What a difference a day makes—or in our case, 3 weeks!

I apologize in advance for not keeping you posted with the goings on of Timberwind, but it has been absolutely crazy here. My own arrival in Belfast on June 13th was a whirlwind of activity as we were to be heading out for out first actual sail that afternoon. Friends and family all hopped aboard and hauled sail out into Belfast Bay. The wind and weather were absolute perfection, and the sun kept us warm through the breeze on the water. Admittedly, it took a lot of restraint to not head north to Castine or further east to Buck’s Harbor-- as good as the weather was-- but with Captain Jon Finger and several of the J&E Riggin crew aboard giving us a hand, we had to remember that they had their own boarding schedule to keep!

So many people aboard, and we hadn't even finished the paint job. =)

Back at the dock, there was no lack of things to do. We thanked our friends as they headed back to their jobs, and we got to work as our COI inspection from the USCG was on the quickly approaching Tuesday (the 16th). While Ben was below working on electrical systems and high water alarms, Mouse finished up the rigging needs aloft. Megan, Liz, and I were all spreading paint across sanded and primed surfaces, and Cap was driving hither, thither, and yon, picking up all the materials we needed. Thankfully, the weather was in our favor as we got it all done. A few late nights and long discussions (and a very stubborn running light) later, the crew of Maine DaySail were ready for the boys in blue.

A drizzly and chilly morning greeted us Tuesday, and we all donned our foul-weather gear as we awaited the USCG. The three men arrived at 9AM, and we crew sat and listened as they conferred with Captain Meadows over paperwork, lifejackets, and bulkheads. Did we get everything done? I wondered. By lunch, we had a fairly short list of things to do (mostly with labeling hatches and heads), and we were feeling pretty confident about our afternoon test out on the water. Fore and staysail raised, we bumped along into the foggy mist with our trusty yawl boat pushing us through the channel. As soon as we cleared the last mooring, I turned back to Cap only to see Oscar (our friendly, neighborhood mannequin) being tossed over by Jim the Coastie.

“Man overboard!” he yelled.

Springing into action, we had Oscar retrieved and back into the boat in under 5 minutes! We went through fire and abandon ship drills, talked about extinguishers and all the procedures. Around 4PM, we made it back to our dock with a USCG seal of approval on our COI!! With only a couple things to label and adjust and a week to get them done, we finished our Tuesday with sleepy smiles of relief. Grateful for the next day to rest, we all headed home from a very productive day.

We're just beginning the sailing season now, so stay tuned for stories to come!

THE BLOG

Three is the magic number...