The Kids are Grown? and Back Home!

     During the entire cruise from Texas I had visualized the scenes of coming home: my grandson Blake sitting on my knee driving the boat; my dear friends Jay Hinson and Marshall Lucas beside me at the helm listening to the stereo that is so exquisite, "we could hear the saliva dripping from the jazz saxophone!"; the giggling, squeeling and laughter from our grandchildren Faith, Kathleen, Blake and Joey; inhaling the cool fresh healing salt air from Passamaquoddy Bay; and revelling in the majesty of the most amazing tapestry of colour, as the thick sea smoke retreated back out to the ocean when the sun rose in the morning; but what I hadn't imagined, was the impact of the beauty of down east Maine on our children, now grown and returning with their loved ones who had never seen this part of the world before.

                                                                           
                                                               RJ and Alisa  

                                                            Nick and Wendy    

                                                                                                                                                                   

     Alisa, RJ's wife was at times solemn, pensive and enthralled by the beauty and power of the water and islands of Passamaquoddy Bay.  She relayed to us that she had a "moment" (an epiphany) during our passage through Little Letitte Passage on our way to Pendleton Island. She described it as a feeling of complete calmness, oneness, of feeling and being in the moment.  She could now understand why people went boating...it was just so... relaxing...so beautiful.  To this successful and accomplished physician with a career in Dermatopathology, used to making, explaining and teaching about the diagnosis and treatment of life threatening skin cancers and dealing with the hospital related pressures of her work world, this excursion into the beauty and calm of a down east Maine summer was a true mental panacea.
     As for her husband, our son......it was a return to the wholesomeness of his youth.  His brother Nick quickly challenged him to a jump off the top of the boat into the frigid 50 degree water ("only that warm on the top!" according to a squeeling RJ).  RJ was quick to respond with a challenge of "Oh Ya! all the way to the beach and back!"....their squeeling and cursing had all of us on the boat crying with laughter...especially when they realized they had to swim back to the boat!...see video!

                                                                                     
                      RJ and Nick swim to Pendleton Island Beach....blast from the past!!!

                                                                  
         As if they did not have enough.....now from the fly bridge.... only 25 years later!              

     Although their stay was short, they got to spend time with their nieces and nephews and even ran into some old friends as they strolled through the Calais downtown street fair.  The visit left them with a taste for more; so we hope they will be able to find more time in their heavy professional schedule to visit soon.  RJ and Alisa we all miss you and hope you can start "coming home" more often.  

                                                                                
                                                               A Moment.......

cruising the St. Croix River Valley

     It has been difficult to keep up with the blog while entertaining friends and family, not only whale watching, but relearning the waters of passamaquoddy bay.What a treat reliving our younger days cruising the St. Croix river from Calais, Me {St. Stephen, N.B.} to Eastport, Me.  In the 22 foot cruiser with which we used to ply these waters, the currents were easy to handle, but now are an issue, especially when trying to dock. 

                                                                 Calais low tide
                                                                            

Calais High Tide

St. Stephen  low tide

St. Stephen, High Tide

     Marshall Lucas and I had all the bumpers and lines placed as we approached the Calais dock with trepidation.  Beth was waiting to insure the lines were quickly wrapped around the cleats, but I had miscalculated the tide and instead of arriving at full slack tide we were late by about 45 minutes and the tide and current were running at least 8 knots! Beth deftly wrapped the spring line but  without bow and  stern thrusters and the wind and current  pushing us hard away from the dock, it was all I could do to get the aft and nose 4 feet from the dock! The floating dock was actually cross ways to the constant 4 knot current and the tide was running at at least 4 knots!  Three of us could only pull Doc's Holiday to within 3 feet of the dock, but we were tied in. We patiently waited until  low slack tide and with the strength added by a few celebratory cocktails, we easily pulled the boat up  tight to the dock.
     Calais is worth the effort to visit.  The free floating dock is handy to several small parks, the down town park has a free concert every Tuesday evening, there is a "Heritage Centre" run by the Passamaquoddy Indians. several eateries and pubs and a local Nappa store (for those who need parts or repairs) are all within a 3 block radius. On top of that the bridge to Canada is within walking distance, giving one access to all the Canadian shops, souvenirs and for those of you who love chocolate, Ganongs chocolate factory. Just remember to bring your passport so you can walk back into the good ole u.s.a.
     On talking with the Calais city manager Diane Barnes, and her assistant Jim Porter, it was obvious that they see the water front and  attracting cruising boats as something worth developing.  My suggestion was to add a source of water, 50 amp electric, place a few stout moorings, and cruisers will come. Yes it is a challenge to time the tide, narrows and current, but that really is even more reason for them to head up to what is essentially a unique down home safe protected destination point.

