Sailing Grace
Summer dreams

We brought Grace home to our yard several weeks ago, put a frame up and covered her for the winter months. It was cold, sad work. We are still feeling our disappointment in NOT being South for the winter, this in spite of loving Maine, home, friends, family and community. We'll enjoy sailing Maine this spring and summer and will renew our effort to travel the ICW, earlier next fall. But...
Sigh.

David has done the necessary maintenance (I think he feels the disappointment most keenly) and I've washed sails, lines and cleaned up and out. David will, no doubt, continue to "improve" the boat throughout the winter, researching and maybe installing a new depth sounder and autopilot.

I, on the other hand, am ready to be finished with most things boat until April. Of course, I'll attend to emergencies, should they arise (please, no) and will enjoy warm, spring thaw-type days (such as today when we repaired some leaks in the cover), organizing and day-dreaming about our summer sails. Already I've "planned" to get the boat in the water in early May (David hates it when I make these arbitrary "plans") and have set aside the first 2 weeks in June for a down east get-away, shake down cruise with David and maybe Amelia.

But for now, I need a rest from the boat. Our focus has been on her for more than 7 months. While I'm not excited to be in Maine for the winter, I am enjoying a shift in focus to community and home. Ready for my winter sport of reading in front of the wood stove.

Grace snug and tucked in close to our land home for the winter

 Looking forward to continuing, or starting, a Sailing with Grace blog next spring. Blessings abound.

Yowsers! Busy days settling (?) Grace for the winter. She has more systems and is larger than Compass Rose.

A friend suggested we could truck Grace south and join the boat after Christmas in say, Georgia, thus skipping the lousy weather and fear about boating so late in the season. Intriguing....for only a few minutes from my perspective. Friend? David and I made a "let's sleep on it" agreement. Next morning over coffee we decided to bring the boat home and conclude our ICW ambitions for this season. We're both pretty exhausted by this entire effort which has held our attention and most of our time and money since April. Let's see, that's 7 months (!) with David doing most of the physical and mental work and me providing support (financial and emotional with a bit of physical boat work). The idea of opening another chapter of ICW/Grace this year...? No. I couldn't do it. So, she's home in our driveway.

Expanded driveway, Grace field:

In Slings again at Brewer's Freeport Marina

Our own personal living room sail loft:

With kitty helping:

A Snug fit. Almost lost the grill on this move. About a 12" clearance!!! And nearly as stressful as the nor'easter in Scituate.

View from David's office window.

It snowed here already! Below is one of sails, post-washing and trying to dry. It feels cold and damp even though the temperature isn't THAT low at 39 degrees in the middle of the day today. Chill definitely in the air. But Amelia and I are sitting in front of glowing embers in the wood stove.

Sail "drying" in the snow

Last 2014 motor down river

We're decommissioning Grace. It's a sad thing to be doing given our ambitions for this winter of living on her in a sunny, warm, Southern clime...but must be done.

Awaiting taking the masts down

Taking the masts down is something like neutering one's favorite pet. At least it is a reversible process. And she still has lovely lines and looks sturdy which she is.

Neutered Grace. She'll travel over land better this way.

Thinking of expanding our lower driveway to more easily accommodate her living here beside us this winter.

Also toying with the idea of having her shipped/trailered (by a professional, not us) to SC or GA next month and we'd fly or drive down and continue south, as planned. Or bag the sailing idea for this year and go to Spain for a couple of weeks to visit friends, Dick and Nora.

We are both blessed...and cursed...with possibilities and options.

At the beginning of our trip I tried to get a photo of Two Lights. I managed on the return though it is NOT postcard material.

Warm, foggy day. Lovely, really lovely, in a blurry sort of way. Lots of boats coming out of the water at Brewer's Freeport Marina where Grace is docked temporarily. I made a trip to take all the food off the boat, so we'd have food at home. Later in the afternoon David and I stripped the sails, packed some clothes and moved our books off...stripped the aft cabin berth... We'd provisioned Grace well for an extended journey.

