Tag: Maine

What to pack for the trip

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

brought latest Paris Review and Harper’s
as reading along with Vincent Katz pages
maybe stimulation

didn’t read anything, really, apart from some entries
in the free guide to lighthouses I had picked up
nearly a decade earlier

 

So here’s the official advice before setting forth:

We are very relaxed and informal on board, so bring comfortable outdoor clothes. If possible, use a duffel or collapsible bag to pack your gear. Hard suitcases are sometimes difficult to store in the cabins.

The weather may be cool or warm, so include pants, shorts, long and short sleeve shirts, a sweater or sweatshirt and a jacket. When the wind picks up, things cool off, so think layers when you pack.

Don’t forget your bathing suit, either for sunbathing or a quick plunge in the ocean.

Soft soled shoes are best, and an extra pair may come in handy. Sandals also work well on board or on the beaches we visit.

If you have a rain slicker, bring it along just in case. We do have extra rain gear on board if you can’t bring your own.

Also, if you can, check the weather for Camden, Maine online before you pack. It may give you an idea of the specific weather for your trip. But remember that it is always slightly cooler out on the water.

We provide towels, linens, blankets, pillows, and all the food and non-alcoholic drinks. We have an icebox on board for passengers to use if they would like to bring along their own beer, wine, etc.

Bring a camera with extra batteries, sunglasses, lots of sunscreen, a good book, binoculars, a journal, and your musical talents/instruments (if they are transportable!). If you want to sleep on deck under the stars, bring along a sleeping bag. Some folks bring charts or GPS’s to keep up with our route.

Once we leave the dock, we operate on 12 volt DC power. There are USB outlets for charging phones – please bring your own USB cord. We do have limited 110 volt AC power (like in your house) that can be used for medical machines and for occasional charging of batteries. Please let us know when you book if you will be needing 110 volt AC power to operate a medical machine.

A few more things to put Maine in perspective for you

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

Geographically, Maine is the biggest state in New England – almost as large as the other five combined. That still ranks it 39th in size in the USA.

We’re also famed for some very dry humorists and fresh-from-the-sea lobsters the way Vermont’s stuck with maple syrup and a red leaves identity.

Beyond that, here are some other things that are unique to the place.

  1. It’s the only state that borders just one other state. But it’s also the only one that borders three Canadian provinces.
  2. Half of the state is essentially unpopulated – mostly forests, wetlands, black flies, and mosquitoes.
  3. Its craggy coastline is longer than California’s, but shorter than Florida’s and Louisiana’s and, of course, Alaska. While the state and its tidal waters are famed for lighthouses, Michigan – with four of the freshwater Great Lakes ringing its shores – has the most.
  4. The bulk of the population lives within twenty miles of the Atlantic and its tides. Less well known are the interior towns between the ocean and the mountains. Much of that belt’s suffering, economically.
  5. Some of the state’s biggest urban centers are divided into two cities by rivers: Portland/South Portland, Lewiston/Auburn, Bangor/Brewer, Biddeford/Saco, Brunswick/Topsham. Calias/Saint Stephen is complicated by the U.S.-Canada border. Augusta and Waterville are the prime exceptions.
  6. Demographically, Mainers are the oldest folks in the country. The median age is 45.1 years. About 21.2 percent of the residents are 65 and above while only 18.5 percent is under 18.
  7. Despite all the white steeples you see in the photos, Maine is among the four least churched states. Typically, it’s hovering at the bottom, with New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont as rivals. Some of the variation occurs when looking at religious affiliation versus measures of religiosity.
  8. Famed outdoor outfitter L.L. Bean in Freeport can be seen as the epitome of the Pine Tree State. But quirky discount chains Mardens and Remy have their own loyal following, as adventurous visitors discover.
  9. Maine is the leading lobster-producing state in the nation, employing more than 5,600 hundred lobstermen (male and female). The tightly regulated catch contributes more than a billion dollars to the state’s economy.
  10. The state is also famed for its wild, lowbush blueberries. More than 70 percent of them are harvested in Washington County, where I live. Ranked by dollar value in the state’s agricultural output, the berries traditionally come in second, a bit above $100 million a year, but way below the $247 billion potato crop, mostly in Aroostook County to our north or the $137 million milk output statewide. But medical cannabis sales, at $266 million in 2020, surpassed them, and that’s without recreational marijuana figures, $72 million in 2021. They’re expected to go even higher this year.