2022 Life Logs, Day 246: Love at First Sight
Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
Weather: Another Beautiful Day; High 74, Low 59 degrees F
Location: At Home in the Cottage, East Falmouth, MA
Early this morning, I drove with the Goldstones to Kittery, Maine to meet the newest member of our family—their sailboat named Eider (although I hear she might soon be renamed Ardenna).
After we arrived and got down on the dinghy dock, I asked Jed which boat in the mooring field was theirs. He pointed her out and it was love at first sight for me. She looked so beautiful at anchor.
Then when I got out on the boat to take a closer look, I was even more impressed. I got a bit emotional when I stepped aboard and walked to the bow. Eider reminded me of a combination of our 35-foot Dickerson, Skybreaker, and our 42-foot Tayana, Windbird. It felt so incredibly good to have a boat in the family again and Heather looked so happy.
Eider is a 39-year-old boat that needs a few cosmetic upgrades, but otherwise is really in good shape. Ollie has spent time sailing on Eider, so he has favorite things to do like hanging from the jib boom like a koala.
They all had a nice sail for one day in Maine, but this is the first time they will be spending nights aboard. Eider (Ardenna) sleeps six so I can’t wait to spend the night. But until that happens, I am super excited about our plans for next Sunday, September 11. It is the day we celebrate Mark’s life each year, and this year I have been invited to sail across Buzzards Bay on Eider for the first time. We will sail to Kingman Marine to have lunch at the Chart Room and then sail back to the mooring in Marion. Mark will definitely be with us in spirit.
Heather and family made it to Rockport, Massachusetts tonight and are headed for Scituate tomorrow. Today was a beautiful day, but the winds were against them. They finally gave up and turned on the motor as an assist. It looks like the same might happen tomorrow and then on Monday when they go through the Cape Cod Canal, the winds with be with them, but it is supposed to rain. Not perfect weather for their first three-day passage together as a family, but here’s hoping they find a way to enjoy it. I loved the photo Heather sent me of Sam today.
He sure looked like he was enjoying life.
