The HMS Bounty is Lost!

Just a week or so ago, the HMS Bounty was in dry dock at the bottom of McKown Hill, here in Boothbay, Maine.

The HMS Bounty
in dry dock at the Boothbay Harbor Shipyard

The HMS Bounty sinking off the coast of North Carolina
Photo courtesy of the guardian.co.uk

        Claudene Christian, a crew member, has been recovered dead and the Captain Robin Walbridge, has been lost, apparently going down with his ship. The other crew (fourteen in all) were recovered safely by the Coast Guard after the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.
 
        The Bounty, a 180-foot replica of an 18th century sailing ship that was built for the film "Mutiny on the Bounty," was 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C., when the owner called saying she'd lost contact with the crew Sunday night, The Associated Press reported. 

         For a moment when I heard the news, I realized how a 19th-century resident of this very town must have felt when they heard similar news; “The Bounty is lost!” and I felt a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

        The Bounty was a very important ship to this town of Boothbay...... there’s hardly anyone who didn’t have a friend or family member on the crew at one time or another, or had worked on her one of the numerous times she’d been in dry dock at the Shipyard.  The ferocious dedication to the "Tall Ships"  have kept these ships alive through the steam, coal, diesel and nuclear power ages. Once you sail on a tall ship, you understand the reason why men traveled by sea hundreds of years ago, blindly sailing farther and farther into the unknown. The natural rhythm of the sea, the sway of the ship, days and nights out on the ocean are so otherworldly.

        And then there are your trusted friends and shipmates. Your Captain. His Mate. The Cook. People that you eat with, work with and joke with. People that you rely on, and who rely on you. I can only imagine how close these crew members became during their voyages together. I believe these relationships are the reason why Schooner sailors are who they are: relationships between the crew, a relationship with the boat, and a relationship with the sea.

       The pain that is felt by the crew and owners of the Bounty is shared not only by Tall Ship sailors in Maine, but by sailors around the country.  Claudene and Robin died doing what they loved to do on the ship they loved to sail.  They are mourned, as well as the beautiful 3 masted HMS Bounty.

Winterizing the An Cobh this winter......

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August 25-September 7, 2012

Left Portland Yacht Club and headed to Quahog Bay winding through and around  one island after another after another!! Our destination was Snow Island, just south of Sebascodegan Island.  Maine is full of small and medium islands,  scattered and nestled throughout the waters…..quite breathtaking to see the tree-covered rocky-ledged lands reaching to the shore. Pristine and isolated, yet touching the souls of those who pass by……so we asked ourselves, "what if"?

Look like "fingers" stretching into the water from the mainland (hence "Maine")

See Snow Island nestled below Sebascodegan Island? We anchored just south of Snow I

 





























Maine, for me, is just different from any other place along the Atlantic coast. The look of the ocean even seems different!! I’m reminded of the fishing trade constantly with all the pots. Wherever we sail, either close to the shore or venturing further out, the lobster pots are “thick”……there’s no other way to describe them!  They are everywhere where you want to go! The challenge comes with avoiding them at all costs because they can cause havoc with your propeller, especially when you’re motoring. If you do get “caught” with the lines connected to the lobster pot, someone has to dive and cut the lines free.

What an obstacle course this is!! You can't "relax" for a moment when sailing in and around these pots! But, oh, their catch is so very tasty

     

 
Upon reaching our destination, Chandler Cove was swarming with kyakers gently skimming over the calm water exploring the coastline up close and personal. The key to enjoying the water and being on the water in Maine is layering your clothes. My attire recently has been to wear a swimsuit, covering next with a long sleeved shirt, than later adding a sweatshirt. The state bird is comically called the mosquito. That being said, the evening attire is much the same with the addition of long pants to protect against their bites. We have even noticed their being out during the day causing us a little grief!

Having seen homes and cottages that looked so inviting, we considered “what if” we spent the winter months here in Maine, along the coastline? Why not winterize the boat here, and further enjoy this lovely area for the next three seasons, some of which may get a bit colder than we’ve become accustomed to in the recent past! It’s only one winter, and we’ve chosen a cottage with a wood burning stove, wrap-around deck, and lovely views of the water from all the rooms. Also ordered a cord of  seasoned wood!  One of our neighbors is a lobsterman, and the other neighbors have an art studio, where painting and furniture making is their passion. Our home-away-from-home will be in this area known as the Linekin Bay.

This "cottage" is just across the lane from ours; mutually owned by the same folks we're renting from, and thus able to use this dock and beach area, as well as the kayak

Linekin Cove at low tide....see all the exposed rocks by the shore? It's a necessity to use navigational charts or else you'd be in for a rude awakening, even with the high tide adequately covering them!

