Another year - COVID continues - and here we are, lucky enough to be onboard Dream Catcher once again. So happy to be here!
We had a really beautiful winter in Florida welcoming Max, another new grandchild into the world; and spending lots of time with Penny (grandchild #1). Paolo and Courtney are now fully indoctrinated into parenthood! And we're thrilled to be indoctrinated into grandparenthood! Both have their special attributes and we all are in love with these two new additions to our family.
Our first stop after leaving Florida was Fenwick Island, Delaware, where we were able to share time with friends and family. We sampled a few restaurants ~ very carefully! Sharon and her sister, Pam, enjoyed daily walks along Bunting Ave and got 4 - 5 miles of tracking in most days. They value this time together. While they walked Greg was back on his bike doing a 20 mile loop or a five mile beach walk. All so good! We were also able to enjoy some quality golf at four of the local courses, one directly on Assawoman Bay and another on Assateague Sound. Pam joined us for two She has a great swing! And we got in a visit up state to friends Lori and Tom and a wonderful excursion to Longwood Gardens. So fun!
After a month in Fenwick Island we packed again to catch a flight to Boston, then a puddle jumper on Cape Air to Owl's Head Airport adjacent to Rockland, Maine, where we left Dream Catcher last Fall.
The boat had been on the hard for the winter ~ in and out of covered storage due to a couple of projects we commissioned: a new 4" exhaust hose from the engine to the transom and a new prop shaft, cutlass bearing and stuffing box. Ka-ching, ka-ching! Both were completed and the results were good.
We kept the boat at Safe Harbor Rockland. Anyone on the water on the east coast knows how Safe Harbor has been buying many yards and marinas! We have to say that our experience here has been mostly very positive. The negative has been due to work done over the winter that was mostly contracted out but managed by Safe Harbor. Still working on the resolution to these items...
Well, we arrived at the marina and the first chore was CLEAN UP! We had to organize and clear the surface of the berth so we had a place to sleep (sounds easy - but not so much). But, after four days of heavy lifting (yeah, four full days) we finally felt like things were mostly back in order.
Here are a few shots of our trip on Cape Air to Rockland:
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| Coming into Rockland Harbor |
With the crucial jobs completed, we were finally able to leave the dock. We crossed Penobscot Bay from Rockland to North Haven for a perfect sail under the power of our 130 genoa. This sail was fabulous because we not only sailed the bay for a mini-shake down, but we sailed three miles through Fox Island Thoroughfare as we approached our anchorage. Perfect wind, perfect everything!
We stayed two days here working to get Dream Catcher to the standards we want: polishing the stainless, waxing the fiberglass cockpit to receive friends soon, organizing a bit more...and enjoying the peace.
After a couple of days we were off to Camden, where we found a mooring. And, needing some cardio after a few boat days, we walked miles through Camden's beautiful neighborhoods, got the exercise we wanted, and wandered the various shops and markets. After two nights in Camden we headed south to Rockland to gather our dear friends Nancy and Ted, who would share our home for a few days. It's always a treat to have these folks aboard. We have spent many mutual birthdays together on Dream Catcher - Sharon's and Ted's birthdays are within a day - Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Penobscot Bay. Each one has been a warm and wonderful time that we are so grateful for.
Ted and Nancy arrived this time with Damariscotta oysters, beautiful cooked shrimp, and White Sturgeon caviar! When we called to tell them we couldn't get into the dock early enough for their arrival, they even shopped our grocery list for us! Above and beyond for sure!
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| Scenes from our walk in Camden |
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| Camden Harbor |
Primo in Rockland has built a reputation for over 20 years as a gourmet farm to table restaurant. Melissa Kelly has won James Beard awards and many others, but none of us have been able to snag a reservation until now. This place is highly recommended for anyone traveling in the area. Their gardens alone are worth the visit. We had a fabulous time!
Early next morning we headed back north to Camden. That night we splurged again at Natalie's, another of Maine's high gourmet spots. We did a bit of joyous celebrating together for Ted's and Sharon's birthdays. So good!
Sunday, we headed out to Perry Creek again where we enjoyed a seafood smorgasbord that we all contributed to. Wow! Yum!
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| Seafood Smorgasbord |
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| Greg, Nancy, Ted and Sharon |
Alas, our time together came to an end and we dropped them off in Rockland. Before they departed we enjoyed a nice lunch of steamers and chowder at Archer's on the pier and we said goodbye ~ until next time.
We love the team at Safe Harbor Rockland and are always treated so well. The marina offers beautiful restrooms, complimentary laundry facilities, and a loaner car. These amenities are so valuable to cruisers. The car is especially helpful when provisioning the boat or finding needed parts and supplies. We hung around the dock for a couple days, again working through boat projects: A/C valve replacement, fresh water pump replacement, water infiltration clean-up! Thanks Greg for having the knowledge to accomplish all of these tasks!
We also finally got a chance to visit the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. This is very worthwhile if you are in the area. They have a great collection of Wyeth paintings - all three Wyeths - N.C., Andrew, and Jamie. A treat for sure.
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| A Sailor's Dream model ship c. 1880-1910 |
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| Fair Wind by Andrew Wyeth |
Finally, after all of our grocery and bagel runs, we headed North to Castine. It was a light wind day so it was a 25 mile motor up the West side of the Penobscot Bay. Castine offers a protected bay that is considered the best hurricane hole in the state of Maine. We dropped the hook by the southern shore and waited for the predicted storms to roll by (which actually happened, they rolled north of us with only a few sprinkles and distant thunder.)
Yesterday, we took the dinghy into town for a long walk - except - about half way to town (which is about 2 miles from our anchorage) the dingy motor petered out. Greg went to work (he is a motor-head for sure) to no avail, in the ten minutes he worked the motor still was dead. Fortunately, another sailor was heading to his boat in a large inflatable with a 60hp motor and offered us a tow back to Dream Catcher. Thanks so much Steve on Northern Lights!
After replacing the fuel filter the motor came to life. We headed in again - made it to the town dock and as Sharon was stepping off the dingy, she lost her balance and ended up in the drink! Yikes! Fortunately, she was fine - just wet - and her phone was in her pocket. Good grief! So - back we went to the big boat, after grabbing some gasoline.
After a clean-up, we headed back into town. The engine quit again! OMG! Thankfully, we were close enough to paddle to the dock. Greg went to work again and after about 15 minutes got the motor to run. Finally, we tied up and got our walk - up and down hills and over dale, with a bit of ice cream as a reward. One of the things cruisers know is that one must be very disciplined onboard to get cardio. A good walk is so welcomed after a couple of days aboard. We made it back to the big boat yesterday afternoon and enjoyed another peaceful night on the hook.
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| Bowdoin - a teaching schooner at the Maine Maritime Academy |
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| Scenes along our Castine walk |
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| Dice Head Light |
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| The views from shore |
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| Northern Lights - our savior |
Today, Greg pulled the outboard apart to be sure we wouldn't have this problem nagging us. We dumped the old fuel and got new. He cleaned the carb jets, air intake, etc. So far, these steps seem to have solved the problem. We took another walk around town today and stopped into the Visitor's Center and the Historical Society. There is a great historical retrospective about the battle here in 1779, considered one of the worst military losses next to Pearl Harbor. And there was a special exhibit by a sculptor who lived in town. Very cool.
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| More scenes from Castine |
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| The Prophet by Clark Fitz-Gerald |
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| The Unitarian Universalist Church steeple |
Not sure where our next port will be, but we look forward to it. Thanks for checking in on us.
'Til next time.