                                                                 Hands across the Border
                                                                 ( click on pic to enlarge)

     International Festival officially started with a ceremony in the middle of Ferry Point Bridge with the pomp and pageantry of flags and the official hand shake across the border between the two mayors.  We joined in with a loud blast from Doc's Holidays' air horns.  You can find a list of all the activities scheduled for the next two weeks on Google- Calais International Homecoming Festival, but I want to mention one we attended. A Celtic music group called "Ashlin".... a group of 5 girls from St. John's Newfoundland  aged 17 to 24 who by the way, still live in the same house to which they were born (with one bathroom! one of the girls quipped).  They just returned from a tour in Ireland and had one more stop before they were to return to school in Newfoundland.  The youngest was still in High School and  the others were enrolled in business degree and music degree courses at Memorial University in St. John's.  This is a talented up and coming group that you will no doubt hear about in the future and is indicative of the  unique quality entertainment Calais and the International Festival is acquiring.
   Many friends dropped in to say hello and take pictures of the boat. A visit from my former employee, Tammy Davis, was especially appreciated as we relived fun and challenging times we had during our very busy office medical practice.
   Knowing that more family would be arriving from Montana and will want to go whale watching off  Campobello, we decided to take the boat back to Eastport to await their arrival.  Brother in law Danny Collins and his daughters Emma and Molly thought this would be a great time to try some Mackerel fishing but the fog closed in before we could get to try, so we quickly tied up and headed to the wharf where Molly and I caught our first fish...ever!  In fact we caught three at the same time.  For those of you who haven't fished for Mackerel  all it takes is rigging up three colorful hooks on the same line...they will bite at anything that moves!  Fun and very tasty if cooked right, but Danny was going to use them for baiting bear this season!

                                                                       Four at a time

The Reason for Coming Home Now

                         
                                      3300 miles... and....this one moment.....made it all 
                                                              worthwhile!
                     
    One of the major reasons for bringing the boat home is my grandson, Blake.   At age 5 Blake was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a particularly nasty form of brain cancer.  He underwent 12 hours of brain surgery and over the last two years has withstood the horrors of full spinal cord radiation treatment, full course chemotherapy, a centrally placed venous access device and a peg tube (a feeding tube place directly through his abdominal wall into his stomach). He has overcome his post surgical imbalance and incooridantion  and though frail is still able to laugh and joke and sit on his Pappa's knee and drive the boat. Two years ago when I was holding him he asked if he could go for a ride on my boat...I promised him yes..... we went for that ride this weekend.

                                                                                   
                                                                                  

                                                                             

                                                                                  
    I honestly didn't think I would be able to fulfil that promise, but as I cuddled him in my arms and sat him on my knee to drive the boat this weekend, I felt extremely fortunate to be able to be with him and thankful for the Canadian Medical System that achieved such a great result.
   As the grandchildren, Kathleen, Joey and little Miss Faith tore through the boat giggling, laughing and wowing at the seals, porpoises and one whale they saw blowing, their parents kept their promise to not get sea sick and seemed equally thrilled to see the bay of Fundy from a boat perspective.
     We anchored off of Pendleton Island for a barbecue of hot dogs, red snappers (a distinctly down east form of hot dog) and hamburgers. The boys, Nick and Geordie, recalled former days when we would bring them here to swim in the warm salt water swimming pools formed with the right tide, on the inside of Pendleton Island.  One challenge lead to another and before we knew it they jumped off the boat into the frigid (52 deg!) ocean water...not quite how they remembered it from their youth! Both appeared to be talking in high squeaky voices after the event!