                                              

 Church on the water downtown Boothbay Harbor

Remember these?

The tourism was evident in Boothbay Harbor, especially over the Labor Day weekend, but still nothing like you would experience elsewhere along the mid- Atlantic coastline. The town reflects a certain calmness that matches the nature surrounding it. The Boothbay region is known for it’s spectacular natural beauty, rocky shores, coastal islands, and river corridors.

There are plenty of restaurants and Inns to accommodate the out-of-town visitors, but by mid-October the majority of businesses will close for the season since they’re not winterized. It’s good to know that we have dear friends in the area. We have found our little favorite places though: a coffee shop, bakery and a small Town Marketplace with the best bread. Atwaters, watch out!

Love Cove, one of many of my favorites in Maine

     We always keep coming back to Love Cove for a night or two. This is what we enjoyed while sipping our coffee. It doesn't get any better than this, and the serenity/silence is almost overwhelming. Wonder why we want to experience more of this natural beauty?






Fog lifting off the water early in the morning











                                                                              

It’s here that we have spotted an osprey nest high atop a tree…….in the Chesapeake Bay they often nest on the channel markers and pilings. Interesting to see one in it's natural habitat for a change.

Not long ago, Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” was published (1962) which had a tremendous impact on the diminishing population of the ospreys and the bald eagles of Maine. Her outcry was the evidence she gathered pointing to the negative effects of chemical pesticides and herbicides on the environment at that time. Within ten years of her publication, the EPA was created, The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act were passed. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall claimed this legislation was a direct result of the voice of Rachel Carson. She had gathered together all of this compelling information, all this data, and presented it in a way that anyone could understand. And politicians listened, and the federal government acted. In 1972 DDT was banned in the US. Ninety percent of the Maine and New England population of ospreys were decimated by DDT. The ingested chemical resulted in thin eggshells, causing them to breed unsuccessfully.

At the same time, there were less than 500 pairs of bald eagles, and when they were eventually taken off the endangered list there were more than 5,000 pairs!

Near where we’ll be living this winter is a Salt Pond Preserve, an area that inspired this editor-in-chief of the Fish and Wildlife Publication, to write about her findings. I fully intend to go explore this area……..anyone want to come join me for a nature hike?

                                                          The Boothbay Region Land Trust 
has numerous trails to explore, in fact Tim and I just did a two mile hike the other day on Indiantown Island. We dinghied over to their dock and went ashore to walk the forested land.

Tim made it to Lookout Point......I must have too since I took his picture!!

Another delightful beach I'd like to call my own.....

Another interesting spot we discovered by water, was the Isle of Springs, which you can only approach by boat. Like so many of the inhabitants here in Maine, these islanders winterize their cottages and leave the island for the winter. One apparent reason is the water supply. It’s run over the soil through tubing and would only freeze with the dropping temperatures to come.

P.S.    I'll just have to get through the long winter months first before thinking of beaches and swimming:)  Spring will come before we know it........

Out of the Ordinary Things to be Remembered Along this Cruise

Have seen so many exquisite homes along the way from Annapolis to the Hamptons to Newport to Maine, but there was one that I really thought was pretty unique, and I seem to remember it was in the water as we motored by in the Blynman Canal (from Gloucester to the other side of Cape Ann, by way of the Annisquam River)……this you must see, even with front porch chairs no less!!

Talk about a water view on ALL sides:)

At times, being confined to the sailboat, it feels good to get off, stretch your legs and explore the unfamiliar territory of a seaport town. After walking this beach in  Jamestown, RI,  I was wanting to “relieve” myself before returning to the boat. This was the first “air conditioned” outhouse I had ever seen, with not only modern “indoor” plumbing but also running water and paper towels!  With the ocean breeze you could almost “air”dry!!  Hopefully everyone makes it to the potty and there isn’t any overflow through the floor joists! How embarrassing would that be!

Notice the toilet bowl plunger/toilet paper? And you actually "push down" on this metal handle off to the side of the tank and it "flushes" on it's own without any "pumping" on my part!! Amazing how life is so different off the sailboat! Oh, but I do remember.........

Underneath this little outhouse is the Town's white sandy beach:) Can't you imagine little kids walking underneath this and looking up? Just because.................it's not as private as it may seem............

And here’s an interesting bit of information about the very common bird in this area, the Arctic Tern:

            “A small, slender white bird, the Arctic Tern is well known for its long yearly migration. Its travel from its Arctic breeding grounds to its wintering grounds, off of Antarctica, may cover perhaps 25,000 miles and is the farthest yearly.” We haven't covered anything like that!

