"One hour after the pirate festival ends in Eastport, you could shoot a cannon down the main street and not hit a soul." commented Bob the owner of the Eastport Chowder House.
As I looked down the hill leading to the breakwater it was obvious that the town had emptied. Oh, there were still a few tourists and the local lobstermen were still moving boats around the harbour, plying their trade but there was a definite chill in the air and you could easily wander down the center of the street and not worry about the occasional car that would creep up behind you. They would smile, wave and likely stop beside you to talk.
It was time to put Doc's Holiday in dry dock for the winter. At $4.00 a gallon for fuel it would be more expensive to take her to Florida for the winter than to put her into winter storage. Besides, there were other places like Grand Mannan Island, the Saint John river (through the 22 foot reversing falls), Casco Bay, Penobscot Bay, and many islands with their unique flora and fauna that would be interesting to explore. In particular Machias Seal Island has a population of arctic puffins that really are a must see. They have blinds set up that you can enter and get pictures of puffins landing and strutting not more than 10 feet away from the viewing windows.
An intrepid crew including my step son Nicholas, my brother-in-law Danny Kennedy, and my good friend Marshall Lucas set off with a very narrow weather window of one day. For a few weeks now there had been a noticeable change in the weather. Temperatures had dropped down to the high 30's at night and 50's to 70's during the day, not cold for a Canadian but the rains were more frequent and of most concern, the winds were increasing.
When we set out from Eastport it was a sunny cool morning, comfortable to navigate from the upper helm. We cruised by the Eastport and Lubec docks and throttled up a little to push against the easing but incoming tide in the Lubec narrows. We passed seals and dolphins as we rounded Sail Rock and turned the boat south into the slow incoming swells from the Atlantic. The winds were predicted to change to the southwest later and this would make the multitude of lobster floats in Southwest Harbor difficult to see, so I decided to bring the Detroit Diesels up to full speed and temperature. It was full throttle ahead.... 14 knots against the tide, 16 knots with the tide. We were flying down the coast. Even though we spotted dolphins and one whale, there was no time to stop. The weather forecast had changed and bad weather would be hitting us earlier than predicted.
I was only going to keep the boat up on plane to cut down a couple of hours running time but the motors stabilized at their operating temperatures of 185 degrees on the port motor and 190 degrees on the starboard motor and the boat hummed along without a hiccup. We turned what would be a 10 hour trip into a 5 hour trip and entered Southwest Harbor just before the wind turned the waves into a chop that would have made the lobster floats difficult to avoid.
Hinckley Yachts in Southwest Harbor was anxious to expand the service side of their business and they had indoor heated storage large enough to accommodate many yachts the size of Doc's Holiday. I wouldn't have to worry about snow freezing, piling up and possibly sinking the boat. I wouldn't have to worry about water lines freezing, and I would be able to get the necessary service of the motors and systems so that the boat would be ready to cruise next summer. If you have ever seen the wood work on a Hinckley yacht you would understand why I wanted them to varnish the wood during her lay up. They would have all winter to touch up the flaking non-skid paint on the decks and bring the wood to that foot deep shine they are noted for putting on their yachts.
We watched anxiously as they lifted Doc's Holiday up into the sling. It was obvious they were very experienced with larger yachts. As soon as they had her out, I inspected the bottom. " Not a ding on either prop!" I exclaimed. Maybe I had finally learned to avoid the obstacles below the water...at least for this season! My jaw dropped when I checked the zincs. One on the shaft was almost gone and the zincs on the back of the boat were very thin, even though they were new in January when we left Galveston. In Beaumont these zincs lasted at least 3 years, probably because we were in fresh water. Obviously in the warm salt water of the southeast these would have to be replaced yearly.
Magnesium anodes on stabilizers
As they placed Doc's Holiday on stands a feeling of anguish swept over me. My boat, my home , my party place for the last decade, my focus, was ending. Every change in the weather, a tropical depression as far away as the mid-Atlantic, the direction of the wind, the height of the tide, all caused me to direct my attention and care to my boat. An era was ending.! Now, I personally would not be able to keep her safe for the next 6 months. I am trusting Hinckley Yachts to nurture her the way I have done in the past, through 4 hurricanes and numerous thunder storms.
My major goals, getting the boat home to down east Maine to take my grandson Blake and my aging best friend Jay Hinson for a cruise were accomplished.
My retirement goal is not accomplished. Maybe, I'm just not ready for retirement. Maybe, it's my love of learning and teaching and keeping up with advancements in my field. Maybe it's my "type A" personality, but I am feeling non-productive, somewhat aimless, and now wanting to pay for the upgrades to the boat without having to dip into savings, I am searching for a seasonal job in Naples, Florida.
The cruise has been a significant learning experience, much more difficult than I had envisioned, mainly ( I think) because of the pressures due to the goals I had set (getting here before anything untoward happened to Blake or Jay). The trip turned more into a "delivery", than a cruise. Pushing to get here has soured Beth on cruising to the point that she refused to join me in taking the boat south this winter. Even when I threatened to get a bikini clad crew the response was, "Go for it!"
Maybe next season I can slow down and "stop to smell the roses".
What does the future hold? There is an ember of an idea starting to glow in my alleged brain. (Oh! Ralphie! not Cape Breton and the Bras d'or Lakes!) What kind of adventures, imbroglios, vicissitudes are in store for Doc's Holiday next season??
This is the final blog entry for 2012.
I hope y'all have had a few laughs and enjoyed the adventure. If so, please feel free to leave your comments for all to enjoy.
