids. What a treat to have the time for a good long visit, which was topped off with an invitation to do a load of laundry before they dropped us at the town wharf. Fun day, followed by more wind and rain the next day. At some point, we lost our ensign — the ONE night we forgot to bring it in at nightfall.

Because of the high winds (when the fishermen stay put, we stay put!), we didn’t leave Plymouth until Thursday morning under grey skies with a moderate breeze out of the north. We had a comfortable run down to the Cape Cod Canal, made it through without incident, and continued our smooth run all the way across Buzzards Bay to Woods Hole. We picked up a Woods Hole Marine mooring while we called around, and finally a cheerful young woman from the Woods Hole Yacht Club offered us one of their transient moorings ($30).

It was great fun to watch all the harbor activity with ferries, fishing boats, and research vessels coming in and out of the harbor. There are also quite a few houseboats in the western side of the harbor. It was quite rolly that evening, so Hugh devised a “flopper-stopper” with the drogue before we retired for the night. Worked like a charm!

The next morning it was rainy, so we decided to wait until things cleared a bit before leaving Woods Hole. We didn’t make it very far out of the channel before the waves kicked up, so we turned around and eventually picked up the WHYC mooring for another night. I took the bus into Falmouth to West Marine to buy a new rainjacket, and then ended up walking the 4 miles back to Woods Hole as the bus never came by — 16,557 steps that day!

Finally, on Saturday the 29th, we woke to clear skies. By 10 AM we were headed out Great Harbor and decided to check out MacDougall’s Boatyard in Falmouth as a possible winter haulout. After speaking with them — nice folks! — and topping up fuel and water and pumping out, we crossed Vineyard Sound to the R “2” gong off West Chop and followed the marks into Vineyard Haven. Just before reaching the harbor, we noticed a “squeaking” sound. Hugh discovered there was water seeping in from the saltwater gasket which Yankee Marina had removed this spring to change the zincs. The other side had leaked a bit, too, before self-plugging with salt. Luckily we were only minutes from the breakwater and were assigned mooring E-5. We picked up the mooring just before 1:00 and (thought) we were home for the winter.

While we only needed four days to travel from Vineyard Haven to Portland in the spring, it took us 16 days to return from Portland to Vineyard Haven, due to the weather kicked up by hurricanes passing far to the south. This is why we allow plenty of time to get to places we “NEED” to be. We clearly understand why the most dangerous item one can carry aboard a vessel is a schedule.

1,390 miles and 40 harbors (30 unique harbors) since June 9th. What an adventure we have had!

Blue Hill to Yarmouth

Monday, September 3 – Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Labor Day dawned overcast with temps in the 60’s. We were awakened by the haunting cry of a loon. After that wonderful pie-fecta breakfast, we headed down to Stonigton for fuel at Billings Marine. We were treated to the sight of lots of porpoises, including a mama and her baby, as well as the windjammer ANGELIQUE sailing through the Deer Isle Thorofare. We didn’t see many windjammers in Southwest Harbor this year, but they were out in force on East Penobscot Bay. We were delighted to watch LADONNA come out of the fog, and then as we neared the entrance to the Fox Islands Thorofare, we spied HERITAGE. Finally, my all-time favorite VICTORY CHIMES passed by under full sail in all her glory. VICTORY CHIMES is the three-masted schooner depicted on the back of the Maine quarter.

We were lucky to find space to tie up at the town dock in Rockport’s tiny harbor, where there were four more Concordia yawls. One was at the dock, so I was able to take some close-up photos.

Rockport is the site of a number of 19th century lime kilns preserved in the Rockport Marine Park next to the wharf. The local lime industry was based on a narrow three-mile band of limestone running from Thomaston to Camden. When the quarried limestone was dumped into the kilns from above and burned, lime was the product. The industry depended on wood from Maine’s interior and from as far away as Nova Scotia to fire the kilns and to build casks for the finished lime, which was used in plaster and mortar. Lime was a dangerous cargo: if it got wet, a chemical reaction created heat and sometimes caused the schooner carrying it to catch fire. The only way to put out the fire was to smother it. Though the use of lime kilns slowly died out by the 1950’s in Maine, nearby Dragon Cement in Thomaston still sells its lime for paper-making, agriculture, and cement. It is the largest cement plant in New England and ships its products by barge from nearby Rockland.

This was the first night we were pestered by tiny biting flies. The tennis racquet-like “Jolt” is more effective than a fly swatter at eliminating the problem.

