Going Home

Bullet and Bimini hanging out in Sandwich, MA

On July 22nd we said goodbye to Narragansett Bay. We had such a blast visiting with friends that we really didn’t want to leave but if we wanted to make it to Maine this summer we needed to head out. Our first stop was Cuttyhunk Island. Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. Amazingly, growing up in Mass, I had no idea these islands existed. Cuttyhunk is a small, quiet community. We explored on foot and enjoyed the beautiful views from Lookout Hill.

Cuttyhunk Harbor from Lookout Hill

Cuttyhunk Island from Lookout Hill

On the 23rd we headed for Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard for Mike to race in the around the island race on Christopher Dragon. This was our first time to MV and we loved it. One of the race crew lived on the island and had us all over for dinner a few times. We loved walking to the house each day through the old historic town. After the race we left earlier than expected and headed to Woods Hole so that we could head through the Cape Cod Canal on the 26th.

Woods Hole Boat Houses

It was amazing to sail our own boat through the canal. I’ve camped and ridden bikes along the banks, but I’ve never experienced it from the water. We arrived in the Sandwich marina and we greeted by a couple of Texas friends. We spent the day with friends, Andrea and Michelle, at their house and swimming at the boardwalk. The kids loved jumping off the boardwalk into the freezing water. After a nice dinner we headed back to the boat.

Scituate Harbor Lighthouse

On the 27th we headed for Scituate. Scituate is the town that Mike and I grew up in. It’s a small coastal town on the south shore with a lot of history. We loved going back to visit but bringing our boat and anchoring in the harbor was a special treat for us. We did a quick harbor tour before picking up our mooring ball. We met my mom at TK O’Malleys the first night for drinks because we were expecting storms and didn’t want to go far. It was so good to be back and to finally see my mom again. The storms that night we pretty wild. We had torrential rain and 40+ knots of wind. Since we weren’t confident in the mooring, we started the engine. The four of us donned our foulies and waited it out in the cockpit. Luckily there were no issues with the mooring or any of the boats around. We did hear some kayakers weren’t so luck and got caught up in the storm. Luckily the coast guard and harbormaster found them all. For the next few days we hung out at my moms, doing laundry, cooking and visiting. We even got to catch up with a few high school friends.

Wild Rover in Scituate Harbor

Mom Driving the Boat

Minot Light, Scituate MA

On the 31st we headed into Boston Harbor, another first for us to do by boat. Even though we grew up on the water, we didn’t have boats so this was our first time getting to see everything from the water. We stayed in a marina because the kids were flying out early the next morning for camp. The kids have been attending Camp Longhorn for years and didn’t want to miss out this year. They spend two weeks in the Texas August heat with no AC in open air cabins, playing with friends and swimming in the lake.

Sailing into Boston Harbor

Katie's Cabin at Camp Longhorn, Burnett, TX

Mikey's Cabin at Camp Longhorn, Burnett TX

When Mike returned from the airport we headed for Gloucester. We spent two days exploring. My aunt, Ann, came to visit for lunch at the Beauport Hotel. We enjoyed some great food and catching up. After lunch we walked to the Fisherman’s Memorial which lists all the fishermen who have died at sea since the towns founding. Next up was a beer at the Crow’s Nest, the bar from the Perfect Storm movie. It definitely doesn’t look the same, but they have a great photo album from the making of the movie. That night we met up with another high school friend, Mike, for a beer and then I cooked us dinner on the boat. I’m really glad we decided to sail New England. Catching up with family and old friends has definitely been the highlight of the trip.

Fisherman's Memorial, Gloucester MA

Fisherman's Memorial, Gloucester, MA

Finally we arrived in Maine on August 3rd. Our first stop was Kittery, ME. Mike and I anchored by ourselves for the first time. I think I miss the kids! All went well until about 3:30 am when the current shifted and brought us way too close to our neighbor. Instead of re-anchoring, Mike decided we would just head out for South Portland. My cousin, Ali, came to the boat for a quick visit and later we headed to dinner with my aunt and uncle, Lynda and Drew. We went to a great vegetarian Asian place in Portland. Mike and I got to check out a few of the pubs as well.

Best Sunset of the Trip, Kittery, ME

On August 6th we arrived in Boothbay Harbor. We stayed on a BYC mooring ball and enjoyed walking through the quaint town. On the 8th we sailed up the Saint George River to Thomaston ME to dock at the Lyman Morse boatyard for some much needed boat repairs. Another Houston friend, Jason, works here and helped us get some electrical work done. Mike also installed the new generator, worked on the engine, and figured out the 12V freezer system for the first time. The Saint George River is unbelievably beautiful but the tides we insane! We ended staying for 11 nights and then moved the boat up to Camden to pick up the kids. Yay!!!

St. George River

Camden Maine

My favorite harbor in Maine was Brooklin Harbor. The views were amazing and the harbor is full of old wooden boats. We were moored near a small island that the kids and dog explored.

Brooklin Harbor

Beautiful small island in Brooklin Harbor

On the 25th we arrived in Somes Sound by Acadia National Park. Sailing up the sound is like nothing you usually see on the east coast. Mountains growing out of the water along the 5 mile long, half mile wide sound. It’s the only place outside of Alaska or Washington that looks like your sailing through a fjord. Unfortunately I could not get a good photo to capture just how spectacular it was. We visited with Beatrice who was vacationing near the anchorage. We had a fantastic dinner and watch the sunset through the mountains. While I did laundry, the kids enjoyed some good wifi.

Anchorage in Somes Sound Maine

On the 28th we arrived at our farthest destination, Bar Harbour. Although touristy, we loved the town and got to explore for a few days. Our time moving northeast is done. Amazingly, we’ve had very little wind in Maine and have done a lot of motoring. It’s time to head south before the cold moves in.