Did I mention it was very small? Hard to see up on top of this pole. It has a rather nasally sound to it!  You can't miss their chattering to one another.  Quite often they are paired, especially when they fly down to the water to catch fish and then share their bounty.

And last but not least,  what looks to be, a “plastic” dinghy!!  It was so eye-catching to me that I had to make note of it and add it to this page.  And my favorite color too!

Dinghies are commonly of the  inflatable type with either an inflatable bottom to it, or a hard/rigid bottom. 

Two of my favorite girls coming to visit.......oh, that's right this was earlier this summer...darn!! Sure do miss them!

Then there's the rowboat variety, like here in Martha's Vineyard on it's own mooring ball:)

It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Best of Times

Thursday, August 16

Alas, have the sweet sound of the engine once again on the An Cobh……and it didn’t take long to ready ourselves for the departure we’d been anticipating.  After saying our good-byes to other fellow cruisers, and employees that we had befriended, we were off and not looking back….well almost…..I had to take some pictures of Plymouth from a different angle.

Lisa helping with our spring line as we were tied to the slip

Anxious to get back on the water!

One last look at the Plymouth Rock as we head out of the Marina, from a different angle

We had been held "captive" too long

Duxbury Pier Light where it all started 16 days ago with our boat being towed

While under way Tim removed the mainsail cover and I was half expecting to see moths fly out!! It had been over two weeks since we even thought about sailing. However, the winds were calm so sailing was out of the question, but that was fine by us since Tim wanted to test the engine under a full load for a few hours to be sure it was faring well……and it did. Relief came over both of us as we were able to relax a bit in the comfort of knowing this 33 year old Westerbeke engine was going to keep us sailing after all!

Scituate Harbor, MA

We left Plymouth on Thursday, the 16th around noontime planning on spending an overnight on a mooring in Scituate Harbor that evening, then onto Gloucester Friday morning. We were heading north finally !!  It was noticeable that there was still a leak but we thought it was some residual fuel from the work that had been previously done.  

No such luck I’m afraid. Ahhhh hhhha…….never let your comfort zone get the best of ya!  We’re still not out of the “repair” mode with this boat. While on a mooring in Gloucester Friday evening, Tim discovered yet another more serious problem with our diesel system. Evidently we have a pretty major leak with the diesel now, and nobody is there on the week-ends of course! 

Researching the problem

Tim spent hours himself working on it to see exactly where the leaking was occurring and it’s going to need some expertise from a working yard in Salem, which is about 14 miles south of Gloucester. We’ll head over there first thing in the morning! You noticed I said “SOUTH”…what happened to going NORTH???

It’s rather discouraging for both of us, because of the time, let alone the expense, that’s been spent on this engine, and now we’re no longer even considering going any further north, so we most likely will never even get to Portsmouth, NH, let alone Portland, Maine as had originally planned.  Who knows what is next on the agenda? We’ll take it one day at a time. When you lose a certain amount of “trust” in your engine, it’s very disconcerting.

Now it's Tuesday, August 21st and things are looking up again, as the diesel problem was quickly and expertly remedied by Dion's Marina in Salem. Such an emotional roller coaster this has been! Very pleased with their efficient work getting us back into the cruising mode again.

As the drama unfolds, we are now, once again in Gloucester, this time at anchor and enjoying the peace of mind of a good running engine. Our plans now include Portsmouth tomorrow evening, and then onward towards Maine with the weather in our favor. Life is good!

The outer harbor of Gloucester, just inside the break wall, with all the peace and serenity you could appreciate

Day of Mourning

Overlooking the Plymouth Monument, from Cole

's Hill

Well, we’re still here in scenic Plymouth, awaiting  our oil cooler. (Kinda sounds like a drink, does it not? Would you like it straight up or over the rocks? Double? By now WE do!!!) Have learned to go with the flow and fill each day with new adventures. Actually a splendid place to lay over and take in the history and sights of our young country.  Have either walked or traveled by bus to the beaches, cooling off with the colder waters of the Atlantic Ocean (and at both have been able to find a spot of shade to further my enjoyment!)

My very own private get-away, with a shade tree no less.......and within walking distance of the Marina!!

White Horse Beach.....did you notice the shade I found? I always seek it out!!

And this is the rest of the beach in the full sun!!

  

pumping out the dinghy after a rainstorm

And one of us has been busy doing odd jobs on board……and my “not wanting to get in the way” has afforded me the opportunity to stroll the streets of downtown Plymouth, for the exercise of course :)  There’s an ample supply of antique “malls”, pawn shops, bakeries (as I’ve referred to in the past), statues, plaques, memorials, parks to meander through, and cemeteries to draw you in for more of the area’s history.