The next morning we dropped the lines and continued our journey south, past Rockland and Owl’s Head, through the Mussel Ridge Channel, around whitehead and Mosquito islands into Port Clyde where we picked up a PC General Store mooring. After a leisurely lunch and nap, we were off again, winding our way around numerous islands and ledges of Muscongus Bay, until we tucked into the Audubon’s tiny mooring field at Hog Island. Given our Maine Island Trails membership, the fee was only $5.00 for the night.

Audubon has an Ecology Camp on Hog Island, which is one of the larger islands in Muscongus Bay. According to our cruising guide, many famous naturalists have taught there, including Roger Tory Peterson, whose bird book we have aboard, and Steven Kress, who founded the Eastern Egg Rock Puffin Project. Visitors are welcome to explore the island, but dogs are not allowed, except in the little camp for their morning/evening constitutional.

Another early start found us checking out nearby Round Pond, which Tad and Liz so highly recommend as a waypoint. It’s a full harbor and a tight fit, though Padebco does have moorings available — good to know for future reference, which is why we like to tuck into harbors along the way.

After we rounded Pemaquid Point, we made our way across glassy seas to Damariscove Harbor, where we picked up a mooring and enjoyed lunch and a short nap. This is an extremely narrow, well-protected island harbor with a decommissioned lighthouse and a few fish shacks on its low, rocky shore. We agreed that the next time we come this way in such calm seas we will stop at Seguin Island. It can be pretty choppy when the wind goes against the current coming out of the Kennebec River, so timing is everything with a cooperating wind.

Around Cape Small and up towards Bailey Island, into Broad Sound, where we stopped for the night at Dolphin Marina in Pott’s Harbor. This was by far the rolliest anchorage so far, but good wifi and a delicious dinner at the Dolphin Restaurant made it more tolerable.

The next morning, it was a quick hop across Casco Bay and up the Royal River to Yankee Marina, where we tied up at Six River Marine’s pony dock. Wow, was it hot!! 85 degrees before the thunderstorm cooled things down a bit. We picked up our car at Ginny’s and went over to Six River Marine to check out their current project, a West Point Skiff of their own design modifications. We also drove over to Men’s Wearhouse so Hugh could get fitted for his tuxedo. As the officiant at our son’s upcoming October wedding in Louisville, KY, being fitted in Maine and being able to pick up the suit in Louisville made things so much easier!

Sun, clouds, and slightly lower temps marked the next morning, when we cruised down to the Saltwater Grille in South Portland to meet Lorn (a boyhood and college friend of Hugh’s) and his wife, Lynn, for lunch out on the deck overlooking Portland Harbor. Next we took them on a two-hour tour of the harbor. What a pleasure to catch up with friends from afar, in this case Kansas! They were staying with Lorn’s sister at Goose Rocks, as they do this time every year, so we are hoping for more reunions with them in the future. After saying goodbye to Lorn and Lynn, we made our way back to Yarmouth, up the Royal River at dead low tide — our specialty! Ahhh, but the beauty is we watched a bald eagle swoop down and catch a fish right in front of us. After a quick nap, we stopped in for tea with our friend Ginny.

Having lived in this part of Maine for over 30 years, we really enjoy catching up with longtime friends and sharing KATIE MACK with them. Sunday the 9th dawned 1/2 sunny and 1/2 cloudy. Last night was down in the 40’s, but the temp rose into the 60’s by afternoon. Hurricane Florence, with two others brewing behind her, was on her way to. . . where? No one is sure. We met our friend, Amelia, at Falmouth’s Town Landing and headed over to Chandler’s Cove off Chebeague Island. We picked up a mooring and enjoyed lunch on the aft deck. Back in Falmouth to drop off Amelia and fill up with fuel and water before we headed to Yarmouth for a pad thai take out and Netflix with Ginny. A few more days of visits with friends, dinner with Karen at Royal River Grille House, my annual haircut, vet and dentist appointments, car inspection, L L Bean for a fishing rod, the kitchen store for more cloths, and Hannafords and Rosemont for provisions before we continued our journey south.

Our Last Lazy Hazy Days of Summer in Maine

Saturday, August 25 – Sunday, September 2, 2018

This week brought more family and friends aboard KATIE MACK. One day, my high school friend Carol, and her husband Nick were staying their friends Lynn and Dave on Little Deer Isle. We made arrangements to meet in Bass Harbor, and then we took them over to Black Island for a picnic aboard and a walk among the old quarry stones ashore. Bald eagles and fish farm pens. A lovely cruise. The next few days were spent readying ourselves for the passage down to Massachusetts.

