Summer cruise updates.

July 20, 2021

Let the summer sailing fun begin!

Today after many trips running up and down the stairs to the beach we got Cupcake loaded for a three week adventure Downeast. Included in the crew for the first time we’ve got our girl Friday along. Friday is a cat. So far she is less of a scaredy cat than we feared.

To get her to the boat, Moss lured Friday into a duffel bag and then we did what felt like an extra-judicial rendition and hustled that duffle bag full of unhappy feline out to the boat. She is snooping about and getting used to life aboard. So far so good.

We sailed then motored to Cliff Island. Still in Casco Bay, but we needed to get a few mechanical issues sorted before heading to our next stop tomorrow. This year began with Cupcake not producing any electrical power when the engine was running. Neither tachometer nor hour meter was working. Clues.

Turns out it’s the alternator that provides the data to the instrument panel about RPM and hours, and of course it’s the alternator that produces the electricity when the engine is running. I wasn’t too worked up about the problem because we’ve got all that solar panel action. Also I had other things to worry about these past few weeks.

So I finally did a bit of Googling yesterday, dug out the spare alternator this morning, and installed that self-same alternator this afternoon. Now the engine puts out all the electricity a kid could want. Problem solved.

Our other girl Mr. Flowerpot got a big power upgrade of her own this summer. We finally got our hands on the outboard of Moss’ dreams: a Yamaha 15 horsepower, short shaft, two stroke. Found it on Craigslist and bought it from a woman who has retired from cruising. She and her husband cruised the Caribbean and South America for 18 years. He got sick and they moved back ashore. A year ago he died, so his wife is selling off cruising gear she no longer needs. She seemed pleased to know the outboard will go on to have more adventures with a sailing family.

The only real issue with the engine is that it is a non-US market model so finding which parts fit can be tricky. But the thing is so well built and has been so well maintained I’m not too concerned about reliability. Anyway I’ve got a nice collection of spare parts for it squirreled away just in case.

The Yamaha’s first adventure was a bust when it wouldn’t spit out any cooling water two weeks ago. I took it apart, cleaned out all its water passages, checked the oil in the gearbox, put in fresh spark plugs (it has two), and now it works a treat. It easily gets Mr. Flowerpot up on plane with a full complement of people and gear aboard. We are looking forward to plenty of dinghy exploration.

So now we are anchored for our first night. For those keeping track: 100’ of chain in water that’s 8’ deep at low tide (an hour ago) and 18’ deep at high (in about five hours). Ellen and Moss are binge-watching some TV show. A thunderstorm is rumbling nearby, it’s raining but the anchorage here at Cliff Island is calm and protected and lovely. 

July 21, 2021

There wasn’t much cell reception at Cliff Island last night, so I didn’t get a chance to upload yesterday’s text. After enjoying the thunderstorm, we took the dinghy ashore and went for a nice walk on the dirt roads (muddy roads) of the island. Saw a kid riding a tandem bicycle with no co-pilot, saw a bunch of goats standing around, saw the rustiest truck I’ve ever laid eyes on.

Today we left pretty early hoping to cover some ground and get a jump on the many miles we need to cover. The weather was foggy this morning and there was absolutely no wind. So we made our way across Casco Bay, past Sequin Island and its iconic lighthouse, past Boothbay Harbor, and on across Muscongus Bay. The goal is to get to Roque Island before the weekend so we can take our time exploring on our way home. In twenty years of sailing the Maine coast we’ve never made it to Roque. So stay tuned.

Today we saw two pods of porpoises, a puffin, and an Ocean Sunfish (mola mola…look it up, they are crazy looking creatures). Now we are poaching a mooring in George’s Harbor between Allen Island and Benner Island.

In 1605 George Weymouth, an English explorer, anchored in this same harbor (“harbour" to him) and erected a cross on one of the islands as a sign to future Europeans. Unlike Weymouth and his ilk, we will not be doing any pillaging or exploiting. 

On the way here, a mysterious clunking got more persistent when we were using the autopilot. Investigation revealed that the autopilot ram mount had come free of its connection to the quadrant. A little work with a socket wrench and some Locktite cured what could have been a more serious problem. A pessimist would say everything breaks on a boat (a realist would probably say the same thing). But an optimist would say we’ve fixed all the malfunctions swiftly and easily. 

Now we are relaxing and enjoying the lovely spot. We’ll probably launch Mr. Flowerpot in a while and go have a look around.

July 22, 2021

Today was a busy day with lots of parts. After a quiet, calm night, we set off from Allen Island bright and early. Ellen enjoyed an easy start because all she had to do was drop the mooring line instead of haul up 100’ of muddy chain and anchor.

As soon as we poked our nose out of the cozy harbor we realized a reef or two should have been put in the mainsail before we left the mooring. So we rounded up in to the blustery wind and double-reefed the main. Then off we roared across Penobscot Bay.
 

The day started with low, unpleasant-looking grey clouds and ample wind. Cupcake acquitted herself well, as always in a bigger breeze, and we made good time. Oh my goodness are there lots of lobster floats in this part of the world. We are used to them, of course, but there seem to be even more here than at home. And many have toggles, a second float seemingly designed to catch sailboat rudders. We snagged a few but they all slipped off before we had to take measures. Eternal vigilance is the price we pay for sailing.

The tide was ripping out of east Penobscot Bay so we motorsailed our way close-hauled up the east side of Vinalhaven towards Stonington where we stopped at Billings Diesel to fuel up. We took a whole 7.5 gallons of fuel. 

Billings is a tricky spot at which to dock. The little harbor is shallow and crowded with boats. With a stiff north wind, getting off the dock and turned around to head out was a bit of a white-knuckle affair but Cupcake is a good girl and her crew is top-notch.

