Frank I'm building on (stealing) your previous year thread...
What are everyone's plans?
****
And... Who wants to come to Maine?
The event that I would consider the best one to center a visit around is the American Folk Festival (http://www.americanfolkfestival.com/) which I can whole-heartedly declare is tightwad-friendly, with a suggested donation of $10 per day (It used to be voluntary, and may still be...[guess that's the "suggested" part... :)]). August 26, 27, 28.
It is an awesome musical and cultural event with artists from around the world. Check out this year's performers (http://www.americanfolkfestival.com/content/4014/Performers/).
It is right on the Penobscot River in Bangor, which is navigable from the Penobscot Bay--which is a wonderful place to sail. Frenchman's Bay and Mount Desert Island with Acadia National Park (or even Moosehead Lake for trailer-sailers) are nearby.
Maybe this could become some kind of personal loosely-structured...perhaps we could call it the "Skidattle"?
Skidattle - 1. V. "To Get Out of Some Place In a Hurry, Usually Accompanied with the Sound made by Curly from the Three Stooges." 2. N. North Atlantic version of the Scoot.
Boat optional. If sailing here doesn't work, trailer-sail...or drive and bring a tent and camp out at Acadia National Park or one of the State Parks... Fly in to Bangor or Portland and squeeze onto whatever boats make it here...commandeer other nearby boats...
You are headed up North, CJ & Laura...? Joe and Dan...this is practically next door... Frank, you already know the way here... Colin, you're already there... Tom, Craig, Kurt, John, Tim... Sailfarers...
Who's coming?
Your idea in Maine sounds like a great time. So far it looks like I'm headed to the North Channel (Lake Huron) again, but open to other places.
;D
What week in August will summer be this year?
;D
All kidding aside- Maine looks pretty, but we won't go much further north than Baltimore. Even early fall Maine weather is too cold for us Texans!!
We'll be heading back south by early Oct at the latest.
Once I had asked what others were doing and thinking about my own plans, and recalling what a great time I've had at that folk Festival in previous years... I realized that I really wanted to get to this years...and why not make a gathering out of it?
LOL CJ, I'm pretty sure that summer falls sometime in July... The climate (http://bangorinfo.com/climate.htmll) in Bangor in August may be better than you think...? You do save on air conditioning... Maybe you could take the bus or Amtrack up from Baltimore to Joe or Dan's and crew for them up to Bangor? Maybe John will pick you guys up on his way North? (in the car with the Optimist on the roof racks...?) ;)
C'mon to Maine Frank! Penobscot Bay is fantastic, maybe stop by Lily Bay, Moosehead again. If you come, then it'll be an International/North American gathering. :)
Rachel & James of Further, I read your blog, so I know that you will drop everything and travel across the continent for a good music festival...sail, pedal, hitchhike... Maybe you will find your next boat up here? One last temptation...Trader Joe's has just opened a store in Portland Maine, and I will treat you to a jar of organic peanut butter when you arrive. ;)
Here are some photos of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (42 miles Southeast of Bangor)...
And links to the nearby parks with campgrounds...
Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island (http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm)
Lake St. George State Park (http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=27&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search)
Camden Hills State Park (http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=14&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=searchl)
Lamoine State Park (http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=16&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search)
Lily Bay State Park (http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/search_name.pl?state_park=17&historic_site=&public_reserved_land=&shared_use_trails=&option=search)
Here's the map of the Bangor/Penobscot Bay/Mount Desert Island Area...
Just about getting our 'to-do'list on 's/v Nanna' done we are looking forward to spendig the entire summer/hurricane season here in the Sea of Cort?z.
Snorkling and fishing are highest priorities and simply enjoying the wilderness of baja california that has been something of a surprise to me.
not very regular internet access here -an understatement- but we do try to update our blog as often as possible
www.svnanna,wordpress.com
A very Good Sailing summer to all Sailfarers!
As for the longterm plans, after hurricanes are 'off' we'll go south along the MX coast and to central America andEquador
All the best Magnus & Isa
Hi Magnus & Isa, I'm very interested in the Sea of Cortez, since my oldest sister and her family have moved to Southern California (and invited me to spend the winter with them), and a couple friends of mine also winter in Arizona.
Best wishes with your work on the new boat. A great summer to you both, too.
