2011 Shakedown Cruise

The S/V L'Heretique went in the water on Friday and on Saturday morning we pointed her nose east-ish (doncha love my nautical parlance?) and cast off. 

First things first.  After this trip, to Wilson's list of phobias we can add:

Heights
Divers
Air horns
Dead seagulls

And then there's abandonment. 

"Will they ever come back for me?"

Never mind that only half the family left in the dinghy and the other half is still standing on the dock.

But this is not a new phobia.  It just gets worse as he gets older.

We left Rockland on Saturday morning and made for Hurricane Sound. 

Here's the Owl's Head Lighthouse.  Still one of the prettiest on the coast, say I.

Here you see The Heir has cleverly devised a way to steer with his feet, thereby allowing him to sit down.

Most of us stand up and steer with our hands, but most of us are not 14-year-old boys, thank God.

We took a picnic lunch up to the very tippy top of Hurricane Island.   This is a view from the top of the cliffs, over the granite quarry.



And here is Wilson catching a little shade while we have our sandwiches. 

Apparently spruce trees do not rank in the hierarchy of phobias.

 Hurricane Island has a pretty remarkable and fascinating history which is a story for another time. Himself is an Outward Bound instructor in his spare time, so he has strong ties to the island as well. We love going there.   

The kids jumped into the quarry and into the ocean a couple of times, pronounced the water too frigid for words, and retired to the boat for some mackerel fishing.

Wimps.

A week in Puerto Rico has ruined them.

The next morning we wound our way over to North Haven to drop Thing One off at the ferry terminal so he could get to his schooner on Sunday evening, then headed to Perry Creek to ride out thunderstorms which never materialized. 

Perry Creek is home to some of the finest, bar none, mussels on the East Coast.  Four pounds of them gave their all so that we could enjoy this Thai recipe with rice noodles on Sunday night.

This morning we felt our way home in a pea-souper.  I do not want to discuss it.  Especially the part about getting up close and personal with not one, but two state ferries.  It is the stuff of nightmares. 

Back on dry land now and staring down six loads of laundry - another class of nightmare entirely. 

Over and out.