Short Summer... a back story

Well, it’s been a while since we posted a blog. Much has happened since our last missive in May.

Currently, we have two boats at Snead Island Boat Works in Palmetto, Florida. Repairs are progressing on Bay Breeze after our collision with the bridge at Big Carlos Pass Bridge. Aquavit has been off-loaded after being trucked from Maine to Florida. Once some routine maintenance is completed, we’ll be bringing her back to our own dock, soon, we hope. The weather has been perfect for crossing the Gulf, but that could change at any time.

We are experiencing withdrawal from our saltwater addictions by having both boats at Snead Island and not at our dock. Fortunately, Calypso, our Ensign daysailer, is tied to the dock awaiting our whim to go sailing.

Our trip to Maine this year was delayed by several factors, including limping up from Naples to Snead Island to leave our Shoalsailer for repair, having a new dock built and installed, and then navigating medical treatment for Marvin’s back problems that began while we were cruising in south Florida in April. Before leaving for Maine, Marvin had a few spinal injections that seemed to be helping. He wasn’t in pain while sitting and reasoned that he could find a way to lie down to sleep if the boat bed was uncomfortable. We were both so anxious to get north (in cooler weather, for one) that he summarized his feelings thusly:

I can be in pain here.

I can be in pain there. 

But I’d rather be in pain in Maine.

It was an enjoyable month relaxing in Rockland this summer. The weather was perfect and much drier than previous years, with beautiful sunsets. Lee got caught up on reading and ran out of books she brought while Marvin painted and ran out of canvases. Lucky there were bookstores and the best independent art supply store ever, in Camden.

We stuck close to our home port, taking short hops around Penobscott Bay. Friends at Lawry’s Island and Cedar Island generously allowed us to use their moorings. We enjoyed other places too, including another favorite nearby location, Perry’s Creek, off the Fox Island Thorofare between Northaven and Vinalhaven.

While at our mooring at Lawry’s we watched a nice Friendship Sloop sail in and anchor.

On another day, as the sun was setting, an open boat with 13 people aboard sailed in and anchored near us. It was an Outward Bound group of youngsters aboard a 30 ft Sharpie. Two Hurricane Island staff gently coached the kids on anchoring, taking down the sails, cooking dinner, and rigging a tarp to cover the boat for the evening. They used oars when the sails were down or the wind was light.

With no head aboard, the crew hung out over the rail, literally. It must be quite the adventure for the expeditioners to spend a week on an open boat, in close quarters! By morning, our anchorage mates were gone, sailing on the horizon.

Live music is everywhere!

Music abounds in the midcoast region of Maine. Weekly jams, with a dozen local musicians participating, happen every Sunday at the Sail, Power, and Steam Museum in Rockland. Venerable living legend, 93-year old retired schooner captain Jim Sharp, hosts the jam and performs as well. The tunes range all over music genres, from sea shanties to country-folk classics, to pop tunes. It is an amazing display of musical chops of the “old-timers” and courage of newbie musicians. 

Concerts with regional talent and known acts are everywhere, too. Most of the medium-sized communities have an opera house where performances take place.

We were lucky enough to catch the trio of Gabrielle Donovan, formerly of the Chieftans and River Dance, Michael Fitzpatrick, an Irish musician from NYC, and charismatic multi-instrumentalist Channing Lynn from Key West. Wow, what a wonderful experience and such positive energy while performing an eclectic set list!

Another music jam takes place weekly at Round Pond, home of historian Heather Cox Richardson. Very friendly slip-mate friends on Ranger Tug Compass Rose, are from Round Pond and told us she was their next door neighbor and very nice in addition to being smart. The jam featured our friend Tim on banjo and 12-string guitar alongside 20 very talented performers. They form a circle on the lawn next to King Ro Pizza and across the street from the best general store one could imagine. Store specialties include vintage candy and toys.

Perhaps the best music affiliation was with our friend, Nikos Apollonio, a luthier and extraordinary 8-string fiddle player (that he made for himself). He introduced us to even more music at an Irish Pub in Camden. Nikos is also resurrecting a bell-shaped guitar we rescued from being a "wall hanger”. I am hopeful that he will give the 12-string he made in 1973 a new life and a new voice.

Realizing that Marvin’s lumbar issues might not be fixed in time for cruising next year, we decided to haul our powerboat, Aquavit, and ship her to Florida rather than storing her in Maine for this winter and chancing having to store next summer, too. We now have a new dock designed to accommodate our fleet, so we can have all our boats close by. Unfortunately, we have to deaccession our 13-foot Boston Whaler due to lack of room and lack of use. 

Best of all, getting together with friends made our Maine summer even better.

Our dance card was full: lunching with Pat and Judy from Sarasota, picnicking with Edie and Steve from Marathon and Long Island and Jonathan and Ann from Marathon and Gloucester, visiting with Lindsey Guest House hoteliers, Raleigh and Eric, catching up with Matinicus Island celebrity, George, and a boat outing with Tisha and her daughter, Chelsea.

We’ve met a lot of good folks and made a lot of friends over the past half dozen years in Maine. Bob, a very accomplished musician, and his wife Ann were both teachers in New Jersey. They sail summers in Maine on their 36' Gozzard, Savannah, that they keep in bristol shape.

We enjoyed spending time with John and Mike who were visiting from our home port. On the way to Maine, it was good to see friends Lisa and Bill in Georgia and, on the way back, we enjoyed breakfast with cousins Nate and Lisa in New Hampshire. We feel fortunate to cross paths with a lot of good folks.

What’s next is up in the air. We are thankful for a calm hurricane season. We are anxious to get our boats back to our home port. There’s a lot of gardening and home improvement projects to catch up on, and getting back into promoting the Marvin Cook Books and Art website. www.shellpointer.com

Marvin has 2 paintings in the Portraits of Palms art show in October and November at the River’s Edge Gallery in Apalachicola. Ironically, he painted palms while on the boat in Maine.

While we were heading home we got some great news! Marvin’s children book, They All Called him PINKY is a finalist in the Florida Writer’s Association Royal Palm Literary Awards competition. Standby to learn if it wins.

Thanks for reading.

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09.26.2025

Boathouse by the Sea, Peggy's Cove, NS, recently sold at Small Wonders Gallery in Camden.