We sailed a lovely reach through the Deer Island Thoroughfare and then found glassy water and warm sun for the last eight miles to our anchorage at Swan’s Island. It was a fun, exciting, exhausting 40 mile day. Ellen made bread bowls and we gobbled up the clam chowder therein with gusto.

The cat, it turns out, is not overly burdened with fear (aka common sense) and ventured into the cockpit while we were under sail, heeled over in a good breeze. Things even out because Moss has more than her share of caution and kept a sharp eye on Friday. Friday seems to have acclimated herself very nicely to shipboard life and adds purring and cuddling to the mix. And fur, lots and lots of fur. Everywhere.

We are all taking hot showers tonight!

Super slow internet connection. Pictures will have to wait.

July 23, 2021

Today we stayed at anchor in Buckle Harbor. After waking up at a reasonable hour and eating a leisurely breakfast (small crisis: we brought tea but forgot the tea ball…that sounds mighty privileged) we took Mr. Flowerpot about two miles across the top of Swan’s Island to the ferry dock where we set off in search of adventure. 

If adventure is defined by wild raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries then we found it.

If a long long walk to Tims, (The Island Market Supply) the island grocery store where we got ice cream, beef jerky, Doritos, and nail clippers counts as adventure then we definitely found it.

After that excitement we headed back to Cupcake and Friday to watch lovely boats come in to the harbor for the night. There’s a sweet 38’ or so ketch anchored just aft of us, another lovely sloop behind that, a big trawler a bit farther out. And in front of us a neat old cutter sailed by a neat, even older couple dropped anchor for the night. It sounds a little crowded but is really just a chance to see some of the prettiest sailboats gathered for the night in one of the most beautiful spots we’ve ever seen.

Also we saw a bald eagle.

But the neatest thing that happened today is we were treated to Cupcake’s siren song. The wind is probably no more than 5 knots, but it is playing in the rigging and Cupcake is singing a song just on the edge of hearing. It sounds like a benevolent madman playing a pipe organ in the background of a dream. I love this boat.

July 24, 2021

We left lovely Buckle Harbor for the short hop over to the sweet little hamlet of Frenchboro on Long Island. Our thought was that if we staged ourselves here, the big jump to Trafton Island and then Roque Island would be that much easier. So we sailed off anchor and then hoisted the asymmetrical spinnaker to ghost our way around Swan’s Island to Long Island. 

Of course, it didn’t work out that way when the wind shifted and the incoming tide conspired to slow our progress. We dodged lobster floats and are now anchored in about 28’ of water between Long Island and Harbor Island. In the past we have paid for a mooring, but because we love anchoring on Cupcake and because the evening weather is predicted to be very settled, we thought we would anchor tonight.

Went for a little walk on the island, checked out the little museum (not the finest we have seen this week), and had some contemplative time on the stony beach a short walk through the woods.

Dinner plans are simple tonight: dinghy to shore and eat hamburgers. Then early to bed because we will be up early to get a good start on the 35 mile day ahead of us. Weather is supposed to be rainy, but wind and tide should be in our favor so off we will go.

The cat has gotten more bold lately and has taken to stalking the deck when we are at anchor.

 MOSS BLOG

7 • 23 • 21

I’ve been away from my side of the blog for over two years. I apologize for my mysterious absence. While I was gone, I have been on some exciting adventures. Such as today.

Today we woke up in an idyllic anchorage at Swan’s Island. Don’t worry, we went to sleep here too. After a breakfast of Great Grain cereal, and a few work calls on my dad’s part, we set off to the ferry terminal in Mr. Flowerpot. The ride felt magical as we planed the whole way thanks to our Yamaha 15 2 stroke short shaft (I don’t ca-are, I love it!). Speaking of magic, boy did we have a magical day today! It all started with the wild roadside berries straight out of some sort of cruiser’s fairy tale. We picked lot’s of delicious raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. At one point I had to double check to be sure I hadn’t been sucked into Blueberries For Sal. After all, I am in Maine. After some crunchy and creamy Dove chocolate ice cream sticks at Tim’s, we traveled back to Cupcake. Shortly before reaching her, we stopped to yuck it up with some friendly cruisers on a beautiful sailboat (picture Hinckley but not). Once on board Cupcake, we lounged about with our girl Friday and watched an entertaining old couple come into the anchorage and anchor. Hours later, after wonderful egg plant parm, we started to hear a mysterious harmonic hum. My dad quickly traced the enchanting sound to the rigging. I always thought fishermen who perished due to sirens stupid and weak but now I get it. The sound is a mouth watering hymn that is pure magic. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe the noise but I’m sure you are imagining something that will suffice. The sound is so mysterious that I feel as if it is not meant for my ears. If you find Cupcake on the rocks someday, I hope you will now understand what led to such mishap. I have not mentioned my mom in this post yet, don’t worry, she is happy and safe on board and loved very much. All is well in Cupcake-Town.

I’ve been away so long I may need to catch you up about my life. Well, as of June I now wear spectacles. They are semi-circular tortoise shell glasses. I look like a nerd but at least I ditched the headgear in 2019. Power to the nerd people! Also in June, I had my bat mitzvah. Yippee! It went well and I surprised myself with how good my voice sounded. Almost as good as Cupcake’s siren singing. To get more personal, I am wearing very comfortable shorts right now. Riveting information, I know. The hairs on the back of your neck must be standing up. If you turn around, Darth Vader may impale you with a lightsaber so I recommend you don’t turn around. I’m joking of course, this is what me procrastinating on going to bed looks like. I’m going to go to bed now so goodnight people of the future. It is wonderful to be back in your presence. 

Shoutout to Aunt Flora’s knitting group. Thank you for sticking with us all this time. We love you.