Fair winds,
Jim
PS: Also want to mention that this Maine Folk Festival is probably the closest one to Sweden in the US... ;)
That's just a off-the-cuff idea about the event name...Skidattle... Maybe best to just do it informally as individuals like Joe, Dan and others going to the boat show together...?
If the pirate thing kicks in at the festival (or anchorage or campground) and we get into trouble with the law, we can all claim to be a rogue elements to maintain "plausible deniability". Or could possibly claim to be from the notorious SailNear gang...similar but more shortsighted...
Although, I think that we might be more apt to get into trouble--and have more fun--if Craig and Kurt make it up here...
And keep in mind--the farther South you come from, the more you'll save on the AC bill while you are in Maine... ;)
Quote from: Jim_ME on May 10, 2011, 03:56:34 PM
PS: Also want to mention that this Maine Folk Festival is probably the closest one to Sweden in the US... ;)
Cadillac Mountain in Acadia gets the first daylight in the U.S! I've "done" the sunrise greeting several times with friends, although it's sometimes funny to watch the "tourists" that have come for it narrating sunrise on their video cameras!
Honestly, my life - both personal and financial - is in such an uproar at the moment that I don't know how to predict anything for myself. I seriously doubt I'll have either time or money for any kind of vacation this year. I'm behind "schedule" on boat prep and trailer prep. There was an accident at work in which I was injured by a pile of falling material. I'm healing, but cannot lift or do any exertion for a while yet.
I'd love to come up. I don't know what to say about whether or not the boat will be trailer-ready by then (I think I'm going to have to re-do the mast step as well as the shroud reinforcements).
I'm just hoping I can get well enough to do anything before the snow returns!
Quote from: Jim_ME on May 10, 2011, 03:56:34 PM
Hi Magnus & Isa, I'm very interested in the Sea of Cortez, since my oldest sister and her family have moved to Southern California (and invited me to spend the winter with them), and a couple friends of mine also winter in Arizona.
Best wishes with your work on the new boat. A great summer to you both, too.
Fair winds,
Jim
Maine is probably closest, yeah! ;D ;D
Would love to go there at some point. My only visit to the States- so far- was New York City in -87. We madea day trip to Stanford, CT and loved it.
As for the sea of Cort?s, we have nothing but positives. The marine life is incredible (remember Mr Costeau?) and the anchorages many and wild. The landscape very dramatic and the climate close to perfect. La Paz a very friendly city with everything a boater might need.
Could well be one of the sweetest cruising grounds in the world....that said, looking forward to check a few others out too.... like Tonga, or New Caledonia just to mention two that -for me- has maagic into their names
PS: Also want to mention that this Maine Folk Festival is probably the closest one to Sweden in the US... ;)
Jim,
Wish I could join you Down East -- I haven't sailed the Maine coast since I moved away from Maine in 1980.
I had to turn down an invitation to crew from CT to ME with the same skipper I crewed for last year to Bermuda--would you believe it? ???
My own boat isn't near ready to launch. I've often dreamed of sailing her to Maine and back, but it's a long way for a slow but seaworthy boat like my Cape Dory 25D.
Best,
--Joe
Well, anyone's welcome to come up! Not sure about making the AFF, but I'll be spending the entire summer living aboard and sailing the coast of Maine if all goes well. Look me up if you come up or are up anyway, and maybe we can get some sailing in. Just a plug...sailing in Maine is absolutely incredible! I highly recommend making time for it sometime in your life.....
Tom, I'm sorry to hear about your injury. Hope that you are doing well and on the mend. I've been checking out the Rideshare section of CraigsList as a possible economical way to make a trip. Maybe that would work for you? Maybe one or some of us will get a boat there that you can sail on? My old friend is arriving from Louisiana (originally from Maine) with his wife, and I checked out one of the windjammers (http://www.maineschooners.com/) and found that a two-hour sail is $35 per person.
Magnus & Isa, I've just visited your sailing blog and enjoyed the recent entry and photos from La Paz. Interesting landscape down there. I'm going to keep it in mind as a place to winter.
Joe, You've got a great boat there. I was checking the distance and saw that it was about 126 miles from Provincetown to Monhegan Island. If you should need crew to make the cruise up to Maine happen sometime, let me know. I've got some work to do myself to get the Corinthian ready to launch on the lake. The rain has stopped for a while yesterday and today, and it's forecast to be nice much of this week.
Colin, I will make an effort to catch up with you somewhere, if not at the AFF in Bangor. Sometime I will be making a trip to Steuben. If you should get down to Southern Maine (say Portland, Saco/Biddeford, Kennebunkport) and could use some shore support, let me know.