On Saturday the 31st, it was time to start heading south. We cast off at 12:40 for the short cruise out the Western Way, across the bar at Bass Harbor Head Light, through Casco Passage, and partway up Eggemoggin Reach to Center Harbor.

You can see Brooklin Boatyard in the background. Founded in 1960 by writer EB White’s son, Joel, it continues to thrive under Joel’s son, Steven. So many beautiful boats in this harbor, so we rowed around to “oooh and ahhh” after our walk up to the Brooklin General Store for iced tea and an ice cream bar.

Calm morning, perfect for photographing
KATIE MACK

Later that evening, Bill Mayher, who often works with Benjamin Mendlowitz, the photographer for the WoodenBoat Calendar, rowed over from his classic Concordia yawl for a chat. Bill suggested we call Benjamin, which we did, and arranged for him to come by at 7:00 the next morning. The water was flat calm and the morning light was lovely. What a pleasure to see Benjamin at work, taking photographs from his sweet little ABACO. These calendars have graced our homes (including this one!) for as long as I can remember. No promises, but it would be awesome to find KATIE MACK in the 2020 calendar.

Speaking of Concordia yawls (photo), I saw my first one way back before Hugh and I were married, in Padanaram (South Dartmouth, MA) at the Concordia Co. yard where we kept and worked on Hugh’s first sailboat, TUKEY. There were 103 Concordia built between 1938 and 1966 — the first 4 were built at the Concordia yard, and the rest (mostly 39′ but twenty-six were 41′), were built by Abeking and Rasmussen in Germany. 102 of the 103 built are still sailing today, many in Maine. My heart sings every time I see one!

Next, we made our way back around to Blue Hill, where we anchored out at Hugh’s sister-in-law’s family place. She and Hugh’s brother came aboard for a dinner of BBQ ribs. We set up the folding table and chairs in the pilot house for the first time, and it helped to bear out a friend’s saying about the ideal RV: it sleeps 2, feeds 4, and entertains 6-8. The next day, we all drove over to the Blue Hill Fair and thoroughly enjoyed the sheep dog trials, fried dough, and cherry pie after lunch. More pie followed our lobster feast on the back porch, and then . . . then we went for the “pie-fecta”: pie for breakfast!

Adventures Further Down East

Sunday, August 19 – Friday, August 24, 2018

Our Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast warned us that facilities for cruisers, such as water, fuel, and provisions, were few and far between, with pumpouts non-existent, so we prepared accordingly. We got off to an early start, with clearing skies and calm seas as we headed beyond the Eastern Way into, for us, uncharted waters.

At 7:30 we started the Splendide washer for the first time. We originally purchased the washer/dryer when we had thoughts of cruising down the ICW and hopping over to the Bahamas, where we’d read laundry services are difficult to come by, though so is water, without a watermaker . . . . The reality of this machine is it takes so much power we can only run it while we are under way, and it takes so much time to actually wash, then dry, that it’s really only useful on long passages of say 5+ hours, as we need time to recharge the batteries before we settle in for the night!

We headed around the eastern side of Mt. Desert Island in Frenchmans Bay, leaving Egg Rock to starboard and Cadillac Mountain (and my favorite hike, the Precipice Trail) to port. Bar Harbor was humming, with whale watch boats, fishing boats, and the cruise ship VEENDAM in port, so we opted not to make our way through the very busy anchorage.

We left Long Porcupine Island to starboard, went around “The Hop” towards Halibut Hole, between Jordan and Ironbound Islands. A pod of several porpoises got the seagulls all excited. We cruised around Grindstone Neck and by 10:20 we picked up a Winter Harbor Yacht Club transient mooring ($45). Pool, Showers, restaurant and launch service were all open to us. We shut down the Splendide, and the steam from the unfinished dry cycle set off the fire alarm. Learning. Always learning. Hung up the slightly damp things to finish drying on lines in the pilot house.

The lovely old clubhouse was built in 1890, and it is simply stunning, tucked away on the side of the hill as it is. We walked into town for some fruit at the IGA, then stopped at the local fishermans co-op for steamers, then got some ice cream at a little shop across the way. Sweet little town.

Hugh switched out the 45 lb. bronze plow anchor (patterned after a CQR by the Port Townsend Foundry) with the heftier 60 lb. Ultra stainless, as we expected to be anchoring out as we head further DownEast. Another first!

Leaving Winter Harbor, with Cadillac Mountain across Frenchmans Bay

At 9:00 the next morning, after walking Annie and taking on water at the WHYC dock, we set off under blue skies and temps in the mid-60’s. As we left Winter Harbor, we could see Cadillac Mountain across Frenchman’s Bay. The wind and tide made for glassy seas, with a gentle Atlantic swell.

