It never rains on Jeff's summer solstice party

St. George River, Thomaston, Maine photo by Jeremy Barnard

SummerWind sails home to Thomaston

Summerwind, the magnificently restored schooner flagship of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY sailed up the St. George River today to Thomaston to visit Lyman Morse, the yard where she was built in 1929.


Nancy and I were headed down river from Maple Juice Cove to George's Harbor when we spotted her passing Caldwell Island.  We caught up with her again as she approached Thomaston for the courtesy call.  She leaves tomorrow for Castine where she will join the Castine Yacht Club Classic Yacht Celebration.

SummerWind, St. George River

Slideshow HERE

Li'l tug that could: spring on the St. George River

Time to put the docks back in the water on the swift flowing St. George River at Thomaston, Maine.  "The river has puked and the ice is out" says Jeff Armstrong of Jeff's Marine.  The last big nor'easter carried lots of dead fall down river - so it's safe to put the docks back in.  A 12 foot Carolina Skiff is just the right tool for the job.

Across the river is Lyman Morse - builders of dream yachts for hedge fund guys and fixer-uppers of just about anything you bring to the yard.  They're a 100 year old yard, after all.

At Jeff's you'll find skiffs to 26 feet, service with a smile, and hear the bell ring every time he makes a sale. Slide show HERE

Why I like my boat

I know...it's 52 years old, the battery isn't charging, six volts is a pain in the ass, it's not a saltwater boat, it's an indulgence.............

Images: all on the St. George River

Southbound, James, Tasha, Annabel, Muffy, Sanaa, Mom, Dad,James.

For the kids in Maine 2009 click HERE.

After the rain - Maple Juice Cove

August evening, at Stones Point after the rain (Yes, we were underway, at Port Clyde, with Georgia [2] and Annabel [5] aboard), Maple Juice Cove, St. George River, Cushing, Maine.

To expand, click on thumbnail. To see more pix click HERE

Towing - it's not just for tugboats

Today my father, my friend John, and I grabbed Geraldine - a 23 foot hard-top pickup truck of a boat - in Thomaston and went downriver on the St. George. 7 miles south at Otis Cove we picked up a disabled 18' Parker for Jeff's Marine. (At Otis Cove we also checked out Art Tibbetts, who started on a new dock yesterday and had made substantial progress by this evening.)

We continued south to Maple Juice Cove to pick up Grace, my 18' 1957 Lyman which (despite a new blade cutter) had a lobster pot line wrapped around the prop.

We towed the two 8 miles north on the St. George River to the public landing in Thomaston where trailers awaited. Mine was on the trailer just long enough to cut the line. Then over to Jeff's to pick up Toaster, my 18' O'Day to tow it south to Maple Juice Cove. When we got to MJC we saw just behind us beautiful old sailboat pulling in for the might to its placid anchorage. I'll try to get the name in the morning.

One of these days I have to get to work. But it may not be tomorrow.

A shot from Lisa's spot

Hupper Island and Little Caldwell Island, from Stones Point Road, Pleasant Point Rd., Cushing, ME

The link to Lisa's shot is here.

1 800 Own Dock

Want to have your own dock at your dream house on the rockbound Mid-Coast of Maine? Art Tibbets of Thomaston is your man. He's got all the fixins and they travel as a unit.

Here he is southbound on the St. George River, at Otis Cove, just north of Port Clyde.

Link to slide show is here

As always, click on a picture to expand the thumbnail.

Henry Hudson landed at the St. George River

Tugster posed the question: where is this? I said to myself - Caldwell and Gay Islands in the St. George River. But then I said - oh, could be any one of several hundred spots in the Gulf of Maine archipelago. Well lo, and behold, it is the St. George, and it is Cushing - though I couldn't say with confidence which spot. But why be shy? I say - this shot is taken from Stones Point Road on Pleasant Point Gut looking south.

Turns out Henry Hudson landed on the St. George in 1609 on his way to discovering the North River. Hi mission was to replace a foremast lost at sea. Allen Island is the best candidate for that - its magnificent tall stand of trees still thrives. I had no idea Half Moon had landed there.

I knew, of course that Waymouth's first anchorage in 1605 was George's Harbor - the protected cove formed by Allen, Benner, Davis & Burnt Islands. That, of course is where Maine and New England were founded, by common consensus - marked by the stone cross erected there in 1905 for the Tricentennial. (more shots in this post).

And of course I knew that Waymouth was the first to make a claim of right of possession (w/o just cause) in what we now call New England. And he made it in Thomaston, an event this bronze plaque commemorates.

Friendship, Stones Point, Rockland, and Thomaston - Valentine's Day 2009

We went up to Maine for the weekend - to check the work done on the house, buy stuff for when we take posession in May, have dinner with friends.  And, of course, shop for a seaworthy craft for man and dog to explore the Back River, Meduncook River and the other waters of Friendship and Cushing.  Found a Monhegan skiff.  Hope to clinch the deal soon.

So here are some favorite shots - our backyard - the Back River, Stones Point, Rockland, and ice fishing houses on the St. George, Thomaston.

The whole stream is at my picasaweb page. 

Andrew Wyeth

Wyeth - The Sisters

Andrew Wyeth has died.  He has high art critics it is said.  Not me.  I am a great admirer.  For me the pantheon is Ansel Adams, Monet, and Wyeth.  They taught me to see.  

Georges Harbor is  the place where Maine was founded.  Weymouth  landed there in 1605, erected a cross, claimed it for England and named the islands for the King - George.  In 1905 a memorial cross was erected there on the north end of Allen Island by the State of Maine. Thousands gathered for the Tricentennial.   Across the gut between Allen and Benner the Wyeths have a home.  

In these photographs of Georges Harbor and Allen Island Sea Station (a Betsy Wyeth project), a favorite place of mine, I have tried to capture the light that Wyeth celebrated, and for which we love the St.George River, Maple Juice Cove, Cushing where he painted the lives of Alva and Christina Olson.  We have been nearly neighbors 2 weeks a year there.  We will miss him.

Home Run is Andrew and Betsy's.  The dinghy is a Joel White-designed peapod. The lobster boat - Archangel - is the namesake of Weymouth's vessel. 

For the record here is the New York Times obit.  If you don't know the Wyeths'  Maine work the place to learn about it is in Rockland, at The Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center

 Portrait of Andrew Wyeth by James Graham, collage by The Farnsworth.

Stones Point