Tim lubricating the winches

Tim's in the cockpit locker working on the engine.......wayyyyyyy down there in the nether world!!

 The Plymouth Rock

And the Rock again!

The Plymouth Rock is enclosed in this magnificent Monument by the Harbor, which is more impressive than "the" Rock

The Monument is lit up throughout the night

                         William Bradford, 1st Govenor and Historian of the Plymouth Colony

                                                            Born in Austerfield, England 1590

                                                         Died in Plymouth, New England 1657

Massasoit Sachem or Ousamequin (1581-1661); was the sachem (a chief of a Native American Tribe) of the Wampanoags, protector and preserver of Pilgrims. The term Massasoit means "Great Sachem"

 The above plaque reads as follows:

                                                 NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING

Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture. Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.

Just a little something to think about, now and then......... further research on this topic proves quite interesting to say the least.

Hey Pilgrims......Engine Trouble Stranding Us in Plymouth, MA

Monday,  July 30

Left Mattapoisett, MA just before noon, heading to the Cape Cod Canal for the 2^nd time in the past few days. Hog Island Channel is where you enter the area, and there are several emergency tie-ups just outside this area for large cargo vessels to secure themselves in times of distress.

Hog Island Channel, as you enter the Cape Cod Canal

Emergency tie-ups at the entrance of waterway

It’s notably wider than the C&D Canal, where we started this journey June 20^th. 

The CCC has a jogging/bike trail running right alongside the water’s edge, with some homes nestled within the trees.

My idea of a home nestled in the trees along the Canal

Old Train Bridge across the CCC

This is the end of the CCC before entering the Atlantic Ocean

 We were able to get quite far north to Plymouth, MA, and anchored in a lovely spot called the Cowyard, alongside Clark Island. 

Clark Island area where we anchored the night before our "lay-over" in Plymouth!

Lighthouses are everywhere on this eastern seacoast, and this one definitely attracted the birds! 

Duxbury Pier Light

On Tuesday, before departing our anchorage, Tim checked the engine, as he always intuitively does, and………..we had an oil issue.  This is not a good thing !   A call was placed to the Plymouth Marina, a few miles away and we were towed into a transient slip for who knew how long.

Being towed

           

Thursday, August 2……Happy Birthday Stephanie :)

Haven't a clue at the moment when we'll be able to "sail" again....still waiting on that part from Marblehead to be machined for the mechanic here in Plymouth. MIGHT be here tomorrow, otherwise we're here over the w/end til Monday. Oh well it could have been worse, we may have been in P-town and that would have been a looooong tow ride!!  Life is good, really, but this is really starting to wear on us....becoming a bit moody with one another. What's a girl to do, except leave the boat and go shopping.  And Tim has been grilling lunches for me….that’s a treat having a hamburger in the middle of the day.

Here's our new patio

Tim at work grilling for us

           

Picked up some art supplies yesterday and plan to dabble in pen and ink. Hmmmm this could be a new passion, or not!  A must if you ever get to this area, is a delightful bakery called the Blue Blinds, across the street from a quaint bookstore, on North Street.  So, I'll eat pastry and draw, or perhaps I should just “draw” the pastries?.......hmmmm, that’s a pleasant thought!

I must go back and browse this bookstore

           

Visited a Farmer’s Market just down the road and was pleased with the variety of  fresh vegetables. Feels good to support the local farmers, no matter where you are.  The boat doesn’t have to be hauled to work on the engine, thankfully, so they’ve put us on a “free” tie-up alongside the dock, but there is no electrical supply available to us.  The solar panel’s been a lifesavor and kept our batteries in great shape.  The refrigeration, which keeps draining the batteries, has been turned off completely and we’re now just using the refrigerator as an “ice box” filling it with blocks and bags of ice. So, the fresh veggies will be used within the next day or two.  We do have access to filling our water tanks with all the water we need, so my conservation efforts have really dwindled……using more water than when we’re sailing, but still quite conservative overall. 

This is our new marina

Sharing this with a mother duck and her baby

 Many of the marinas have grassy, shady areas where you can grill and rest in the  coolness of trees, but this is truly a “working” marina, which is what we need more than anything right now, so the luxuries are not that important to us. (But it would have been nice to have had a pool to splash around in during the heat of the day) This is when I miss being at anchor whereby you can take a dip/swim around the boat to refresh yourself after a day on the water. Taking daily showers helps, but I’m getting to be an expert at taking the hose and cooling myself off !  Glad I brought along so many bathing suits. 

Lots of shade at the Plymouth Yacht Club, just next door to this marina; if you look close they are teaching their youngest members how to sail, and part of it takes place on their lawn area....interesting I thought!

 Til the part comes in.............