The Camden Windjammer fleet was in its full glory last weekend, as dozens of tall ships filled the harbor.

We had some amazing sailing during the Windjammer Weekend in Camden Harbor this year. It is always a spectacular sight to see so many tall ships moving through the harbor and bay, and this year was no exception. We had great weather and great company—many thanks to all of you who joined us!

The festive atmosphere on the docks really brought the harbor to life, with the announcer broadcasting the details of each ship as they came and went, and so many hands-on activities to engage any age and any level of sailing enthusiast, from a first-timer to a veteran sea captain.

It is one of my favorite weekends every year… Camden truly is a tall ship city for three days

People often ask me, “Do you ever get bored of what you do?” My answer is always a resounding no--because each trip is different. Maybe it’s different winds, maybe it’s different people, or maybe it’s just something that’s different entirely.

It has been a tradition of mine, whenever doing an offshore delivery, to throw a message in a bottle over the side at the halfway point of the trip. I have always done it as sort of a monotony breaker, with no real expectation to hear where they ended up, but it has become my tradition nonetheless. I know this tradition is carried out by many people who travel the open waters, as well.

Last week, in the middle of one of my trips, we found a message in a bottle floating out in the middle of the bay. Once we retrieved the bottle we opened it up and realized it was farewell letters to a local guy who died this spring. His name was Amon R. Vaughan. They were all farewell letters from the friends of this young man who had died in a car accident in March. We read a couple of the letters to the passengers and then we brought the bottle back to shore. The local newspaper picked up the story and last week his sister picked up the bottle and returned it to her Mom.

You never know when you do something how it’s going to affect somebody else. And you never know when you put a message in a bottle where it’s going to end up. That one floated around for close to 5 months. And brought a little peace to a mother who realized her son has not been forgotten.

Altogether a good day.

A passenger asked me, “What is the coolest thing that happened to you, this week?” The answer is watching the unbelievable amount of adolescent eagles out at East Goose Rock! Every year for two weeks the young bald eagles come over from Mark Island where they are protected by the Nature Conservancy and their parents teach them how to hunt. Every trip has felt like being on a Discovery channel program. Sometimes we’ve seen as many as 5 adolescent eagles and 4 adults at the same time at that same small body of rocks. We’ve had them flying within about 15 feet of the boat, which is awe inspiring because of the size of their wingspan. The adolescent birds have approximately a 4-foot wingspan and the adults are roughly 6 feet.

I’ve really been enjoying the fact that we’ve had good winds that have allowed us to get way out there on almost every trip AND multiple consecutive days of sun! We’ve also been enjoying the “Maine air conditioning,” also known as our sea breeze, so it’s usually a refreshing15 degree’s cooler out on the bay. Our visitors from south of the Mason-Dixon line have been especially enjoying their cool time on the boat with us.

Quick summary: it’s been really nice! Plenty to see and perfect weather—come sail with us in Camden, Maine and you won’t be disappointed!

Last Friday was the Windjammer Parade, and it was amazing! We sailed out to watch the 13+ majestic tall ships sail by, plus a whole fleet of Friendship Sloops up for their annual regatta. We were in a pleasant sort of swarm of classic sailing vessels, from sloops to schooners to windjammers. There is nothing quite like sailing in such close quarters with tall ships—astounding to be in the midst of so many skilled captains, so smoothly sailing past each other, almost close enough to reach out and touch. Not only were we up close and personal with the other ships, but we were also sailing very close to the Rockland Breakwater, which was a thrill for those on board as well as those on the breakwater itself.

This is always one of my favorite sails of the season and we had a great time out there, sailing with wonderful people. I should also say a big “Thank you” to my wife for making such awesome lunches. We were all fat and happy out there as we took in the extraordinary sights.