Penobscot Bay

[Heron]

Hello All,

I have been posting some comments on different threads but have never introduced myself to the members of Cruisers Forum.

I live in a beautiful place in Maine. It is a stunning place to sail and explore. The only shortcoming is the limited season which for me runs from mid May to late September. Many other sailors get their boats in around the 1st of July and take it out Labor Day.

I have been restoring my vessel to her original glory. This is my third winter of working on her. Fortunately, she is sitting warm and dry in a large storage building less than a mile from my cottage.

So far I have stripped her bottom back to glass, did a first class epoxy barrier coat. It was a LOT of work but it looks great. All thru hulls were also removed and rebonded.

I also sanded all the interior teak and put three new coats of Epiphanes to bring her back to life. All lockers were also sanded, cleaned and repainted.

Her gelcoat was lifeless, so last year I sanded it down and repainted the hull with Interlux Perfection using a roll and tip method. It took three tries to get it right but now she looks "almost" as good as a professional paint job. It cost me about $500. to do it, vs, the $7500. estimate to have it done.

All the exterior wood was severely checked by weather and neglect. Fortunately, the wood is quite thick so I was able to sand it down until all the wood was smooth again.

This winter I'm doing some interior changes by adding more cabinets and changing the fixed table into a bulk head unit. I'm not a woodworker so progress comes slow. I am also converting my stove from Kero to propane. And lastly, I've mounted a Dickinson bulk head heater (diesel).

I am anxious about launching her this May and she will not come out of the water in September as our plans will be to head south to warmer climates.

Hope we get to meet some of you in our travels.

SV HERON
Westsail 32 hull # 809

[ssullivan]

Heron,

Great to hear your vessel is in such good shape. That's a large amount of work you have done to her. Since we are both going to be in the same area (I'll be very close to Penobscot this summer), and will both be going South in the fall, I figured I'd say hello.

Since I'm not really posting on here anymore, please PM me and let me know if you'd like to chat privately, off forum.

Sean

[jemsea]

Heron,

I believe that we've corresponded in the past, maybe on another BB, when I asked for local knowledge of Maine.

Our boat is in storage at Rockport until June when me move aboard. We will be spending the summer between Camden and Portland where we have reserved a slip to aid in getting ready to head south next fall.

Please give us a hail or come over if you spot us this summer. We will be on the lookout for Heron.

Sean, we would also enjoy meeting up with you.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Heron,

Welcome aboard!! You've posted here before so you know the drill. I'd like to know if you ran into any problems with the Dickinson Diesel Heater installation. I've got a Newport model and haven't installed it yet.

Your boat sounds great.

Good to see you posting again Sean.

Kind Regards,

JohnL

[Heron]

Hi John,

So far I have the Dickinson unit in place and just connected the fuel line to it. I haven't fired it up yet as I'm having problems with the Facet low pressure pump. Since the boat is indoors, I won't lite it up until the weather warms up and I can open the huge double doors to the barn.

I did ask for advice on different forums and most people said they loved their Dickinson diesel stove which is why I purchased it.

Thanks for saying hello,

HERON

[swagman]

Hi Heron,

Just a welcome and thnks for updating us all on the work done.

Heres wishing you well once you put her backin the water and who knows - maybe one day paths will indeed cross.

Enjoy the forum

JOHN

[Heron]

Thanks John for your kind greeting. I see you are on the other side of the pond so seeing each other along the way would be GREAT!

HERON

[Raven]

Heron,

Greetings from the other side of New England. I've spent quite a bit of time over on your waters and know the islands of Penobscott Bay well. The annual meetings for the Maine Island Trail Association used to take place in your front yard - over on Warren Island. (BTW, you left out the "h" on Northport in your profile.)

I spend time on the Maine coast every summer - not aboard Raven but from the seat of a boat with a 20" beam. (I teach a small-craft navigation class every year over in Merchant's Row.) My nephew used to be stationed at the Coast Guard station in Rockland. He lived aboard his ketch until his term was up and then sailed for the Caribbean. One of these days, I'm hoping to bring Raven around to Maine waters.

Good luck with the launch.

[acesatsea]

Kevin,
Under what auspices do you teach the nav class. We might be interested, as we expect to be in the area. Thanks, Bligh

[Raven]

Heron,

I had to laugh at myself when I noticed that I added an extra "t" to Penobscot in the post where I mentioned the missing "h" in Northport

[Raven]

Originally Posted by acesatsea

Kevin,
Under what auspices do you teach the nav class. We might be interested, as we expect to be in the area. Thanks, Bligh

I own a sea kayak touring business (PaddleWays), through which I offer the class. It is a "hands-on" class designed to teach navigation fundamentals from the seat of a sea kayak. The focus is on the coastal navigation skills necessary for ocean paddling using chart, compass, watch, and small-craft Nav-aid. (see PaddleWays Sea Kayak Touring - Maine Island Kayaking Navigation for a more detailed description)

I read your blog entry about the search for Opus. One of your photos looks like it's of the kids from Rockland rowing the pilot gig. Part of my work on Lake Champlain involves youth rowing programs in the Cornish pilot gigs that we build at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Below is a photo from one of the annual races we participate in on Boston Harbor.

[acesatsea]

HI Kevin: I've been caught -- the gig photo is in Rockland, 'though the one I got to row in was in the Belfast Community Rowing program. Both great programs -- the lady coxswain in Belfast is not so 'austere' as in Rockland. Kudos to you for active support of the program. Sounds like you have the fortune to live where there is great boating!
Regards, Bligh

[Jon D]

Heron

Congrats on getting the boat ready to go. I can fully appreciate what that takes. Like Sean don't post much but will be up there again this summer as well. Keep an eye out for us. Expect to be up that way sometime in early July and hang through Sept till the weather breaks.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by acesatsea

Sounds like you have the fortune to live where there is great boating!
Regards, Bligh

Anywhere that there's water.

The youth rowing programs offer a great alternative for the kids that may not have found a fit in the traditional sports. I'll never forget the time after a gig race in Boston harbor. At the awards ceremony next to the U.S.S. Constitution, a shy 15-year-old girl made her way to the microphone to accept the certificate on behalf of her team. Her voice quivered as she began. "We've never won anything before. But, today, we won."

In those few unrehearsed words spoken from the heart, that young girl brought many a happy tear to the eyes of those who looked on.