Tag: Travel

Doctor T at sea

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

The world of wooden sailing vessels has many devotees, and they have a trove of stories linking captains, ships, first mates, cooks, builders, designers, and much more.

Dr. T, as Garth Wells dubs him, is a passionate Penobscot Bay habitue  each year from San Francisco. He has a sharp eye for the waters, too, as well as some strong opinions.

Sailing with him aboard the historic schooner Louis R. French has been a delight.

For more schooner sailing experiences, take a look at my Under Sail photo album at Thistle Finch editions.

Deer Island Lighthouse

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

Across the Western Passage of Passamaquoddy Bay from Eastport, Maine, this small beacon flashes red at night. It’s also a warning of proximity to the Old Sow, the biggest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, and mostly on the Canadian side of the channel, as you can see here in one of its calmer phases.

To explore related free photo albums, visit my Thistle Finch blog.

Historic St. Croix Island viewed from the north

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

The first French attempt to colonize North America took place in 1604 on this island in the St. Croix River but ended disastrously. The historic site is now an international park between Maine, USA, and New Brunswick, Canada.

Access to the island itself appears to be problematic.

Here it is seen from Ganong Nature Park (east of St. Stephen, New Brunswick) at the confluence of Pagans Cove, Oak Bay, and the Waweig River while the St Croix River veers off to the west and quickly narrows before continuing the international border.

All you can eat

~ Jnana Hodson ~ 1 Comment

A Penobscot Bay windjammer cruise typically includes a lobster bake, though technically the crustaceans are boiled or steamed with corn on the cob. The event takes place on any of a number of uninhabited islands along the way.

It does mean going ashore, of course.

For the record, last summer I ate 3½ lobsters – hey, they were small chix – but a shipmate managed 6½, just shy of the Louis R. French record of seven. Had she known, I would have cheered her on.

For those of a more squeamish nature, hot dogs and other hot goodies are offered, along with gooey s’mores, as long as the wood fire continues.

For more schooner sailing experiences, take a look at my Under Sail photo album at Thistle Finch editions.

An air of a ghost town

~ Jnana Hodson ~ Leave a comment

Much of Way Downeast Maine stirs up echoes of the American Far West, at least in the eyes of some, and that includes impressions of ghost towns.

The downtown of Lubec has some prime examples, including this imposing waterfront emporium that was the headquarters for R.J. Peacock company’s wide-ranging sardine operations.

I think the structure has a slight resemblance to the long-gone steamship wharf that once welcomed passengers just below our house in Eastport. This one is still standing.

To explore related free photo albums, visit my Thistle Finch blog.