June 30 -- Portsmouth NH to Portland ME

Maine at last! In only took 19 days! We could have done it a lot faster but our cruising style is to stop and small the roses. One can drive from coast to coast in three days, and that's a pretty efficient use of scarce time if you need to do it that way. But in St. Louis you won't have had time to visit the Arch, nor the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Similarly, you can sail your boat for eight hours a day, or more, put her to bed, eat, sleep and then do the same thing the next day. But we like to enjoy our travels, including the passages.
Today began with a view of the bridge being reconstructed over our dock.

Then a submarine, mostly underwater, to the right:

The Naval Shipyard announces itself:"Estab 1800"

Early morning coastal fog:

 

Our passage took  from 7:15, slack at high tide in Portsmouth, to 3:20  this afternoon when we got on a mooring. We had favorable tide the entire way, thanks to our Portsmouth Marina operator, Steve, who told us what time to leave. Unfortunately, except for the last five miles of it, when a nice breeze came up, we had the main up but the motor was doing almost all the work. The steep ocean swells coming to our starboard quarter rocked the boat and shook what wind there was out of the widely spread sails.  But at least the threatened rain did not show up.  Lots of lobster pots though, this being Maine water, even in 150 feet of water a mile and a half off shore.                                                                                                                                                                                                   In '02 and '08 we tied up to the dock here at Portland Yacht Services, but this time                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 we took one of their moorings. A great yard for fixing whatever is broken. We had a long list including torn sails in 2002. This year I want to visit Hamilton Marine's giant marine store, next door, to finally get the bits we have needed, but not urgently, all along. So tonight a dinner aboard, a quiet night. Tomorrow is for shoreside activities.
Here is the famous Portland Light welcoming us on the way in.