                                                                                   

     We broke out the fishing poles but the kids were not lucky enough to catch anything, even though we tried their idea of putting pieces of hot dogs on the hooks.
      As the temperature started to drop with the lowering sun, we cruised back to the dock, tired and thrilled that we could spend a day with family.

                                                                               

                                                              Everyone was tired!!

                                                                                    

We are looking forward to future family trips  into the Saint Croix River Valley and along the Fundy coast this summer.

The Canadians

     Its been a long time since we got to party with our Canadian friends Joan and Brian Narrowmore.

                                                                  Joan and Brian
                                                                                   
      We introduced them many years ago and wound up at a party at my then residence ...a camp on the ledge in St Stephen's N. B.  That introduction culminated in them forming a long term relationship doing something we all swore we wouldn't do again....get married!
   We met at the boat in Eastport along with Marshall and Ruth Lucas, Joe and Cindy McMahon . and Brian's daughter and husband, Frank McCallum and Staci. They brought salads, vegetables,cheese and fruit platters and of course adult beverages and we supplied the hamburgers, hot dogs and barbecue.
    The sun was bright and warm as we left the dock at Seaview campground but the air chilled as we entered the open water to Passamaquoddy Bay and got down right cold as we exited into the Atlantic past Head Harbour Light House. This didn't deter the Canadians who sat openly on the sun pads out front, braving the chilly breeze to try and spot a whale. We glided past harbour seals, cormorants and lots of porpoise as we entered Head Harbour.

                                The Canadians!!!! Stacey, Brian, Joe, Frank, Cindy and Joan.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                            Head Harbour Lighthouse and "The Wolves"

                                                                               
                                                                     Harbour Seals

     Head Harbour is a scenic working (fishing/lobstering) harbour that is very secluded and protected from the wind.  We quickly warmed up and they got the photo op of a lifetime as we exited with Head Harbour Light House standing proudly at the entrance to the bay. Joe actually knew a girl who lived at the lighthouse when she was young.  Her father was the light house keeper during the early years, before things became computerized.

                                                                                
                                                                          Joe

     We meandered through the islands around Deer Island, avoiding the ferries and struggling somewhat against the tidal currents to enter Little Letete Passage.  Rocky granite and sandstone cliffs were topped with towering evergreen trees that added an extra fragrance to the pure smelling salty sea air. The passage is narrow and though not a fiord, gives one the  uneasy feeling of being up close and personal with the towering cliffs.  We rounded the point and easily glided into an anchorage off of Pendelton Island. 
     The party began in earnest, after an impressively rapid consumption of Black Velvet Whiskey and Beer. The occasional roll of the boat from passing whale watching cruises didn't deter the dancing and frivolity on deck.  There were a few stumbles, but no significant injury and everyone was enjoying the music when Stacey decided to relive her youth and go for a swim in the frigid water of the Atlantic.  Now we are not talking a quick jump in jump out dip.....no, a true down home Canadian is much heartier...she went for a 20 minute swim around the boat.

                                                                                      

                                                                                  
     As the sun sank in the western sky we turned on Jimmy Buffett and watched from the upper deck as Joan and Brian and company danced most of the way back to dock.

                                                                                     

      They had drivers waiting for them at the dock knowing that they probably wouldn't be able to navigate their car safely home. With hugs and kisses we said goodbye as they playfully laughed and giggled there way up the hilly driveway to head home.
 Beth and I looked knowingly at each other as she commented,"I bet there will be some headaches in the morning!"
      "Probably not." I replied. "After all, they are Canadians."

