“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
— Jacques Yves Cousteau
To see all photos from this post, please see the google photo album HERE
It’s the summer of 2024: the weather is glorious, the boat is slowly coming more and more awake and we are learning each other, sailing is fabulous.
I’ve gotten back into the water relatively early in May, so the weather is still pretty chilly, but clear and bright.
The early season was all about exploring Casco Bay and having friends out with me. We visited Jewell Island, Fort Gorges, Clapboard Island, and more.
Having people come adventure with me is a delight, but I also like striking out on my own, and I made a solo adventure for a few days in Mid June out to the outer islands.
Jewell island is lovely, but the night was too rolly and the wind was changing, so I opted to head north at night under a full moon, and anchored up further in towards Harspswell, then explore Eagle island, the site of Admiral Peary’s home, and a museum that is currently closed while it undergoes some repairs.
A charming island, and nice trails, but not much space for a couple to live on all year around. Apparently Peary and his wife lived there and raised rabbits and gardened; I have to think that if two of you can endure those circumstances in the long and harsh days of a Maine winter, you are essentially a high-functional codependent relationship, but more power to them!
As I prepared to leave Eagle island, I could see an update of a strong set of squalls approaching from the southwest, and decided not to try riding them out on the questionable exposure of the moorings at Eagle.
I made it a long way in, and was only 10 minutes too late to anchor BEFORE the skies opened… but got wet enough I was wondering if my contacts had washed out of my eyes!
Thankfully 200 feet of anchor line in 15 feet of water withstood the demands of the 45 knot gusts I got (thank you muddy bottom) and once things cleared, I headed once again to shore.
Then, there was the day that went highly sideways. Literally,as it happens.
A friend and I went to Fort Gorges on a nearly windless day, and anchored to explore ashore. When we left, I chose to pull anchor and sail off, which was fine and very very slow… and was all going well, until there was a little gust and I wasn’t paying attention.
Selkie “rounded up” which means she turned into the wind, and we were off course while I was explaining something to my friend, and then we felt the gentlest little “SCRAPE-BUMP” annnd stopped.
Now, this in and of itself is a disconcerting moment… but I did what I could to get free. I tried starting the engine and backing off.
No luck.
I tried setting the sail tight to see if we could heel over and slide free.
No luck.
I tried putting an anchor out to one side and seeing if we could pull free.
No luck.
Unfortunately, we managed this at 3/4 full tide… annnnd falling.
And there we sat.
for THIRTEEN. HOURS.
The boat laid all the way over on her side on the rocks, SeaTow came to keep an eye on things, we made the local Facebook group… and we just had to wait for the water to come back.
The SeaTow lead skipper and I went back out around 11pm and got her free, no visible damage. A little water leaked in while her gunwale was under, but nothing big. I? felt like an idiot… and the SeaTow skipper? …offered me a job, telling me that everyone puts a boat on the rocks at some point, it’s how you handle it that matters. That rescued the day, honestly. (I’m not going to work for SeaTow right now tho)
Selkie lost a hunk of paint on her Starboard side, and I had to replace the main sail halyard because we damaged it hauling her free.
… that’s literally it.
The remainder of the season was calmer. Long weekend with Eliska and visiting the beautiful Seguin Island lighthouse. Project time on the boat, installing a space for the little 12v BougeRV fridge, and putting on the new headsail I ordered from Precision Sails.
The season, once again, drifted to a close, with September giving way to October. I took one last sail around the harbor and explored some islands I hadn’t seen before, like Whaleboat island, and saw beautiful wild cranberries ashore, and ocean sunfish in the bay.
Once ashore again, it is time for a few projects, like removing the broken old GPS and the rotting wooden faceplate for the depth gauge, and filling the holes. So! The winter will be full of more little projects and repairs, and summer will come again someday.
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