March 2015
We took a trip to South Freeport to check on Borealis.  What an amazing winter!  We weren't sure if we would even be able to get close but the yard was well plowed.  We did have to climb a little snow pile but it wasn't bad at all.  The shrink wrap cover had held up well under the 9+ ft of snow of the past few months.  All was dry down below.  The ice was still wrecking havoc in the harbor though.  We heard that one of the big pilings was snapped by its force the day before.

Feb 2015
Just received these photos from Kristin at Brewers South Freeport, where Borealis is hauled.  Pretty amazing!

Sailing Vacation

August 2014

Our two week sailing vacation is wrapping up.  Nothing better that visiting our favorite spots and discovering a few news ones.  The summer cruising season is short and the cruising population relatively small so we often recognize at least one boat in an anchorage.  It has been nice to meet up with people and boats we hadn't seen in a while and to make a few new friends.  It is hard to listen to the full time cruisers talk about plans to head south but also at the same time will be easy to slip into life back on land.  Part time cruising is a dichotomy.

Note the little boy sitting on the cabin top.

Cruising Kids

August 2014
The girls seem to settle back into cruising life seamlessly.  It is a pleasure to see how naturally they move on the boat and enjoy the routine.  Their creative juices flow as they work on projects, explore and play in the water. 

Mia on the phone with her French tutor

Remi hoping to get her photo in Young Rider magazine

The best catch of the day

Mia is now into photography

And the endless water games

Frenchboro

August 2014
Frenchboro is a place we talk about, especially in January, when looking back on summer adventures.  It is a great place to hike, have an authentic lobster dinner and in general just enjoy.  Even though our favorite family run lobster shack (Offshore) was no longer there, Lund Restaurant is ever present.  We had more than one meal on their water front deck as Borealis was moored feet away.  Good wine, a warmish sunny evening, fresh lobster and homemade ice cream sandwiches made for a very relaxed family.

The monster ice cream sandwiches were just as good as they remembered.

Merchant Harbor

August 2014
 After a foggy day it was nice to settle into a calm, clear and quiet harbor.  The exploring was by SUP and dingy was good.

Successful kelp hunting

POTS!!

August 2014
At times we spend a lot of energy avoiding getting fouled in lobster pots here in Maine.  When they are dense it takes two of us to stay on top of them, especially if it is foggy and they come up fast or if they have toggles and decisions have to be made on which ones are a pair.  (See here for an earlier post on toggle pots.) We've been unbelievable lucky considering we've spent 8 seasons sailing in the area.  We hear the dreaded thud and shudder every once in while, as the hull brushes the float, and there is an instant rush to get the engine in neutral.  I like to think that our speedy reaction has saved us from getting the lines wrapped around the prop, in truth it is probably pure luck.  Our luck ran out today.  I was on watch, in an area where pot density wasn't ridiculous.  I must of spaced out, there was a thud, shudder and significant drop in speed.  Not good.  Pablo messed around for a bit and reluctantly got in the 60 degree water with a knife.  It took a few tries but he successfully untangled the prop.  He was even able to tie off the pot so the lobster man wouldn't loose his pot.  I was more vigilant afterwards!

I find it next to impossible to capture the number of pots in a photo.
I think Mia did well with this one.

Trying to untangle a pot from the prop