slosh, slosh, slosh, ripple
at the bow
/ bowsprit
one porpoise
then three
approaching Castine

topsail, top’sal
still motoring along
sound of chainsaw from shore
a nasty mosquito

Dice light

The difference a week can make.
You never know what we'll churn up in cleaning a stall
slosh, slosh, slosh, ripple
at the bow
/ bowsprit
one porpoise
then three
approaching Castine

topsail, top’sal
still motoring along
sound of chainsaw from shore
a nasty mosquito

Dice light

The difference a week can make.
is that Belfast?
in this haze
a more realistic day
moving slow
but moving
Peter must be napping
also, the cook
against Islesboro
after Deer Isle
not that I noticed the shift

3:59 and we still haven’t settled for the night
Faint view of the Fort Knox Narrows Bridge spires
the captain stands at the helm no matter the weather

marking entry to Eggemoggin Reach
below Castine

the free lighthouse guide I brought along
2013 edition I see now
newsprint
has no mention of Saddleback Ledge light
not to be confused with Saddleback Island
other than a listing
no photo or description
nor does it list Eastport as a harbor
nor Lubec
though Calais somehow counts
buoys: green have flat tops
red, coneheads
Eggemoggin Reach
the Deer Isle bridge ahead
we’ll barely clear
six inches or sixty feet, what’s the difference?
other than a margin of error
the electronic gizmo’s
soundings in feet
at mean lower low water
I got to steer today
a feel of command
aiming for the arch of the bridge

Taking forever to get to the span
Deer Isle Bridge, as seen by vehicular traffic
Eggemoggen Reach Bridge from the water
a fixed bridge meaning
it doesn’t draw open
one more detail on the chart
(see Note B)
which I can’t find anywhere
until it’s pointed out in the margin,
same color type as the notice

we’re pushed by Greyhound
the inboard yawl
the motor behind me as a drone note
humming above lapping water
people bundled up this morning muted sun water depth 64
just gone to 72
Eggemoggen Reach broader
than Friar’s Road
where I live

With winter fast approaching, what could be more comforting than these, especially on a lazy weekend morning?
Perhaps, even, waking up to the aroma of them still in the oven?
Oh, lucky me!
this lapping water is a nagging unease
so far from a destination
you can address

do I walk as fast as we’re sailing?
a fathom is essentially an arm span
how far the sound carries
that lawnmower
I think we’re heading the wrong direction
with someone new at the helm
how can they see ahead
from way back there?

I’m freezing
ready on the down haul
island hopping
today’s cold
except in the galley
a day centered on shades of gray
trimmed in green and faint blue

slow bell
buoy, white and red
slow bell lazy-like,
lulling slow sea

we’re sailing about 1.3 knots
three times faster than I could swim
without a current
either way
Every morning, we had to lift anchor to get on our way. Our schooner relied on a four-person winch, plus a helper to keep the anchor chain orderly for the trip.


top of the ladder
up the hatch this morning
broke out laughing
we’re in a bank of heavy fog
just like home
an hour later it’s lifting
and a decent breeze from NE kicks in

this cold fog
is a state of flight

Our home renovation project work continues, but for long stretches it seems like nothing’s happening. Those unseen details are important, all the same.
And then, seemingly in a flash, developments become obvious.
The latest example is on the front upstairs, now that the roof is raised, the top’s covered in standing-seam metal roofing, and the windows are finally obvious.




I must admit being a little nervous about the planning, inside and out, but now that they’re in place, I’m feeling excited and even confirmed. Whew!
Now, for some cedar-shake siding!