I'm settling back onto land with less despondency. I realize, though, that I'd high hopes of using this water journey as a place/time to ponder how I might want to use my time and energy (talents?) during the coming 10 years. I'm privileged with good health and a modicum of wealth that allows me to not strive regularly for food, shelter, warmth. So, how to use my available time/energy purposefully? It is harder to ponder these/this question(s) in my "home" environment when there are so many pulls at my attention...hard to keep eye on the prize...or to know what the prize is. Sigh. Turns out self-discipline is not my strong suit...and waiting, quietly...meditative state isn't either. Still...

Sorry I didn't get a photo of Grace in the pink light of fog. She knows how to sit...waiting, quietly...mediative state...waiting...patiently...

Less bummed out today. Holding all these disparate emotions - disappointed, relieved, confused, grateful...We humans. Flexible. I realized that I'd placed a lot of hopes/expectations on this journey - hoping to challenge some familiar habits, get out of regular environment to take a look at other possibilities, other options about how to use my time and energy. Maybe w/no pressing commitments beyond boat safety and food, there would be clarity and decision. Walking back into our wonderful home I was faced with familiar habits, regular environment and lack of clarity. Gotta get that by another avenue, I guess.

On the plus side of the "journey" balance sheet - I'm much more comfortable estimating distances on the charts, even finding where I am on the chart. I know how to use the Elderige tide book. I know more about effect of wind on waves and how to manage effect on steering a course. I know the sequence for starting and stopping the engine. And, I have a new app on my smart phone that predicts the wind speed and direction. Not rocket science but good to be somewhat conversant. I can turn on the heat and cook on the propane stove

We put some good systems in place during our 2+weeks on board.

And today, we got to SAIL for the first time since leaving, only my 3rd sail. Maggie joined us. We got 4 sails shaken out and working, 10 degrees of tilt, 6 knots. Beautiful sun. Not too cold. Just between Bustin and Little Bustin, then round little Bustin and sail to our red nun, then motor back to the dock. Totally delicious.  Maybe the photos Maggie made will be available tomorrow.

Yesterday morning in Kittery the decks were icy, a clear indication that it is time to be home. Beautiful morning. Foggy windows made navigating out the river a bit dicey but a combination of "wipe the windows" and "stick my head out the door" made it possible to avoid lobster pots, lobster boats, and see the navigational buoys.

Glassy ocean for the first couple of hours of the trip, light wind at our backs as we headed along rather familiar coast of southern Maine. The wind and waves picked up a bit but never too rough, maybe 2' waves plus the ocean swell...it was swell! It was warm enough that both David and I spelled each other from the helm and took breaks on the aft deck (until I suggested that was too much trouble to look back to make sure he'd not fallen overboard) and the foredeck. Lovely watching the waves as Grace easily plowed through them. The vibration of that powerful engine and the sound of the splash of the waves stimulated....my bladder. And there was the long view making way for expansive, questioning thinking and just plain joy and gratitude.

Long View

We decided to continue to Freeport even though it meant a 9+ hour sailing/motoring day. Lots of standing at the helm as the seas were rough enough to require constant attention and handling of the boat - not "heavy" helm exactly but erratic helm...sort of like driving a car on bumpy, twisty and unfamiliar roads...in the dark. Constantly alert trying to anticipate where the next wave will head you (generally off course) and mitigating that effect as much as possible. Pretty physically and mentally active.

Dick and Nora called us as we passed the beach they walk at K'bunkport. "We see you!" I waved in their direction but couldn't really see them.

As we passed Cousins Island I l slowed the rpms, slowing our progress home. Didn't want to get there too fast. Disappointment settled into my spirit, though David was more sanguine. Familiarity was wonderful...and I'm totally appreciative and know this was the correct, prudent decision but...disappointment.

Shannon gathered us. I brought Amelia home and she immediately took to the stairs...away from all things "travel".  I remained totally blessed.