Not in Maine Anymore

         On Sunday, Sept. 25th the weather gave us a break so we could leave The Basin and get to South Portland, where we had our first marina stop.  Our older son and wife also live in South Portland.  They came to pick us up and Dan and Joe headed back up to Camden to retrieve a couple things left behind and to bring back our car, which Joe and his wife Joanna will assume ownership of while we are gone.  Joanna and I stayed behind to have some girl-time.  The four of us had dinner together before we said our goodbyes.  They will be coming to the Bahamas to vacation with us sometime next winter.

Portland Waterfront

Monday morning I took advantage of the laundry facilities and Dan’s friend Tom from his Coast Guard Academy days came for a short visit.  Tom is also our ‘shore person’ - we file daily float plans with him and he keeps track of where we are and offers suggestions of who we might visit or what we might need to do, weather-wise.  The Coast Guard alumni class is pretty close knit and many of them live on the east coast.  

We left South Portland about noon and had a rather lumpy cruise as far as Ferry Beach/Biddeford Pool where we anchored for the night.  The winds picked up unexpectedly and Dan made his bunk in the salon to keep anchor watch.  

The iconic Portland Head Light

       

    

Sunrise, Biddeford Pool

Tuesday’s cruise down to Cape Ann looked to be just as uncomfortable, but we had acquired a buddy boat - the DeFever Oyster - whom had been moored nearby in Biddeford Pool and were heading the same way.  It’s always a little easier mentally to travel in company, and we had a lively text exchange of getting to know each as we headed south.  Wind and sea died down for awhile as we passed Isles of Shoals, which reinforced our decision to bypass Little Harbor in the mouth of the Portsmouth River, and of course, they picked up again as we approached Cape Ann.  Isn’t that always the way?  When we owned the schooner, Dan used to say the anchor breeze was kicking in.  We tucked into the Annisquam River and took the scenic route to the Blynman Canal, and on into Gloucester Harbor.  It was a long day, but we’re happy to be here for the night.  

Annisquam River lighthouse

       

Oyster coming from the canal into Gloucester

        Tomorrow we’re planning to head in Boston to visit with our younger son Will and his wife Tam before we continue making our way south.  

And We're Off! Sort Of...

       We moved aboard the Willie Dawes on Monday, Sept. 19th, but we weren’t yet prepared to leave, so we stayed the night at the dock at the Camden town landing.  We still had a few loose ends and last minute errands to take care of, and of course, we wanted to visit with Dan’s father before we set off.

Tuesday afternoon:  house secured, last minute fresh food aboard, all prescriptions picked up.  We cast off around 1500, with the well-wishes of brand-new friends from Atlanta who were excited to hear our plans and willing to take pictures for us.  It wasn’t a great day - overcast with brisk NW winds, and the cruise along the coast was a little rolly - but we were off!  We ended up cruising through dusk and anchoring at Otter Island in the dark, to make the next day’s cruise more doable.  A line of thunderstorms was heading our way, followed by the strong winds of Hurricane Fiona, and we wanted to be in a comfortable spot to ride it all out.

Otter Island

So here we are in The Basin halfway up the New Meadows river, south of the Bath-Brunswick area.  It’s Saturday and sunny, but the winds are gusting around 35 kts.  Funny to think we’ve been on the boat for five days now and we’re about an hour’s drive from home!  This is a beautiful spot, a perfect place to hole up for a couple of days, quiet and scenic.  There are several other cruisers holed up with us.  We met a couple on the Rosborough Time and Tide and hosted them yesterday for some pie and to share cruising stories.  This morning Dan has gone to visit with other cruising friends who live in the area while I keep the cat company on board.  Hopefully we’ll be able to continue on our way tomorrow.  

Willie Dawes in The Basin, all three photos courtesy of Melissa Read of Time and Tide.