Here we are again, just days from the start of the 2012 maintenance program. It was an amazing 74 degrees in Camden, Maine yesterday, a record I believe for March. So, I feel like we might as well start fitting out early so we can go sailing sooner. I’d start May 1 if I could… I am just itching to be out on the water. This will be my 13th year sailing the Schooner Olad and I am still excited, and I feel that speaks of how wonderful the Olad is to sail, how great my crew is, and how amazing my guests are.

If you have been sailing with me over last five years the faces are going to seem familiar. Matthew just got back from his winter adventure. He sailed from Spain to the Canary Islands then across the Atlantic to the Virgin Islands then to Jacksonville, Florida on a friend’s boat.

Molly just finished the last day of the Camden Snow Bowl yesterday. She runs the ski school there where she taught hundreds of kids to ski and snowboard. Molly lives on Ragged Mountain and is often the first person on the hill. She snowshoes from home to the edge of the ski trails the snowboards the rest of the way, to the lodge, as part of her daily commute.

I am sure they will have plenty of new stories to tell.

What about the captain? Well, I spent the winter working on the schooner to keep it looking Bristol. In my down time I keep busy reading. I love having new history and boating material for each year. On of my prides is that people come back year after year and are amazed I can teach them something new and different on each trip.

As far as the Olad, she just had her 85th birthday this year, but you would never know it. She is in pristine shape, and looks like she was just launched the other day. She can’t wait to start sailing out of Camden, Maine either.

We will see you soon.

We are celebrating 25 years of sailing in Camden, Maine and we would love for you to join in the celebration. We are offering a discount of $2.50 per ticket, when ordered online now through the end of the season.

The leaves are starting to turn their beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow, which only makes the vista more irresistible as we sail through Penobscot Bay. Always beautiful, the sights are truly stunning during the fall foliage season. If you haven’t seen the changing leaves from the harbor before, you won’t want to miss out.

We have one last Full Moon Sail for this season, on Wednesday, October 12 from 4:30 – 6:30 pm. This is one of our most popular special events, as the sunset meets the moonrise and we return to the harbor as twilight descends. Bring some hot toddies or hot cider to make the evening extra cozy!

The crew and I were talking about it just the other day, even on our regular 2-hour trips, we’ve been making it a little further out than we normally get to: plain and simple, the fall sailing breezes are here! People always ask us why we do the all-day sail in September. Truthfully, the days are just as warm, but we get a much a bigger breeze. In the last five years, I’ve been all over the place with our all-day sails. That extra breeze really helps us see a huge chunk of Penobscot Bay. I’ve never repeated the same route twice on this sail. I wake up that morning and check what the wind is doing, and try to pick the most magical place out on the Bay that I haven’t seen in years—since the time I sailed boats as a hobby.

These trips are such an incredible opportunity to get an up-close look at the island communities, with their busy, working harbors. We always see multiple lighthouses on this trip, which is pretty exciting. On the two-hour sails we don’t usually get to see more than one, so it is truly a treat. Once we get over two hours away, we start to see the remote locations that are featured on so many postcards, that you normally don’t get the chance to see because it’s so far out to sea.

My wife is famous among all our acquaintances for her flair for great meals, and we are lucky enough that she will be preparing the food for this trip! She always puts together a delicious picnic lunch, with sandwiches on artisan breads and a wide array of cheeses, interesting for the palate, satisfying to the appetite! As we head out, we will enjoy a selection of baked goods from one of the local bakeries, and a selection of smoked seafood for the afternoon snack.

If you crave a nice, full day of sailing, of great food and company, and to explore this incredible bay, this is the sail for you!

There is no better vantage point to admire the gorgeous fall foliage than from the sea. The colors should start appearing soon, and will only get better and better right through the end of our sailing season. This is one of the many reasons that September is my favorite month to sail.

Don’t forget, we are still celebrating the Olad’s 25th anniversary of sailing from Camden harbor! If you book tickets online between now and the end of the season, they are discounted by $2.50 per ticket.