Best Friends

     I have known Jay and Karyn Hinson for over 30 years and they have been special to me since day one.  Sitting in my newly acquired family practice office one cold, blustery winter morning in 1983, I received an urgent call from Karyn requesting I make a house call, since Jay was having significant difficulty with depression and would not come in to town to visit a physician. They were not patients of mine at the time, but it sounded serious enough that I acquiesced and found myself trudging through hip level snow into a home Jay had designed and built, known throughout the area as "the tower". We immediately became friends and eventually I wound up living with them when I went through my divorce.
     The tower was octagonally shaped and 3 floors high with sliding glass doors that opened on to balconies on the river side, allowing expansive view of Devil's Head and the Saint Croix River. The third floor which had soft carpet covered stadium seating, opened to a balcony that had a ladder leading to the roof.  The roof had a railing on which one side had a green navigation light and the other a red.  From the river this gave the appearance that the tower was a huge ship coming across the cliff to the river.
     Music was piped in to all the floors with a stereo system that Jay would claim was so exquisite "you can hear the saliva dripping from the french horns!" The second floor had a player piano which accompanied many a hoarsed voiced singer into the wee hours of the morning. Fun, romance (I treated a few rug burned knees from the 3rd floor) and drama, all combined to make this a secure refuge from the work world, but the biggest attraction was Jay, himself.
     Jay was the owner and publisher of not one but two newspapers, the Calais Advertiser and the Machias Daily News.  He is known for his articulately written cutting editorials, his intriguing photography and his love for music, jokes and storytelling. It was he who in fact sealed my fate for the love of boating. He once told me a story that put an image of boating in my mind that still fills me with the romance of boating in down east Maine.  At the time his son Eric was just a small child.  Jay, after putting up with the pressures involved with running two newspapers would come home late, bundle up his sleeping boy, and take him to the boat, "Page One".  After Eric was placed in a warm comfortable and secure spot, jay would start the motors.
 "Ralph. You have never seen anything quite as beautiful as the sparkle of the moonlight off of the splashing sea drops as you throw off the mooring line.  Its serene and liberating at the same time." he reflected.  He would then mix a cocktail, put the boat on automatic pilot, turn Frank Sinatra on the stereo and glide along the smooth moonlit water arriving at Eastport as day was dawning.
     Together we survived divorces, child rearing problems and the vicissitudes of politics in town and at the local hospital.  I have only been able to see Jay and Karyn intermittently over the last years because of my working in Texas, but at age 90 talking to Jay is as easy as when he was in his 60's.  He is still quick with a joke, a friendly smile and hug, and it is as if there is no time between our conversations...we just pick up where we left off.  I have been promising him that I would get the boat home and take him for a cruise, and last week we did .   It was thrilling to have him name and describe the islands with their own unique beaches and stories, and even though we have heard most of the jokes before...he still tells them with a flourish.

                                                                                 
                                           30 year conversation continues                                                    
                          

                                                               
                                                          Marshall, Ruth and Karyn       
                                                                                      

                                                                                       
                                                                Head Harbour Marina

                                                               
                                                             What do you see????
                

Most photographed Lighthouse....Head Harbour

                                                                                    
      Jay, getting you out on Doc's Holiday has allowed me to accomplish one of my goals in coming home....Thank you and Karyn.  Don't worry I will do the night trip without you.....but I have an exquisite sounding stereo system and all the music you want to hear...just in case you want to come along!
 

Getting situated down home

     Its hard to believe that we have been here only 2 weeks.  It seems we have done so much, so I will try and give you a quick update.

Seaview Campground

                                                                                  

