Jewell Island Redux 2013!

WING AND WING as we blow through Cocktail Cove on an evening stroll through the neighborhood.

AHOY MATEYS!

Holy SHAMOLEY I finally did some camping on the new SeaPearl21, SCOUT that I purchased in a drowsy fit of self-imposed moping over my stagnating professional career back in April.  Sometimes, being a cry-baby pays dividends.  In this case, I have secured a long mean fast camping machine that just CHEWS up the water like a hungry waterborne horse striving forward to see what comes around the next island!

It's been a few years since VisionQuest/ManQuest2010, (here, here, and here) and I thought that maybe a good introduction camping trip in Maine this year would be to march back to Jewell Island and spend a few days puttering around and shaking out the bugs.  Jewell is far enough out to offer wildness, while busy enough to provide support if needed, and Cliff Island with ICE CREAM is nearby!   There are multiple campsites, with beaches, coves, and of course, underwater obstacles just waiting to stove a plank or two.

Lt. Presto and I came out of South Portland with it's fabulous municipal ramp, and moseyed our way out to Jewell in light winds.  They were so light, I fired up the Iron Mizzen (evil but awesome) and positioned Scout in a way where she benefited from rising offshore winds, and we just started moving!  We were parallel with something that looked suspiciously like a Compac 23 (not sure), and it was no contest.  Sorry Compac 23.  With steady winds we blew into the Punchbowl beach skimming over the outer rock wall with 8" of water at high speed (YES shallow DRAFT!) and impressing all onlookers with our prowess... or stupidity.  First camping trip, and I'm already pushing the boat.

Red: Sailing Day 1
Black: Using the evil, yet nice, Iron Mizzen
Orange: Sailing home Day 3.

(Small Day 2 trips not shown)

Enjoy!

Inbound to Jewell 

Beached out.  Lt. Presto's tent is set up at the high tide line.  He snores.

Lt. Presto and the emptied out cove on the NE beach.  Note 150' haul-out for Scout.

Tide's coming back in.  Rock wall on right was sailed over at high speed!

Evening is setting up nicely.  WHAT A BOAT!

Lt. Presto enjoying the Punchbowl is it fills in.  (Beach and boat behind us)

As my intrepid readers will remember, my camping style mandates chaos.

High class, honest.

Note Scout quietly at rest on her haul-out.

The most amazing thing to have whilst camping on islands.  Espresso maker for one.

Tied up at the dock on Cliff to get ice cream.  Ferry from Portland is in.  

Lt. Presto navigating Scout to safe harbor!

Captain Callsign just slaying it!

First Sail in Sea Pearl "Scout"

Sails good.  More to follow.  Note 1991 Tohatsu 3.5hp long shaft outboard.  Holy baloney, outboards can be very, very nice.  And evil.  But nice.

Scullmatix

I purchased a scullmatix for my boats, and I gave it a whirl in the local pond.  My lovely wife took a picture of me sculling through the fog on IAZ,P.  It works... but I need more room to get it really going, me thinks.  I'm primarily going to use it for the Sea Pearl 21.

RePost from Planing Around

SimonLew in Florida has decided to cater to his aesthetic sensibilities and is resurfacing his Goat to make it run-free, as posted on his excellent blog.  This works well for round birdsmouth masts.

The video link is below.  I would have embedded it in this post but Blogger is apparently at war with me right now and won't allow it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vi4WqYgPc44#!

Change is in the air...

Springtime!

Days are longer, sun is hotter, sailing weather is here!

So I went ahead and bought a Sea Pearl 21.

This is "Scout" and I am her new custodian.  She does NOT replace the Goat Island Skiff, but she augments it.  I have found myself either pondering or actually undertaking passages that were a tad too oceanic for the Goat, and then there are days when I want to cruise and not be cramped, or take out several adults.  Enter, Sea Pearl 21.

Look, the Goat Island Skiff is obviously a fantastic mostly-sheltered water cruiser, as evidenced throughout this blog.  I would also say it's a squeeze for two people and 5 days of gear, and it's a little hairy 6 miles offshore in the Atlantic.  I wanted something that was a little more seaworthy if I was alone and undertaking an adventuresome passage, and I wanted something I could sleep in, or take several adults for a day cruise.

I do lose the easy ability to move the boat around on my own, since the Sea Pearl weighs in around 650 lbs, but I gain some other things.  Hence, the Goat Island Skiff and the SP21 are boatmates and will compliment each other in such a way that there won't be too much stepping on anyone's toes.

NOW, do I post Sea Pearl 21 adventures on this blog or do I post them on another dedicated blog?

What sayeth you, intrepid reader?