Here's the American Eagle at Fan Pier, South Boston, as we participated in Sail Boston 2009, flags flying.  You would think that was about as much exposure as one would expect, at least until a few Sundays ago, until the 2012 Super Bowl, the most watched event of the year.

Photo courtesy of Carol-Ann Warner

Shary nabbed this image from the Clint Eastwood-narrated Chrysler ad.  Yes, 24 seconds into the commercial there we are, flags flying in the background, the only win for Boston that day.

June is my favorite month for sailing.  Spring outfitting is over, the galley stove is back in operation with its attendant delights at meal time, long sunny days with the beginnings of summer breezes, and the best month for an American Eagle specialty - puffins.

Photo courtesy Patrick Burns

And it's a good time for family get-togethers, whether in two's or three's or as an entire charter.  Even some of my family! 

Every trip is full of surprises.  Perhaps you've heard (herd) of yachting at Cowes.  This is yachting with cows.  There's always time for a bit of foolish humor.

June cruises include a two-day weekend getaway, a five-night photography trip, a four-day adventure for the schooner's birthday (82 candles), and six-day adventures to Windjammer Days, our schooner gam, and Down East.  They're all great; I'm going on all of them. 

Those new spars I've been talking about are finally done, as Matt and I finish riveting the gooseneck iron onto the new fore boom.  If there's time before April there will be a mast and boom made for the tug as well.

photo courtesy Nola Logan

Where do those crew members go from here?  The 2008 crew, left to right:  Adam will be back in another month to be the mate for this summer, Kelly is working back home in Galveston between Habitat for Humanity projects in exotic places, Eric's getting married in August, Donna was married on board in a fall cruise in 2009, and Heather stopped by for coffee Monday and will probably be teaching sailing on Catalina this summer.

Logan is still on the winter-long trail somewhere in Vermont while Shary and I are here at the shipyard expecting you to call or write.

And a bit of history 

  
Swordfishing from the American Eagle in the 1930's was a pretty exciting and rewarding endeavor.  Here are photos of  the captain posing at the wheel, and a dressed swordfish weighing more than he does being hoisted over the rail to the New England Fish Pier in June 1932.

Photo credit: The Atlantic Fisherman

 

 

Photo credit: The Atlantic Fisherman

There's a swordfish sword on board in my bunk somewhere.

Nola's Food Shot 

How do potato chip cookies sound?   Nola found the recipe on Deb Perelman's blog, Smitten Kitchen and made them for coffee break last week.  Scrumptious!

We've come up with a solution for paper plates that take flight during our island picnics.
  

Postcards from shipmates

135 distinct ethnic groups, about 60 million people, plus Harvey who sent this postcard.

I didn't get to the trophies this issue, maybe next time.  But in the interim if you happen to be in New York City on Saturday, March 3rd, I'll be on duty in the Maine Tourism Pavilion at the New York Times Travel Show from 10 to 2 and perhaps later.