Thoughts of New England Summer

[joeeb]

I want to recommend tying up in Rockland Harbor during the North Atlantic Blues Festival. You can either listen to the music from your boat(the festival is held 15 feet from the moorings and docks) or you can spend the $45 for a two day pass where you will get to hear some of the greatest blues performers in the world (close to 10 acts in two days). On saturday night they have something called a Pub Crawl where many of the performers play, in some cases free, at the many local pubs on Main street on Rocklands' waterfront. The food is great
if you like seafood and the crowd for the concert numbers 25,000
plus or minus a few aliens.
see their website
http://www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com/
I also want to recommend the Arcady Music Festival in Bar Harbor
created by Masanobu Ikeyima who hails from Japan. His mother came to Maine to study Down East Maine dialect and he stayed to create this classical music festival. For some of the concert events he has been know to don a chefs hat and prepare Japanese cuisine
for a pre concert dinner.
see http://www.arcady.org/

[Mike Thompson]

Someone asked for suggestions on where to stop in Maine.
The places already mentioned are all worthwhile but do tend to
be harbors with towns. If you like places that seem more remote
I suggest the White Islands off the west side of Vinal Haven island.
From there you can look across to the Camden Hills.
No facilities. Uninhabited.

This was painted from the foredeck:
http://cunliffethompson.com/maine/halo_ ... haven.html

[Steve Laume]

We too are planning a Maine trip this summer. We will be leaving Noank, CT around July 20TH to 23RD for favorable tides through to Provencetown. From there an overnight across the gulf and then there is no set itinerary and I would imagine it will pretty much stay that way. All these suggestions are great for a small cruising budget. I will have a "guys crew" on the way up for about a week, then It will be my 15 year old son and I for a couple of more weeks. My son is taking his SCUBA certification now so we will want to dive on the trip. It is a lot of extra gear to stow on a 30FT boat but it sure would be fun. We will need to find air fills near to the water. Any ideas where we can have tanks filled? Birding is also a key element of our trip. I still haven't seen a live Puffin, Steve.

[Carter Brey]

Don't forget the Bay Chamber Concerts in Rockport at the Rockport Opera House. On August 23 and 24 there will be performances in the First Chair concert series, where principal players of major orchestras get together to play chamber music.

These programs will include a particular Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic who in addition to providing soaring cantilenas and authoritative bass lines will be happy to hand, reef, steer and coastally navigate as crew for Cape Dorians who happen to be passing through and find themselves shorthanded.

CB

[Warren Kaplan]

Don't forget the Bay Chamber Concerts in Rockport at the Rockport Opera House. On August 23 and 24 there will be performances in the First Chair concert series, where principal players of major orchestras get together to play chamber music.

These programs will include a particular Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic who in addition to providing soaring cantilenas and authoritative bass lines will be happy to hand, reef, steer and coastally navigate as crew for Cape Dorians who happen to be passing through and find themselves shorthanded.

CB

If any of you chaps are lucky enough (and I mean that) to have Carter come sailing with you, and he is performing that night, be considerate enough of the audience to get him back ashore early. He has been known to dash from <i>Mary Ellen</i> at City Island, back to Manhattan just in the nick of time to get on stage only to find, when looking at the music, that it has a rhythmic roll on the music stand as if in 6 foot waves. Nice to be playing a solo when you still feel all at sea!!

[joeeb]

Want to recommend a visit to the film school next to the rockport opera house.They always have a ongoing exhibit of great photographs


http://www.theworkshops.com/filmworkshops/index.asp

also rockport has some of Maine's finest sailboat builders located
a block away from the opera house on the waterfront.
see

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=& ... tnG=Search


Don't forget to visit the Goodwill store just outside of Rockland on your right heading to the next town of rockport. It is located in the Shaws Supermarket mall.
LLBean donates significant quantities of its coats,shoes,shirts and camping equipment to this and other Maine Goodwill stores.
You can pick up a new pair of British made Clarks shoes for $10.00
.Parkas for $11.00 tents
for $35.00.

[Len]

As a maine sailor for twenty plus years , I can definitely recommend not coming to maine to sail. Stay in your home waters or visit some place south. Maine is cold, fogy, too many rocks, too many tourists, awful magnetic variations, the fishing stinks, lobster pots jams props, the water is too cold to swim in, too many rocks, did Isay too many tourists, the sun doesn't shine long enough to adjust the focus on your camera, your probably deathly allergic to maine lobster if you haven't developed an immunity by now. and lastley the whales are so agrresive they visously attack any strange boats that enter their territory. Visit sunny Florida instead.

[SeaBelle]

Leonard seems to be one of our beloved, crotchety, Mainers whose mantra is "If it's tourist season why can't we shoot them?"

I love sailing the Gulf of Maine and don't mind sharing this paradise with other CDers. Sure the water is cold and the fog seems omnipresent but it's uncrowded and majestic with bold shores and real people.

[jerryaxler]

I think Leonard meant he is a fogey, not that Maine is too "fogy"(sic).

[Neil Gordon]

As a maine sailor for twenty plus years , ...

I remember when I helped Bob Emmons deliver Red Wing up to Tenants to start his Maine cruise. Tom, the third crew member, made the mistake of asking a crusty old Mainer how long it would take us to drive from Tenants to Portland.

[Len]

Recent tourist fails to heed warnings !!!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... &q=sinking

[Carter Brey]

A few typical New Yorkers bemoaning the all-too-common fate of Down East yachts attempting to run the East River without adequate charting.

Warren Kaplan is the one out front wearing pyjamas.

<img width="540" src="http://pws.prserv.net/cbrey/SHIPWRECK.jpg">

[Phil Shedd]

Leonard

I hope to be in Portland near the first week of Aug . They don't fire cannon shot at you when you enter the harbour do they? The Canadian flag might scare them.

If we cross path in Portland come aboard for some good rum. Are ETA is Aug 6 afternoon. Not sure where to stay in harbour . I have looked at Demillos (sp) any other suggestions.

Phil

[Warren Kaplan]

A few typical New Yorkers bemoaning the all-too-common fate of Down East yachts attempting to run the East River without adequate charting.

Warren Kaplan is the one out front wearing pyjamas.

"Damn it navigator! If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times you can't use last year's edition of Eldridge when coming through Hell's Gate!! Now look what a fine mess you gotten me into!"

[Len]

Actually, we love sailors from down south. Their arrival marks the begining of sailing season. (As an ex new yorker, my winters often find me thinking about circumnavigating Manhatten!)[[img]http://shutter01.pictures.aol.com/data/ ... Sh0060.jpg[/img]