It can often be a treacherous passage around Schoodic Point and across the Petit Manan Bar, especially given that July and August average 250 hours/month of fog, so we considered ourselves fortunate. We also had four bars for Verizon cell service. Best reception in many weeks. Go figure.

At one point, while I was opening and closing the sliding door to take pictures of the 123 ft. foghorn on Petit Manan, the door fell off its track! Luckily I was able to hold onto it so nothing broke or fell overboard. We headed around Trafton Island into Narragaugus Bay between Pond Cup Island and Jordan’s Delight where Hugh was easily able to fix the door in calm waters. Shortly after noon, we found ourselves in Pleasant Bay’s Eastern Harbor, off South Addison.

We found a quiet spot in the inner harbor, set our anchor (first time “on the hook”), and got a thumbs up from a passing lobsterman. These early arrivals mean we can take a leisurely nap after lunch and then go exploring. While there were no amenities listed for transient cruisers, the weather and ambiance more than made up for that.

The next morning, while I rowed ashore with Annie, Hugh removed and stowed the snubber that we had purchased at one of the many boat shows we’d attended the past few years. It worked nicely! We weighed anchor at 10 and once again enjoyed a perfectly clear day with calm seas. How lucky were we?

Moosabec Reach and the bridge from Jonesport to Beals Island

As we entered Moosabec Reach, there were lobster buoys EVERYWHERE. We stopped at the Jonesport town wharf and walked “up the road a bit” to the True Value Hardware which doubles as Hamilton Marine. A Grunden’s T-shirt for Hugh, a 7/16 shackle for the anchor, and a new ship’s log for me. We were told if we needed to get to the IGA, it was perfectly safe to hitchhike — everyone is happy to pick up cruisers, even with a dog in tow. A little more walking brought us to the Moosabec Mussel Company for 3 lbs of steamers ($10). People could not be more welcoming and friendly here!

Look at that mile-long stretch of beach!

Just after noon we left Jonesport and headed to the east end of the Reach. Within the hour we arrived at the Roque Island Archipelago, the centerpiece of which is Great Beach, a mile of white sand that stretches in a gentle curve. (photo) The island is privately owned and farmed. Visitors are asked not to explore inland and to stay at the eastern stretch of the beach. It took us about 40 minutes to anchor as the rode counter wasn’t working properly. Tides run around 11.5 feet here. We needed to be sure we had enough scope out, 7:1 with all 300 ft. out, given the next day’s forecast of 18 mph winds.

Don’t ever think we eat dehydrated camping food when we are on the hook. After Chef salad made with romaine stored in the cool bilge locker and bell pepper “poppers” with guacamole and bacon on the aft deck, we put the motor on the dinghy, SAMARIA, and headed to the beach for a loooong walk.

The water was so warm and clear that Annie and I both enjoyed a swim, too. Later we took SAMARIA for a “toot” through the Thorofare into Chandler Bay. There were only 3 other boats anchored here, two sailboats, and one Grand Banks cruiser. A hot shower followed by steamers on the aft deck was perfection.

Annie finally found her best use for the astro-turf mat, so we are resigned to twice-daily trips ashore. No problem, as we can use the exercise, too.

We enjoyed a rainy lay day, thick o’ fog. Hugh walked Annie ashore and I cleaned KATIE MACK from stem to stern, “toothbrush clean”. The barometer was a 29.4, the lowest we’d seen since leaving Onset on June 14th.

The next day dawned bright and clear so we weighed anchor and headed west through the Thorofare to Moosabec Reach. While passing under the bridge that connects Beal Island to Jonesport, we saw several skiffs loaded to the gunnels (gunwales) — was it mussels bound for Moosabec Mussel Co.? Or piles of rockweed to be used for something else?

Another clear crossing of the Petite Manan bar

As we passed Eastern Harbor on our way to Petit Manan Bar, we realized that the wind and tide were making a choppy sea that would be uncomfortable for crossing the bar. We circled around Shipstern and Flint Islands back to anchor in Eastern Harbor for lunch and a short nap. We headed back out at about 2:00 so we could cross the bar at slack tide for a much gentler crossing. Once across we decided we didn’t need to tuck into Prospect Harbor, but continued around Schoodic Head, “surfed the swell” into Winter Harbor, and picked up the same WHYC mooring. We made a note that next time we pass this way, we’ll want to pick up a Schoodic Marine Center mooring and take the Island Explorer to see Acadia/Schoodic and the marine center.

