We sat down with a few of our students and instructors to talk about learning to sail in Maine, the challenges, the experiences, the trials and tribulations. Of course we had a few laughs and reminisced a bit. But this was a fun one to record with a great group of sailors.

An in depth discussion with 3 of our students, Daphne, Chris and Brandon plus our mate, Angela and that guy Ben. Teresa hosted and gave us all a hard time. We discuss the camaraderie and the group dynamics aboard a smallish boat and how to feed the diverse dietary requirements. We talk about keeping things organized and the benefits of preparation. We conclude there’s alot of value in dividing jobs and maintaining consistency. and that there are always days when things are challenging aboard a boat. There’s an “Aha!” moment, when we discuss how there’s plenty of wind and fog in Maine. We decided that we all need wax pencils. We recall the feeling of navigating blind in the fog, and then finding the green can that looms silently out of the fog! What a great feeling that is! It’s confirmed – Morse Alpha Instructors have a lot of patience! During this expedition we rendezvoused with the Maine Windjammers at the Wooden Boat School and enjoyed sailing amongst them as they dropped sail and anchored together. We wondered why is there always poop talk on boats. Sailing out past the sight of land for the first time. is really spectacular… one of the best experiences of life. The Coast of Maine has beautiful geography and wildlife, and of course – lobster pots! But with constant vigilance you can easily avoid them. In Maine, there’s also rocks, lots of them, they’re like a minefield. Maine offers a unique experience to pack alot of learning into a short amount of time. We stood anchor watch when the wind picked up in a dicey anchorage. We rotated through the 45 minute watches very effortlessly, and quietly! We used the barometer to keep tabs on the pressure. We triangulated our position with lights ashore and used the radar to ensure we maintained a constant distance off the islands. Angela the mate reconnects with her first schooner, the AJ Meerwald, when we anchored near them one night. After the expedition, Chris & Brandon went back to their boat and were so excited to get out and go sailing with their new found skills and understanding. All of us left with a renewed sense of confidence, and alot of new skills. We actively sailed Rocinante, and time passed so quickly, because we were all so engaged.

Credits:

Produced by Teresa and Ben Carey, Angela McIntyre is our Assistant Producer and the music is by Tim Eriksen, Ben’s brother.

You can subscribe to The Morning Muster wherever you get your podcasts, or visit MorseAlpha.com. You can also find us on instagram @morsealphaexpeditions

Stay Found People!

You can learn more about sailing with us aboard Rocinante. Click here for info.