When I looked at today's long-term weather forecast for Southern Maine...I remembered discussing how cold it is here... Not an issue in July! ;D
Quote from: Jim_ME on July 17, 2011, 02:25:54 PM
When I looked at today's long-term weather forecast for Southern Maine...I remembered discussing how cold it is here... Not an issue in July! ;D
For the most part, that looks like our nightly lows here in the mid-South!
We caught a break last night and got down to 76 degrees!
Still hanging on by my fingernails here (financially)... but still searching for a full-time job and hoping for the best. Kinda doubt I'll be traveling anywhere anytime soon. There's bound to be better days... although around here, it
really gets hot in August!
Tom, I was trying to show that it may actually get warm enough up here to be comfortable for those from down South... :)
Yeah, I did hear about the heat in the central part, or most all of the country... Looked at the temp forecast map for tomorrow (below)...not sure that I've ever seen one like that...with the whole country shown as red...
I understand the feeling, financially. There IS bound to be better days ahead, eventually. Good luck with the job search and staying as cool as possible in the heat.
-Jim
Well, it may finally be cooling off for most of North America, but here in the Pacific Northwest it's been generally cool and damp since, oh, October.
The boat is on the hard, and I was hoping to get things done and back in the water in August, but I've been invited to help on a delivery from Hawai'i to Vancouver. I'm so frustrated that I've jumped at the opportunity, and will spend a few weeks on OPB getting some more miles and learning how other ships tuck their long splices.
As of today's continuing heat wave, I'd happily sit on top of Mt. Katahdin for a while just to get a cool breeze. Here, when the wind blows, it's like the air blowing out of the oven!
And I agree Jim, that Maine should be a much cooler place to hang out than the mid-South for the forseeable future. I've spent most of the past decade camping in Acadia for Memorial Day, July 4th & Labor Day. I miss everything but the blackflies!
Tom, It's cooled off here to more normal weather--hope that it has there, too. After reading about your many returns there, I will have to make a more serious effort to get to Acadia.
I have most of a mooring in a bay about 40 miles to the East. Went up to visit the village over the 4th of July weekend, and ran into a couple friends there. It would not be too far to sail to Frenchman Bay and Acadia, or even down to Penobscot Bay. But the ongoing economic situation and uncertainty seems to be taking the wind out of my sails...
Amgine, Your area has been cooler than I realized.
Good luck with the boat repairs, and the delivery. That seems like a major passage to make. Fair winds.
I've been having a great summer covering the Maine coast from Bar Harbor to Portland. Getting ready to head back Downeast to haul the boat out in mid/late-October and start another season of boat maintenance. Maybe I'll try and post some pictures once I have more out-of-the-water time. Sorry, I forgot to look you up while I was down here, Jim. I've actually been spending more time catching up on work in Portland, than sailing, but that's the trick of living & working from a sailboat. Had a lovely sail down the coast with an unexpected detour to Bath via the Sasanoa River and then back out to sea via the mighty Kennebec. You can moor off the Maritime Museum there and get admission included in the cost of your mooring along with free, superclean showers and laundry in their dedicated "Visiting Yachtsman's Building," open 24 hours. A pretty nice break even for fans of anchoring out all the time, like us. Great museum.
Colin, Good to hear that you've had a great season cruising some of the Maine coast, and that the Maritime Museum in Bath is so cruiser friendly. Hope to catch up with you on one of your future trips South, or if I get up that way.
As the season here is winding down, I had been thinking about posting an update. It has been something of a bust season for me. I didn't even get up to the Folk Festival in Bangor. The Sunday activities were cancelled since that was the day that Irene arrived, with some being added to Saturday. As it turned out, that was the weekend (and week) that my older sister and her family visited and stayed at a cottage on Sebago Lake. It was especially rustic, since the power was out for 4 days. In previous years I enjoyed taking them out for sails on the big lake, but was content to spend time with them, and enjoy the views of the water and swimming in it. There were some beautiful sunrises (see photo), as if to remind that nature remained self sufficient and off the grid...
The sailing season here always seems to fly past, and this year was no exception. There are some changes I'd like to make with the boats, perhaps this fall before the winter arrives. Thoughts are turning toward next season here, and again to the dream about how the South can extend the season, if you are in a position to go there. If only this recession would pass as quickly as the sailing season does...