The last day of this cruise took us home by way of Sorrento. Our friends Tom and Jen met us at the wharf and took us back to their place for coffee and blueberry muffins. Afterwards, we took them out for a tour of upper Frenchman’s Bay by Hancock Point. Sorrento is a lovely little harbor with no amenities for transients, so it stays “off the radar” of most cruisers heading down east, which is fine by the people who live and summer here!

While we considered a quick stop in Bar Harbor to re-provision at Hannafords, we didn’t feel like dealing with the crowds brought in by the two cruise ships anchored in the harbor, so we headed home. According to NOAA satellites, the high haze is smoke from the western fires. California is on fire!

Southwest Harbor and Family Time

Tuesday, July 10 – Saturday, August 18, 2018

Hugh’s cousins were in residence in both the farm house and the Pigeon House, so we stayed aboard KATIE MACK, and enjoyed taking various cousins and their children and grandchildren for “toots” up Somes Sound or around Suttons. Hugh rigged the BOB, our North Haven Dinghy, and eventually bent the sails on RESOLUTE, so we could all mess about in boats. This is an ideal spot for day sails because we can go so many different ways, depending on which way the wind is blowing.

“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats.” ~ Ratty, The Wind in the Willows

After dropping Annie at the kennel, we drove down to Yarmouth on July 12 in our car that friends had driven up for us on their way to meet family at Acadia. The next morning we flew out to sunny California for our biannual Dakin Family reunion at Drakesbad in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

We returned to Maine on the 23rd, and moved back aboard. What a wonderful visit with all my side of the family, but we never slept as well in California, on the hard, as we did on KATIE MACK! Also, while the mosquitoes were bad on land, we didn’t have them aboard, thank goodness.

Once Hugh’s cousins departed and his siblings, their kids and grandkids, and our sons arrived in early August, we moved into the Pigeon House, and placed Annie in the kennel. On the first Saturday in August, we tried to get over to Brooklin for the annual Eggemoggin Reach Regatta hosted by WoodenBoat, but the fog was simply too thick and we turned around before we made it out of the Western Way.

On a brighter morning we headed out the Western Way with Charlie’s fiancee, Kyle, to the east side of Gotts Island to connect with Time from DroneOn who wanted to film KATIE MACK from his drone. We circled the cove several times and then headed back to SWH. A few days later, Hugh noticed some fine metal “dust” under the engine. Hugh checked in with John Spofford, who couldn’t find anything wrong. He referred us to an expert mechanic in Pt Judith, RI. These 6-71 diesel engines are outliving the mechanics who know how to work on them.

Once our kids left, we moved back aboard KATIE MACK to make room for more family members arriving. At one point, we met Todd and Linda who keep their pretty little m/v TORTUGA in a slip at Great Harbor. Another day we took the Island Explorer bus to Bar Harbor to do a major provisioning at Hannafords to prepare for our next adventure.

Cooking Aboard a Boat

As soon as we decided to sell most of our stuff and move aboard a boat, I went online and began to learn about provisioning and cooking aboard a boat. Blogs were helpful, but the best resource that I have come to rely on is Carolyn Shearlock’s The Boat Galley website and Facebook page. I began winnowing my kitchen accessories, and purchased a few things, such as the Swedish dough whisk for my sourdough bread baking, and the Omnia Stove-top Oven (a necessity as we didn’t have a propane oven, only the Shipmate wood stove). I can bake bread, muffins, granola, and fish, as well as cook meatloaf, pizza, granola, ribs, and so much more!

In 2017, we shifted our diet away from grains, refined sugars, and “bad” cooking oils, to the recommended diet in the Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson: nutrient-dense fats and oils, whole fat, preferably raw, dairy, grass-fed meats, fermented foods, and organic poultry and produce. In some cases, the food may be more expensive, but I find we waste almost nothing. My shopping has become more intentional, in terms of buying based on specific recipes, and planning meals that might use some of the same ingredients, so they get used up and not shoved to the back of the fridge, ignored and mouldering. “Big-ass salads” are a staple. In addition, other than store-bought ketchup and homemade mayo, I make my own marinades and sauces, in small batches called for in the recipe and therefore used up immediately. I keep all the ingredients in the storage lockers, as they don’t need to be refrigerated, which is good, because our one-drawer fridge is TINY!

