2008 Maine Cruising Notes #1
I once heard "cruising" defined as "doing boat maintenance in exotic locations." If so, we have done a lot of "cruising" since returning to Maine in early June. After spending four months here last year we had the boat hauled and stored for the winter. When we returned early in June it was none the worse (in fact better for having dried the hull). However, there was a years worth of maintenance projects to be done in a couole of weeks.
The Royal River Boatyard in Yarmouth, ME could be considered an "exotic location" at least for those of us from the South. It sits along the river among large white pines and oaks. The boat storage lot is on a bluff above the river in a quiet semi rural setting. Clean, well kept, and helpful and efficient, The yard includes a small marina and fuel dock as well as the boat storage and repair facilities. It is a pleasure to work on the boat in these surroundings.
This past winter and spring in Texas, we have become interested in birding (bird watching). We have found it interesting that we are now more aware of the bird life around us here. We began keeping a list, and at the yard we counted 21 species. A few we have photographs of below, but the most "exptic" birds (including snowy egrets and a bald eagle) always seemed to appear when we were holding a paint brush rather than a camera.
Possibly the best part of returning here is meeting again with friends we made last year, and discovering new ones. The spring "commisioning" is a time when many boaters are in the yard doing various boat projects. It is matural that conversations spring up among a gtoup of like-minded people, and friendships develop. So we now have a bigger list of recommended anchorages, and people we hope to meet up with along the way.
More later....
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