A Toast to Vacations

Back at work since Monday and it feels good. More than good. You might have noticed the total lack of anything resembling "writing talk" in my vacation entries. Frankly, with all that was going on I had little time to contemplate much of anything in that regard. Didn't worry about it too much, though. I had the sense it was a good thing; that somewhere beneath all that fun the story wheels were turning, moving me toward a number of plot decisions I've been struggling with lately. Sure enough, after taking Monday to get caught up with 3-weeks worth of domestics and other pressing matters in our land-based world, I was back at it and quickly realized I knew exactly how to proceed. The way seemed utterly clear. Just proves the old adage that much of a writer's work is done away from the computer. Trust is called for, and patience a-plenty. Ideas are spun of gossamer, after all. They need time to churn and settle before finding their way to the page. So here's to vacations, where much of the hardest work is done!

Home Again, Home Again, Tickety-Boo

Our 9:30 a.m. departure Friday morning from Dipper Harbor was the start of a L-O-N-G overnight passage, one that didn't see us dropping the hook until 6 p.m. the next day. I have to say I really don't like overnights; they always kind of freak me out. We do it in two hour shifts, one of us always up, alert, and in the cockpit--tweaking sail trim and keeping an eye out for other ships. Cleave was on from 10 - 12; I took the 12 - 2 shift; he was on from 2 - 4; then I had the dawn watch. I gave him some extra time in the bunk then woke him with coffee and a hot breakfast.

Besides the loss of sleep (which leaves me feeling logy all the next day), I hate the reduced visibility at night--floating out there in total darkness with 300-400 feet of ocean beneath our 40 foot piece of fiberglass. But sometimes it's unavoidable.

Anyway, it was quite the relief to finally pull into Cape Porpoise, shrouded in fog as you can see, and drop the hook for supper and a good night sleep before continuing on the final 25 miles the next day. Couldn't leave the boat though, as we hadn't checked in with US Customs, which we did Sunday afternoon in Portsmouth.

Well, hope you enjoyed coming along on our sailing adventure; we sure enjoyed your company!

Headin' Home!

Wednesday proved to be a hot, windless slog back to the RKYC for our final night on the river. It was so hot, Cleave and I motored the 16 miles with the awning up! Hey, gotta do what you gotta do...

Once at the club, Cleave and I walked the 5 miles (round trip) to the grocery, then toted everything back--enjoying the much-needed exercise. After showers and cocktails with the crowd on Skater (see photo of the group arriving!), we took a cab with the group into the city of St. John for some shopping at the City Market and dinner st Billy's Chowder House. Excellent Bouillabaisse!

Knowing the tide would be slack at the Reversing Falls at 12:15 Thursday, our three boats left RKYC at 10:45 next morning, got through uneventfully, then said goodbye to St. John Harbor and sailed over to Dipper Harbor for out last night in Canadian waters. Dipper is a wonderful, working harbor where a long line of fishing boats nestle on moorings behind a huge, 30 foot tall breakwater. And after an uneventful night, Cleave and I said goodbye to the rest of the flotilla and blasted off for a non-stop, 40-hour sail back to Portsmouth.

Our Final Days on the St. John

Monday we once again had wind, and the three boats tacked back and forth across the Lake for a few hours before heading off toward Kingston Creek on Belleisle Bay. Now we are officially on the return run, planning another run across the Reversing Falls toward the mouth of the St. John River mid-day Thursday. On Kingston Creek we spotted a nesting pair of Bald Eagles, unfortunately too far away for a photo. Darn!

Tuesday morning we slept in, had a late breakfast of oatmeal with fresh blueberries, read a few hours, then motored the 10 miles back to Whelpley Cove for a last night before two of our party leave us.

This will probably be the last vacation post till we return to Portsmouth ,as we'll be offshore for several days. I promise the skinny on that when we hit the mooring!

Our Time on the St. John, Part 2, or "The Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo"

Saturday the 17th dawned another fiercely hot day, and we spent the first part of it motoring to Gagetown, a small village that promised a very good pub for lunch. It was here that Cleave and I finally tried "poutine," an odd, uniquely Canadian plate of french fries smothered in gravy and curd cheese. I know, I know, but we had to try it. Thank God we split one dish, each ordering a salad to stave off a spike in cholestrol.

From there it was on to the back side of Grim Ross Island, which proved to be a favorite spot for the fast powerboat, water skying and jet ski crowd. Noisy, for sure, but highly entertaining.

Sunday morning dawned another hot one with the added bonus of high humidity. I took over for this leg which turned out to be a motorboat ride as there was no wind, doing the steering and navigating to Big Cove on Lake Washademoak on my own and somehow managing not to run aground in some very shallow waters. This was a pretty amazing place--peaceful and with warm waters perfect for swimming (see shot of the ladies in their water toys!) It was here that we encountered scores of mating dragon flies. Golden pairs, glittering teal pairs. Just beautiful. One pair even alighted on my arm for a bit, earning me the nickname The Girl with the Dragonfly Tattoo!!

Our Time on the St. John, Part 1

After a peaceful night on a RKYC mooring, we managed a trip into town for provisions, snagged a long hot shower courtesy of our hosts, then sailed downwind with our spinnaker up (you've seen these things--big, balloon-like sails that seem to float before the boat) in very hot temps for about 16 miles to Whelpley Cove, where Cleave and I managed a five mile walk to a produce stand. Re-energized by their amazing ice cream, we headed back, had celebratory cocktails on Skiya (one of our companion boats) and hit the sack.

I surprised Cleave with blueberry boatcakes in the a.m., then our little flotilla headed off once again--this another spinnaker run of about 28 miles to a place called Colwell's Creek. Along the way, we had a hard take down of the sail and lost the sheet (rope) when a shackle let go, sending the line racing through my hand and leaving me with terrible rope burns!! Not fun.

Colwell's Creek might be more aptly named "Cows Creek"--a narrow slice of water with herds of the things on both sides, low-ing to each other all evening and into the night. After dropping our anchors, one of our number located an abandoned steamship pier which we appropriated for an impromptu sunset BBQ.

Bliss to St. John and the Reversing Falls

It was a rough rainy sail the next day, and we almost missed the planned 8:30 a.m. departure! Canadian time is one hour ahead of EST, and while I was good about resetting the clock in the main saloon, I completely spaced about setting the one in the forepeak, where we sleep. So when I woke at what I thought was 7:30 and looked around, I saw both other boats raising their mainsails and pulling anchor. It was really 8:30! A bit of scrambling ensued, but we managed to leave with our small fleet--sailing right into more fog which became one of the hardest rains I can remember. One of the other boats decided to sail through it, but we fired up the old "iron topsail," put the autopilot on (which C can drive from his nav station below), and had a toasty warm, albeit LONG and very rocky motorboat ride to St. John Harbor. It's been said (and I relay this with all modesty) that I could cook in a washing machine and I guess that's right. On one particularly memorable trip, and while in near-hurricane conditions during which most of the crew was on deck tossing their cookies, I was below happily putting the finishing touches on a roast chicken dinner). Anyway, I spent part of this nasty ride backing chocolate chip cookies which I presented to the crews of the other boats on arrival in St John.

Next on our list that day was navigating the Reversing Falls of the St. John River. This is an amazing place (see photo at slack tide, when the water at the falls is even on both sides). When tide is high or low, this literally becomes a waterfall, with a drop of as much as fifteen feet.

After successful navigating this tricky bit, we motored the final hour of hour 10 1/2 hour "sail" to the Royal Kennebecassit Yacht Club, arriving in time for this lovely sunset.