                                                                                
     First we had difficulties with the batteries, they just wouldn't hold a charge for 24 hours.  When first installed the 8D (read huge 150lb truck size batteries) would allow me to anchor out for 2 days without running the generator to recharge them.  This was all important for someone who wants to listen to their stereo all day, keep the beer in both refrigerators cold and make and enjoy coffee in the mornings without the sound of a generator drowning out the morning bird songs. Now I had to run the generator every morning as the voltage was dropping below 11 volts overnight.
     Marshall Lucas, a very practical and mechanically adept person pointed out the obvious and said, "Just change them out.  Put in all new batteries. We can get them from Nappa and have it done in a day!"  Well, it would solve one problem...I had 3 gel cell batteries (which weigh 30 lbs more than the wet cell!)  Apparently it is a no no to have gel and wet cells in the same system and may be part of the reason we were having problems now. The other reason was likely that the batteries were 5 to 7 years old.  Given that I could buy 4 wet cells for the price of one gel cell ($760.00) we sent for the wet cells and with a great deal of exertion, we dove in to the challenge. (let me see....150 to 180 lbs lifted at least 8 batteries X 10 times each....I figure 1300 lbs we lifted that day! At least that's what I'm going to tell the grandchildren...along with when I was a child I didn't get a car ride to school... I had to walk to school in the wind and snow... uphill.... both ways!) Marshall and I both took 2 days to recover but I say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" so I guess we are a little bit stronger, ugh!
     Why didn't I just plug the boat in to power?  This is true down east Maine.  There are no full service marinas, but there are some very resourceful people and Basil Pottle is one of them. Basil owns and operates Seaview Campground in Eastport, Maine.
 "No problem Ralph, I've got a dock and we will just run you some water and power right to your boat." he said.  It took a few days but he was true to his word and now I don't have to visit the boat daily to charge the batteries and my beer stays cold. 
     Basil is a true "down homer" and really deserves to have a whole book written about him.  He has been a fisherman/lobsterman most of his life and has successfully built a campground and, along with his son, is in the process of completing what will be the largest lobster pound on the coast of Maine.  Energetic, resourceful, a reputation for treating people fairly and a hard worker, Basil can be found each evening in the kitchen preparing superb down east seafood, served well and fairly priced.

                                                                               Basil                                                                           

     Frank has been a fixture of the Seaview scene. His home is Fort Lauderdale in the winter and has helped Basil with the cooking, building and bar tendering ever since his first visit 14 years ago.  Friendly, informative, helpful and makes a cocktail that is worth the price. Together they organize weekend "all you can eat buffets, parties with  either a band or DJ, Luaus, and dances.  It is a fun place to be.
     

                                                                               
                                                                              Frank 

      It's rustic, scenic, and I can only describe the air as something you have to experience to appreciate.  If there is a healing power to the smell of sea air, this is the place you will heal. The air has a refreshing, clean, cool scent that is totally different from anything we experienced in our 3,300 miles of cruising.  Temperatures in the 80's and 90's during the day felt cool with the constant ocean breeze and no air conditioning required with temps in the 60's at night.

                                                                                     

                                                                       
                                                   Seaview Campground Sunset   

      A slight morning chill demanded a wrap with a blanket as we sat with  steaming cups of hot coffee watching the morning mist rise from the calm sea water.  Peaceful, serene views of Deer Island, Eastport and Campobello Island reminded me of the reasons I call this home.
     For you cruisers following this blog, I hesitate to tell you to head this way because I enjoy the solitude, the remoteness, and the feeling that I have this mostly to myself...but I would feel selfish and remiss in not advising you stalwart cruisers to come on....come enjoy the scenery and and pure down home friendliness of the Saint Croix River Valley and Passamaquoddy Bay.
    

Southwest Harbour to Eastport, Maine

    Even though we needed the rest, waiting for two days was agonizingly long.  So close, yet so far away! Like a child the night before Christmas, I felt a nervousness in the pit of my stomach. Although anxious to get going there was no way I was going to "go for it", jump to soon and have the last leg of the trip wined up in a rough ride in unpleasant weather....but it sure didn't look like the perfect day was coming along anytime in the next week!  As I watched the second day go by that in retrospect would not have been the best day, but we certainly could have had a reasonable ride...I broke.."Damn it! I muttered, !We are going in the morning.  We will use the same plan that has worked all along. Leave early and get in to an anchorage if the wind comes up as it is predicted to do in the afternoon."
      Looking askance Beth shrugged her shoulders and asked, "All the way or are we going to anchor out half way at Roques Island?"
 "We'll stop if it gets too rough," I responded.
     Up at 4:30 I made the coffee, rolled up the power cord and reworked the dock lines so we could spring out from between two yachts. We pulled out at 5:15 with enough light that we easily maneuvered around the lobster pots.  Reaching open waters, I throttled up and listened to the soothing drone of the big Detroit diesel motors as the boat settled into the rhythmic motion of slow sea swells.  We watched as the morning dawned. The sun dissipated the early morning mist from around the passing islands and the sea turned from a sullen grey to a verdant green.
     The tide which was against us for the first few hours turned and pushed us forward bringing our speed to 11 sometimes 12 knots and within a few hours we passed our first "out", Roques Island.  "The wind hasn't come up yet. Let's go directly across and save an hour," I suggested. "I want to get home.
 Let's go for it! said Beth, so off we went. 

