Thoughts on Sailing
Monday 31st August 2020
This morning we had one of the best sails of the trip. We left Somes Harbor around 8am and motored down the fiord in very light northwesterly winds, heading for Frenchboro, a tiny lobster fishing village on Long island about 15 miles south. We tried sailing shortly after leaving Somes sound but found we could only make 2 knots of speed! However, a little later the wind picked up and shifted to a more westerly direction and we were off. The next two hours were magic; perfect wind, flat seas and few enough lobster pots that we could sail around them with confidence. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve reached the conclusion that Maine is a tremendous place to cruise but not a great place to sail, at least not in our boat. You really need a full-keel boat with an enclosed propeller so that you can sail without worrying about the pots. Now here’s a confession: I’m not here primarily for the sailing. It’s the experience of living on the boat and being able to spend time in such beautiful places that I really enjoy. I do like sailing, but I also don’t mind motoring too much, and we do end up doing quite a lot of it. Part of that is because we need to run the engine for about two x 45 minute periods per day to cool the fridge (direct drive compressor off the engine) and charge the batteries, so we try to do that whilst we are moving. But up here in Maine it’s also because we feel that motoring gives us more control whilst we are trying to avoid pots. But then on days like today, it is just marvelous to switch off the engine and enjoy the peace and quiet of a relaxing sail.
A fellow sailor we met a few days ago recommended Frenchboro to us. Thanks Gerald, you were right - it was beautiful! We were able to pick up a rental mooring (anchoring room is severely limited) and went into the town dock for a lobster roll lunch. Gloria opted for that other Maine specialty, the Burrito! We suspect that today may have been their last day of business for the season.
Mike
44 07.363 N, 68 21.745 W
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