While we were already buying local meats and produce through the farmers market in which I participated as a vendor of yarns, hand knits, and hand wovens (see Longwoodsalpacas.com), the cookbooks that implemented the non-grain recipes were extremely helpful. Sisson’s Primal Blueprint: Quick and Easy Meals, Melissa Joulwan’s Well Fed Weeknights, and Megan and Brandon Keatley’s Primal Cravings helped us not only to lose some weight but also to lower our cholesterol . The provisioning lists include lots of herbs and spices for upping the flavor, and other than traditional-flour piecrusts for Hugh’s birthday cherry pie, the occasional peanutbutter and cherry jelly sandwich, fried clams or fried oysters, we are sold on the primal way of eating.

What worried me about continuing to eat like this once we were cruising, was being able to find the fresh and wholesome ingredients we have come to rely on. More and more communities along the coast have small markets and co-ops which offer fresh, healthy produce and meats, and thanks to ThriveMarket.com, Nuts.com, and CrossroadCoffebeans.com we are able to be fairly consistent in provisioning. Orders with Thrive and Nuts over $50 have no shipping costs, so I start my shopping carts and finish the order when I have met that threshold.

Bon Appetit!

The Final Leg to Our Home Port of Southwest Harbor

Thursday, July 5 – Monday, July 9, 2018

“This day brings. . . ” is how Captain Rodman Swift began his daily entries in the diaries we found in the Martha’s Vineyard Museum archives, so THIS day brought hazy skies and 70’s as we moved east out of Casco Bay.

Our passage moved through Chandler’s Cove, around Hope Island, across Luckse and Broad Sounds, past Cape Small, and south of Sequin Island towards Linekin Neck. Early on we snagged some potwarp, but it cleared itself. More worrisome was we again experienced a “slowdown” of power with no indication of fuel clogs, etc. We stop and start up again, and off we go with no other problem. Hmmmm.

Our first stop was at Christmas Cove, where we met Thelma and Wilson of s/v CHRISTINA, who we first met and enjoyed hanging out with at the WoodenBoat Show. They had stopped in for a nap before moving on — something we may end up doing on occasion.

We were assigned mooring #3 by Coveside Marina, but that night we gently bumped transoms with the sailboat next to us as both vessels were “sailing” in the wind and current. Hugh shortened the mooring line and we added fenders. No more bumping, but we requested a move to #1 the next morning. That night’s rain eventually cleared out as the wind shifted to the NW — great for drying out; enjoying a walk to the Post Office (to mail a check to Crossroads Coffeebeans), walking to “the gut” and its nifty bridge; eating ice cream; and better sleeping that night.

By Saturday morning, the wind shifted to the SW. It was crisp and clear: Glorious! We left Christmas Cove at 7 and made our way through the Thread of Life, past Pemaquid Point, below Western Egg Rock, followed the marks past Port Clyde and Mosquito Island, and tucked into Tenants Harbor by 10:15.

Southern Island at the entrance to Tenants Harbor

We picked up a Tenants Harbor Boat Yard mooring (first come, first serve — that’s the advantage of getting an early start and arriving early at our destination). After a short nap, it was time to explore the village and enjoy a lobster roll and warm blueberry pie a la mode on the deck overlooking the harbor at Luke’s.

Tenants Harbor Boat Yard. DREADNOUGHT is center left

THBY was established in 1605 (before Jamestown, VA!), and is currently owned by Jamie Wyeth. His cruiser, DREADNOUGHT, black with bright trim (very cool!) was tied at the dock. Wyeth is based on Monhegan and also lives on Southern Island at the mouth of Tenants Harbor.

At one point that evening a man rowed up for a chat about wooden boats and rowing peapods vs. towing dories. He told us how much he enjoyed watching KATIE MACK come around Southern Island and into the harbor. Turns out this was Jamie Wyeth himself!

Sunday, and it was another early start after a quick stop at the dock to walk Annie. We transited the Mussel Ridge Channel in no time, compared to 2014’s sail into the wind aboard RESOLUTE. We cruised through the Fox Island Thorofare where we saw a lovely double-ended ketch, black hulled EVELYN in North Haven.

Lots of Herreshoff 12’s, but surprisingly only one North Haven Dinghy! We spied our first bald eagles over North Haven. Out in East Penobscot Bay the winds were light and breezy — where were all the sailboats? Once we neared Eggemoggin Reach, we finally saw sailboats. Lots of sailboats, and some especially lovely wooden ones, including a sweet little double-ended gaff-rigged schooner AEGUS (ARGUS?).

