Gilkey Gam

Having overdosed on all things lobster at the Lobster Festival, we are now anchored ten miles north in Gilkey Harbor, Islesboro (Grindel Point, 44d16.77'N, 68d56.04'W, 35 ft) for a Seven Seas Cruising Association annual Downeast Gam. We had over sixty boats in the anchorage and everyone got together for a dinghy raft-up cocktail party Friday afternoon. On Saturday there were speakers and a huge potluck lunch. Also present were Steve and Linda Dashew the conceptual designers of Interlude and all Deerfoot yachts thru 1987 as well as Sundeer yachts. They now offer the FPB series of fuel efficient world cruising motor yachts the latest of which at 97 ft is about to begin construction in New Zealand.

The coast of Maine is now what we have imagined it to be: granite boulders with pine trees, occasional fog and lobster traps everywhere. We have almost gone about as far 'Downeast' as we planned to go (Bar Harbor) and will now slow down a bit to enjoy the area while making our way back "Upwest (?)" (the term 'down' refers to either decreasing latitude numbers or sailing downwind with the prevailing Southeast wind direction). Storms called Nor'Easters occur in the late fall thru spring which we could use to blast our way out of here and down the coast into the tropics for the winter.