The day has finally arrived!  After seven months of maintenance and repair we are sailing again.  Some new spars, overhauled sails, new cabin linens, new brochure, some new crew, all have come together to put the American Eagle back to what she does best: windjamming!  This past weekend perfect sailing weather and an enthusiastic group made the first foray out onto Penobscot Bay a great success.

        Now that our season has started with the first warm breezes of approaching summer, it's time to think of the contrast of our last cruises this season:  fall foliage which usually peaks along the midcoast about October 1st.  The mountain ash on island shores may turn red by mid-September, but it's the near frosty nights later in the month that turn the maples and birches to the dramatic colors that contrast so well with the deep blue of the bay in fall.  Down the bay the preponderance of everygreens remind us that an island visit and picnic are as much fun late as early when we bend the sails on for the season.  With the gleaming stove in our cozy main cabin warming the vessel down below overnight and the first coffee at sunrise, fall is terrific.

photo courtesy of Greg Gettens

 

 

                  board Sunday night, Sept. 23rd, return Thursday morning, the 27th            now $660. pp

                  board Friday night, Sept. 28th, return Tuesday morning, Oct. 2nd                 now $640. pp

                  board Wednesday night, Oct. 3rd, return Sunday morning, Oct.7th               now $615. pp

 

        There was time during outfitting this spring for some time off for one of the crew.  What do you do on your time away?  Sail, of course, from the Caribbean to New England on a 42-foot sloop.  Logan logged about 2000 miles while the rest of us were readying the schooner. 

     Meanwhile it wasn't all drudgery around the shipyard.  The little tug Cadet, relaunched last fall, did volunteer duty towing [and sometime pushing] three different schooners to appointments at shipyards, including our own.  The Victory Chimes followed us all the way from Rockland to Boothbay. 

Andy's Food News 

  Shiver me timbers! Since I turned 60, my timbers are shivering most of the time. We spent a month in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is very quaint and beautiful but like any tourist town, somewhat circumscribed in its supply of daily necessities.  My shipmate TR and I took two buses and a train to Rio Piedras, where the college and the cercado and the wildlife sanctuary are, and it was a different world.  If you look closely you can see me brandishing my guanabana and jagua. 

The guanabana, or custard apple, or graviola, is all over South America but it doesn't get up North very often, more's the pity.  It has sweet tender white flesh with big black seeds that are easy to extract.  The jagua tastes sort of like an overripe bosc pear.  Not bad, but not likely to be a big hit with us gringos. 

     See you aboard!

            Andy

Postcards

     I still can't get my wife to go to New York City!

 From Becky and Margaret, described on the card as a "one owner low mile classic, call GIZA at CAIRO."