Cruising down the Eggemoggin Reach towards the Deer Isle Bridge

The wind picked up as Windy predicted, and by 1;15 we picked up a WoodenBoat mooring in Brooklin. After a nap, we walked around the WoodenBoat School. Bob and Mary of s/v DOG STAR sent us photos and a video of us returning on SAMARIA to KATIE MACK. Early dinner and bed.

The next morning, we again walked around WoodenBoat and stopped into the store to pick up a few WB T-shirts.

Bass Harbor Head Light as we crossed the bar

We departed Brooklin, entered Jericho Bay, transited Casco Passage and Blue Hill Bay, crossed the bar at Bass Harbor Head, and rounded our way into the Western Way and home to Southwest Harbor! We topped up water and fuel at Hinckley’s and pumped out at Dysart’s Great Harbor Marina and finally picked up our mooring off the farmhouse dock at 12:20. Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

The “circus elephant” hills of Mount Desert Island

Homeward Bound

Sunday, July 1 – Wednesday, July 4, 2018

At 6:30, under hazy skies and with flat seas, we departed Vineyard Haven. Happily, we made it through Woods Hole and across Buzzards Bay with the current.

The railroad bridge over the Cape Cod Canal was down, waiting
for the garbage/commuter train

When we arrived at the Cape Cod Canal, the railroad bridge was down, allowing only seven feet of clearance, so we waited for the train to pass before we proceeded through the Canal.

This being just ahead of the 4th of July, there were no moorings available in Plymouth or Scituate, so we called ahead to Laurie, the Harbormaster of Cohasset. Thankfully, she had one heavy mooring available ($35). This gem of a harbor was hardly recognizable on a blisteringly hot Sunday in July, but the water was perfect for a swim off the platform!

At one point a fellow kayaked over — he’d been reading his WoodenBoat Magazine on his porch, looked up to see KATIE MACK coming into the tiny harbor, looked back down at the article he was reading, and realized he had to come say hi! We need to keep an eye out for the MARY CURTIS, a black-hulled old wooden fishing vessel out of Boston as they, too, were headed to Maine. Laurie the harbormaster was kind enough to offer of the use of her truck if we needed to drive into town for any provisions. No need as we were well stocked, but wow, that’s above and beyond. KATIE MACK is proving to be quite the skid-greaser when it comes to meeting people and hearing stories of old wooden boats.

Monday dawned humid with temps climbing to the 80’s. We left Cohasset at 9 and cruised across Massachusetts Bay, arriving at Marblehead just before noon. We picked up the same EYC mooring, took a nap, and then headed over to town for a few provisions. We met Tad and Liz for a delicious dinner at Maddie’s Sail Loft, and reminisced about where we were exactly 40 years ago: on Nantucket at Tad’s mom’s house. Hugh and I met that fateful July day, and it’s been quite an adventure since!

We awoke to a red sky, so decided to get going early. Dropped the mooring at 6:20, and after topping off water and walking Annie, we headed into 1-2 foot seas. Once we passed Cape Ann and the Thacher Island lights, we enjoyed an easier ride with the swell. We kept an eye on the thunderheads well to the west, over land. At one point, we had radio contact with m/v TANGO, requesting they pass aft of us on their way to Isles of Shoals. We also asked if we showed up on their radar — yes, we did. Good to know!

The 3rd was a loooong day, 8 1/2 hours, and it’s a good thing the thunderstorms never came close as there were no moorings available between Marblehead and Biddeford Pool, due to 4th of July celebrations. We were relieved to pick up one of the Biddeford Yacht Club moorings ($35/night) at Biddeford Pool. I called our friend, Leslie, who has a summer cottage just up the street from the little market. Right after our relaunch in Yarmouth last fall, Leslie came aboard for a tour; she will be forever and fondly known as “Oh, hell no!”

We had a nice walk with Annie down along the beach, and Leslie told us more about the classic wood cruiser that is free to the buyer of a lovely cottage across the inlet from the yacht club. All yours for only 5 million!

We slept in on the 4th, and didn’t get moving until just after 11, since it was only a short hop to Casco Bay. Wow, did it feel good to be back in familiar waters! As we crossed Casco Bay, we watched the Cat coming in from Nova Scotia.

We met our friend, Ginny, and her dog Copper, at Handy’s in Falmouth, where we also topped up fuel and water, and pumped out the head. As we are moving, we try not to allow the tanks to fall much below half, and we watch the head closely as it approaches 3/4. Next, we headed over to the Maine Yacht Center where Skip and Julie keep their JULIP.

We were given the premiere dock space ($120) for watching Portland’s fireworks over the East End beach on the aft deck with the Skip and Julie, and more longtime friends, Steve and AnnMarie. Annie was terrified of all the flashbangs, so we’ll never do that again! We managed to keep her from jumping off the boat, and she quickly settled once the booming stopped.

