Just back

from our all too short visit to Maine and Brother. Different this time as we met Bob in Portland for weekend on Sonny, ending up on Eggomoggin Reach at the Landing.

For the first time, we had a week of sunny days and clear nights. We had lots of quality Milky Way time as well. The only serious fog we encountered was at sea between Boothbay and the Reach.

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Julia and Mary Bauer waiting for Steven and their 50 year old Oktusk, Talisman.

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Sailing Talisman in Portland Harbor. The start of our run of good weather last Friday afternoon a week ago. Talisman is an Al Mason design, an original down to her canvas decks.

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Julia with an OMG moment as Sonny is revealed in all her glory.

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Sailing back to the barn after almost racing in the MS Cup last Saturday.

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Julia waving to the folks on a Schooner. We were moored in Boothbay Harbor. We stopped here after motoring from Portland in very light air and quite warm. It was our first time in Boothbay. A little touch of the Jersey Shore town with all the shops. Nice meal at a Tapas restaurant of all things, three flights up, overlooking the harbor.

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We found a Candlestick bowling alley right on the waterfront. A developers wildest fantasy but built and managed for the last half century by the owner who is now 96. I won, narrowly defeating an obviously focused Julia.

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Headed back to Sonny in perfect twilight. Or is the glow coming from Julia?

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Elevenses with Bob watching for lobster pots that are thick on the ground in these waters. At one point visibility was down to 50 yards. We heard a few other boats but no sightings. No whales either but a few seals and dolphins to keep thing interesting.

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Reaching up Eggomoggin Reach. It’s named a Reach as the wind usually blows across this stretch of water from the SW, allowing an easy point of sail in either direction.

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Sonny and BL at the Landing.

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Julia at ease as we knock around the moorings. Bright warm sun and a steady 4kt breeze makes for an idyllic outing.

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Res ipsa.

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Another beautiful sunset on my beautiful wife. Bella vista.

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OK? Julia threading her way through the moorings in the Benjamin River. That’s a replica of Joshua Slocum’s Spray on the Starboard bow.

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And here she is. I believe she’s gone around the world following in Mr. Slocum’s tracks. I’ll check and report further.

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Our seventh straight day of great weather finished with a little messing about in Elegant Punts. I built these Phil Bolger tenders almost twenty years ago for a client of my brothers. Nice to see them lovingly refurbished and given regular use.

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Last sunset on the Reach. We spent last night in Portsmouth. Had a very pleasant dinner at the Library on State Street.

And now home with garden and Sjogin efforts tomorrow.