                                                                                    
                                                                                
     Within a short time we began to see the outline of the Cutler Towers.  This is a former naval base that has communication towers visible for miles. It was our last chance to get in out of any inclement weather and the wind was coming up; 4 knot, 8 knot, then 10 knots....but we were only 14 miles from the Lubec Narrows and the relative safety of Fundy Bay. We pushed on as we watched the alternating granite and brown sandstone cliffs pass by.  Grand Mannan island loomed off our starboard bow and although the wind was increasing, because we were only 2 miles off shore, the waves were subdued at 2 feet.... and we raced along.

                                                                                    
                                                                       Cutler Towers
                                                   

                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick


     We strained to make out points that we knew on shore, but it was over 25 years ago when we last made this trip....then there it was....Sail Rock and the most welcome sight on this part of the Maine coast...The East Quoddy Lighthouse...welcoming us into the safety of the narrows between Lubec, Maine and Campobello Island, Canada.

                   
                                                            Sail Rock at 3/4 tide
                                                              

                                                                                
                                                          East Quoddy Lighthouse

                    FDR Bridge linking Lubec Maine and Campobello New Brunswick
                                                                               

                                                
                                                   Canadian Customs and Immigration

                         

                                                                        
                                                        US Customs and Immigration

                                                                                  
                                                                      Lubec, Maine

                                                                                   
                                                                     Eastport, Maine

     We had timed it perfectly. Not only were we getting in just as the wind was increasing but we hit it at an incoming tide which pushed us through the narrows at 12 to 13 knots.  Had we tried to enter on an outgoing tide, our normal 9 knots would no doubt have slowed to 3 and we would probably have had to stay on the outside of Campobello Island and enter from the north (with the tide) through Head Harbour Passage.
     We glided past Eastport and watched as the Ferries shuttled cars from Canada to the USA. Whew! we were in. We could relax.... No! We still had to go between Eastport and Deer Island to get to Seaview camp ground where friends were waiting to help us dock the boat.  The problem was that meant we had to go near what I have been told is the second largest whirlpool in the world....."Old Sow!"  and it is at its worst 2 hours before high tide.....like now!

                                   
                                               Deer Island, N.B. /Eastport Maine  Ferry
                                                                                                                                                              
      Beth cringed as Doc's Holiday leaned one way then was thrown the other.  I played the throttles and the steering trying to keep the boat on track but Beth hung her head and sat down, moaning, " I hate this motion of the boat! Please hurry up and get through this!"
 "We've been through this before, just in a smaller faster boat, so you didn't notice the power of the whirlpool as much," I tried to reassure her.
 "This is as bad as Hell's Gate! she pleaded.  Within minutes we were through.  No question you wouldn't want to pass this area two hours before high tide in a storm.  "Old Sow" has sucked down a ship or two.
     As we rounded the bend, there they were.  We could see their smiling faces from several boat lengths away, Nick and Wendy our son and daughter-in-law and of course our beautiful little grandaughter, Faith (now getting taller..or maybe she just looked taller  as she was excitedly jumping up and down in anticipation of our arrival!)
     Waiting on the dock to help us get tied in was Marshall and Ruth Lucas, friends we have known for 30 years.... In unison they greeted us with, "Welcome Home Doc!"

                                                          Champagne Toast!