Narragansett Bay, RI to Vineyard Haven, MA

Monday, June 25 – Saturday, June 30, 2018

Monday morning dawned bright and clear with temps in the high 60’s, so we got off to an early start. We joined the “parade” of boats down the Mystic River, and began the next leg of our passage home to Southwest Harbor, ME.

Parade of wooden boats heading down the Mystic River

Once in the Sound, we heard a “pop” and the transmission disengaged. Hugh had to do a little troubleshooting, but he’s quite familiar with how it all works, so after tightening this and switching that out, he discovered that the clips had come off the throttle linkage on the engine. Problem solved, and we were soon on our way. We had 1-3 foot seas, but the 25 mph winds were going our way.

We cruised into Narragansett Bay, past Newport, RI, and under the Jamestown Bridge to the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI, where we picked up a mooring ($50/night). We walked around the town that was gearing up for the Fourth of July with plenty of bunting and flags. There are some lovely old houses here!

The next morning we toured the museum, and the $15/pp fee was waived as we had picked up one of their moorings. This was a real treat for Hugh who had grown up learning to sail a Herreshoff 12. We had no idea how influential Herreshoff was in the design not only of early America’s Cup winners but also PT boats, boat planes, and the US Navy’s first torpedo boats known as the “Mosquito Fleet” in 1895. Well worth a visit if you find yourself in the vicinity, by land or sea!

Battleship Cove

Once we left Bristol, we headed to Battleship Cove near the Mt Hope Bridge. The 608′ USS MASSACHUSETTS is # 59 and the destroyer, USS JOSEPH P KENNEDY, JR is also there, along with several others, including a submarine.

We headed over to the Sakonnet River and enjoyed a lovely cruise down to Buzzards Bay. As soon as we hit the chop in the Bay, we realized we needed to find shelter. Our only option was dock space at the Sakonnet Point Marina. At $184 for the night, we were disappointed that there were NO services other than at the Marina for an added $25, and electricity would have been extra! No restaurant nearby, however there was an outhouse. It felt so good to be self-contained! Since we were on the dock, Hugh decided to try out the folding bike, and he was delighted it worked so well.

We thought that Sakonnet Point would be a good jumping off point to make our way over to Martha’s Vineyard, however we didn’t want to push our luck crossing Vineyard Sound, given the weather forecast.

We decided to tuck into Cuttyhunk Pond for another couple of nights ($45/night) to ride out the storm. The Pond is well-protected, so we enjoyed the calm, despite the rain. We walked to the hilltop with Annie, and worked on some projects: the dolphin seat/footrest was installed on the princess seat, the bookshelf is safer with the bungee cord, and the “marriage saver” headsets are working better. Still more Creeping Crack Cure was used to try to stop the drips in the saloon and at the foot of our berth.

Friday morning dawned with clearing skies and calmer seas, so we headed over to Quick’s Hole and into Vineyard Sound for a great run up north of Middle Ground Shoal. The current was so strong that we were cruising at 10 knots! While there were patches of fog, they didn’t last, and soon we were picking up a Gannon and Benjamin mooring outside the breakwater, which is a little more exposed to the weather.

Vineyard Haven, with ALABAMA and SHENANDOAH (L) and ferries (R)

We hailed Shep of the Vineyard Haven Launch Service for rides in and out as I met my Tuesday knitting group friend Carole for iced coffee at Black Dog Bakery while Hugh walked to West Marine and Vineyard Scripts. The water was warm enough, and free of jellyfish, for a refreshing swim off our swim platform. The ladder works perfectly! Dana and CarolAnne of SUMMERWIND, a pristine Concordia yawl, dinghied over — his granddad had a Vineyard Shipyard-built boat similar to KATIE MACK. Our friend, Teri, arrived with fish sandwiches (a favorite!) and fried oysters from the Net Result for dinner on the aft deck. On Saturday, longtime friend, Nicola, invited me to her home in W. Tisbury for laundry, then we picked up another favorite, grilled cheese sandwiches on Portuguese sweet bread from the Scottish Bakehouse, for lunch aboard. Next I met another knitting group friend, Janice, for coffee at The Black Dog Bakery. That evening, Hugh’s MV Hospital assistant, Donna, joined Teri for a sunset “toot” to Oak Bluffs and back. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing our winter home from this summer vantage, and very much appreciate NOT having to spend the whole summer with ALL THE SUMMER CROWDS.