From Grumpy's Garage

Mooring in Flanders Bay at the end of a cruise Stephanie and I cruised to Bar Harbor for lunch yesterday. It was a lot of effort for a burger and crab salad. We had planned to do it on Tuesday, but the sky was so gray and heavy with fog that we postponed the trip. While I enjoy sailing in almost any weather, Stephanie doesn't. We carried the kayak down to the water's edge at about 8:45, about an hour before low tide in Flanders Bay. I brought the only paddle because I wanted Stephanie to enjoy the cruise and let me do the work. A light breeze blew from the west as we paddled out to Second Wind. Getting the boat ready to sail was a comedy of minor errors. I forgot to lower the kick-up rudder while I was still in the kayak, when it is easier to do. Tying a slippery hitch onto the mooring was harder than it should have been. I forgot to unhook the boom end from the backstay before raising the mainsail. But we got it figured out an...

1em; text-align: right;"> margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> Second Wind (on the right), moored near the neighbors' boats in Flanders Bay, Sullivan, Maine Yes, this looks just like Seattle weather. I had considered taking Stephanie on a day cruise over to Bar Harbor for lunch today. But the skies are a thick gray blanket, a high fog that sometimes comes down to touch the water. Not a good day for sailing with my sunshine-loving bride. Instead, I'll work on a few boat projects that have been waiting for my attention. While the winds are relatively calm this morning, I can experiment with the new reefing points I had installed on the Genoa jib. I'd like to see what I can do to reef the Genoa from the cockpit. (By the way, I highly recommend The Sailor's Sketchbook, by Bruce Bingham . It's full of great ideas. I once was browsing through it with a three-year-old in my lap. I had him ...

Sailing Flanders Bay After over a week of admiring Second Windat anchor (which I rather enjoyed) I finally got the opportunity last Friday to take her out for a few hours of sailing on Flanders Bay. Why did I wait for over a week? Each day had a different reason. Weather was a common issue. Sometimes there was no wind. Sometimes is there was too much or it was raining. I wanted to enjoy my first cruise on the bay. Yes, that makes me a "fair weather sailor." Ya wanna make somethin' of it? Other days had errands to run: visiting family in Bangor, visiting a doctor near Portland, or getting the trailer wheels fixed. Sometimes, I just wanted to enjoy the quiet solitude of the day with a book or my journal. Yes, I could have solitude on Second Wind, but, unless she is lying at anchor, it wouldn't be quiet. When she is under way, she demands attention, even with the autopilot doing the steering. I must keep a lookout f...

It's been a full week, the first week of my Summer Sabbatical. We left Brier, Second Wind in tow, last Thursday, July 2, at about 11am, a little later than we had planned. The drive across Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were without incident, and I found it remarkable how much the Michigan upper peninsula looked like the coast of Maine. (I had considered waking up Stephanie and saying, "Look, Honey. We made it!") On Day Three of this road trip, we crossed into Ontario with the goal of making it past Montreal before stopping to rest. But it was not to be. About halfway to Montreal, traffic on the Trans Canada Highway started to slow down. As I looked into my rear view mirror to verify that the traffic behind me was also slowing down, I noticed that the boat trailer was rocking. What I had thought was bumpy pavement was this rocking trailer. I could feel it in the steering wheel. A check in my right side mirror confirmed: tire failure. I pulled off onto th...