Welfare Fleet Cruise 2012 - New Idea!

[Chris Coose]

Fort Island, Damariscotta River. Long weekend camping and small boat sailing, rowing or paddling.

Steven and Mary don't have the August week and I am tentative about a week this August to be out.

Larger boats could be directly across the river anchored in Seal Cove.

Fort can accomodate something like 18 campers. It has a sweet little protected cove for beaching about anything including a boat like Victoria. Launching is easy at the Gut in S Bristol or over in East Boothbay. Fort is about 1.5 miles up the river.
Fort is at the Narrows of the Damariscotta. It is crazy tidal flow all around the island (except in the cove). Eagles all over the place. The camping ground is extraordinary.

How about a little feedback.
Except for August the island is mostly vacant on weekends I wouldn' recommend a typical holiday weekend.



Fort island in #4 on the map

[Red_Doc]

That sounds different, great i guess, never been there (also great).

We would love to join, maybe in the early fall when the weather's cooler and there are no crowds?

It could be 2 adults and 2 children on our end in a Bolger Chebacco.

[rbgarr]

I/we're in, and we can tow fleet members up river and down if there's no wind. Let us know Chris, if and when it's on.

[Todd D]

I would like to come down. Depends on weather though since it is a two day run to get there and two days home.

[Chris Coose]

30 billion gallons of water run in and out of that river every 6 hours. Since February lots has changed for me too as far as summer plans goes. I will be on the river that usual 3rd week in August and family is coming in.
I'm down with Red Doc's recommendation.

Plan for a rendevous in September or some time like that and see who can make it and we'll call it a cruise.

Name a weekend and we'll run it up the flag pole. Even if it's just a few of us. I've got a spare Blue Jay, canoe and a couple kayaks somebody can commandere.

Cool. It really is a spectacular spot and it's not crazy getting to.

My house is #8 on map. The island is less than a couple miles away.

[StevenBauer]

So Mary's work is letting her take some vacation this summer after all. She's off the week of August 13th to the 17th. So even with Talisman out of the water we are in for some Welfare Fleet action. I like the Fort Island idea. We could launch at Bittersweet Boatyard. Chris will bring Jasmine, can anyone else make those dates work for them?

[StevenBauer]

So here is the latest on the Welfare Fleet 2012. Talisman is not in the water but Mary got some time off so we are planning a long weekend from Thursday aug 16th until Sunday aug 19th. We will be sailing on Chris's new boat. I'm not sure how far we will get, maybe stay in northern Casco Bay. Can any of you guys make that timeframe?

Steven

[Chris Coose]

My August vacation is for the next week. Glad Mary got some time and you guys get out.
September and October vacations are still open.

[StevenBauer]

The Cruise is on! We are heading up the New Meadows River on our way to the Basin. if any of you guys are around stop in and say hello.


Steven

[StevenBauer]

[Willin']

The Cruise is on! We are heading up the New Meadows River on our way to the Basin. if any of you guys are around stop in and say hello.


Steven

Hey Steven, we may motor over to say hello in Monkey Baby on Saturday if you're still around and the weather's good. We didn't launch Drift this year either. It's been killing me.

[StevenBauer]

On our way to Five Islands, Georgetown.

[John B]

Hey Steven, we may motor over to say hello in Monkey Baby on Saturday if you're still around and the weather's good. We didn't launch Drift this year either. It's been killing me.

Say it isn't so. How do you live?

What boat are you on Steven?

[StevenBauer]

Mary and I are crew this year on Chris's new Pearson 30. New to him at least. We had a little of everything today - rain, sun, fog - but plenty of wind.



We passed Noble Cab off Small Point this afternoon, the Atkin tunnel stern boat that Alex Hadden built.



I got pics of some other nice boats but they are on the camera. I can only post phone pics til I get home Sunday.

Here's another Atkin design we saw in Potts Harbor:







We are sailing with Gary in his Tartan 27. At least our dinghys are wooden.

[StevenBauer]

Absolutely glorious sailing today! We are heading out past Seguin Island to get around Small Point. Heading for Ridley Cove.

[StevenBauer]

We sailed in to Ridley Cove with a Shields Class sailboat. It's pretty nice here. We managed to get settled and cook some chicken on the Cobb Cooker before the crazy thunderstorms hit. All quiet now.

[StevenBauer]

We are at Jewell Island for the night. We'll head back to Portland in the morning

[George Jung]

It's like winning the lottery every single day, isn't it?

I'm green.

[StevenBauer]

It's true, George. We feel very lucky when we are out cruising the Maine Coast. Here's a little video I took about twenty minutes ago. Those guys that are aground should be ok. Low tide is in about 20 minutes. They'll float free an hour or so after that.

[bamamick]

Wonderful stuff, Mr. Bauer. It has rained here every day but one for the last five or six weeks (it seems. I really can't remember). And unlike Maine, where a cold rain can be somewhat invigorating, I would guess, this rain comes with a hot fug that just sucks the energy right out of you and takes away any interest in doing anything but waiting for dryer weather. Everything here is green. The swamp is trying to eat my house, my boat covers are all mildewed, as are the boats themselves, and my vehicles are all covered in paw prints from the cats trying to find a dry place to lie down. The dogs get kind of frantic from time to time because they don't like their feet getting wet, and I get kind of frantic because I just want to be somewhere else, for just awhile, at least.

Fall is coming, slowly but surely. That may be a sad thing for New Englanders, but for us it is the breath of life! Enjoy what's left of summer, guys.

Mickey Lake

[StevenBauer]

Fall isn't really sad up here. I guess a tiny bit, but Fall sailing is awesome.

We are home now. We met the owner of Dovetail, the Herreshoff 31 cat ketch that was at the WoodenBoat Show in June. We were both at Jewell Island last night. What a wonderful boat. We hope to get out sailing on her soon. I'll try to get some more pics up tonight.

Steven

[Willin']

Hey Steven, we put in at Mere Point about noon and motored down to the lobster boat races, calling you on 16 periodically all afternoon. Guess you were already in, dang it.

Nice afternoon on the water anyway.

[StevenBauer]

Sorry we missed you. Chris had a date in Portsmouth so we were back on the mooring by 1. We saw the tugboats racing from the dock. Impressive clouds of smoke and even more impressive bow waves! Did you see the light blue Herreshoff cat ketch? They were heading up to Eagle Island.

Steven

[Willin']

May have, but in that chop and that crowd my mind was elsewhere. We rescued a broken down whaler north of the Baxter School, and had to tow him up to Handy's, that took up a bit of the afternoon, the rest of the day was splendid.

[Yeadon]

I'd pretty much rather go cruising for a week than other type of vacation you could ever dream up. More photos!

[rbgarr]

Hmm. What's Noble Cab doing down this way? The owner lives in Portsmouth NH. I wonder if she's sold it or has Alex taking care of the boat for her.

Did you speak to someone aboard the double ended ketch? She looks like a John Hanna Tahiti ketch to me.

Next year The Welfare Fleet Cruise should coordinate with the Small Reach Regatta for the Muscongus Bay event.

We passed Noble Cab off Small Point this afternoon, the Atkin tunnel stern boat that Alex Hadden built.



I got pics of some other nice boats but they are on the camera. I can only post phone pics til I get home Sunday.

Here's another Atkin design we saw in Potts Harbor:







We are sailing with Gary in his Tartan 27. At least our dinghys are wooden.