Hunt for Red Lobster/The Cruise

Yes, there is fog in Maine. (Click on any image in the blog for a larger view.)

Joan Kessler keeps eyes and ears open as Spirit of Zopilote carefully crosses Penobscot Bay.

Bruce Kessler often gets all the credit for the circumnavigation with Zopilote and the now 18 years of cruising with Spirit of Zopilote, but. in reality, he and Joan are very much a team, an inspiration for other cruising couples to see in action together.

The light guarding the entrance to the large harbour at Rockland.

Our itinerary took us to all the nicest places on the coast of Maine: Southwest Harbor, Frenchboro at Lunt Harbor, Buck's Harbour, Camden, Rockland, Seal Bay on Vinalhaven Island, and back to Southwest Harbor.

Yes, there is fog in Maine.

Lobster boats—and lobster pots—are everywhere.

For inland sailors, to see so many pretty work boats in action was a special treat.

OK, OK, here is one more.

Clipper-rigged windjammers offer cruises out of many ports in Maine.

Spirit of Zopilote and windjammers anchored in wonderful Buck's Harbour.

Maine men at work. It is said women make the best deck hands on lobster boats.

Hunt for Red Lobster/The Eats

In the course of a week cruising in Maine with Bruce and Joan Kessler aboard Spirit of Zopilote, we had a chance to eat at all their favourite restaurants in their favourite harbours. The excellent lobster dinner above took place in the Lunt Harbor Dockside Deli. Three photos also following. Click on any image for a larger view.

In Buck's Harbor, we dined in the elegant Buck's Harbor Restaurant, where humour abounds:

The dish is called Lazyman's Lobster. So fresh, so sweet, so tasty!

The Admirals had their say: Bruce and I had to share a divine chocolate mousse.

Another Lazyman's Lobster Roll, this one at Camden Deli in Camden.

Fish and chips to die for, in Atlantica in Camden.

Also at Atlantica, the first Maine scallops of the season.

More Maine scallops, in a dish called Bikini Bottom (Can you see it?), at Café Miranda in Rockland.

Haddock fish cakes, at Café Miranda.

In the evening in Rockland, Bruce and Joan took us to In Good Company for a memorable meal:

Because woman does not live by seafood alone, the tenderest beef tenderloin dressed with a dollop of blue cheese.

Who knew there was halibut in the Atlantic? Served with style at In Good Company.

The best app yet: Roasted garlic with melted brie on a freshly baked baguette.

On our first evening in Maine, before we met up with the Kesslers, we struck out on our own—with the help of Trip Advisor—and discovered a lobster shack called Travelin' Lobster:

It didn't look like much . . .

. . . but the lobster was ever so sweet.

Hunt for Red Lobster/Introduction

Spirit of Zopilote preparing to depart Southwest Harbour, Maine. Click on any image for a larger view.

We’re cruising Maine waters aboard Spirit of Zopilote, the perfect passagemaker developed by Bruce and Joan Kessler after their circumnavigation of the world with the original Zopilote, a custom Delta 70.

The Kesslers circumnavigated the world with the original Zopilote.

SoZ is a gorgeous 62.5 feet overall, the prototype for a line of ocean-going trawler yachts built by Northern Marine in Anacortes, Washington.

Here’s an introduction to the Kesslers, as published in Soundings:

http://www.soundingsonline.com/features/in-depth/234429-a-hollywood-scripted-trawler-tale

Flags of the countries visited by the original Zopilote.

Here’s a great deal of information about the yacht, as published in PassageMaker Magazine:

http://www.northernmarine.com/documents/PM-Spirit_of_Zopilote.pdf

You can see our location by following the track of Spirit of Zopilote here:

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/details/ships/shipid:439375/mmsi:367183330/imo:0/vessel:SPIRIT_OF_ZOPILOTE

Bruce Kessler enters and departs harbours and anchorages driving from the flying bridge.

Joan Kessler, first mate and deck boss, explains how things are done aboard Spirit of Zopilote.

Bruce and guest return to the mother ship in Buck's Harbor.

Even after a circumnavigation and many miles in his wake, Bruce still likes to have a checklist at the helm.

Bruce discusses ways to improve the interface between GPS and chart plotter with Ben Ellison, the electronics guru, who visited in Camden.

Plaque plays tribute to the original Zopilote: "May her spirit live on."

Hunt for Red Lobster is the name we have given this holiday as the Admiral and me have not been down to the sea for fresh seafood for too many years. We aim to make up for the omission over the next two weeks, first in Maine, then on Grand Manan.

Styrofoam bits in the bilge

Yikes! I took the winter cover off my TomCat 24 to discover styrofoam bits in the bilge. It's difficult to see but it seems the flotation placed amidships in the bilge has been attacked by a small rodent, chewing the plastic covering to get at the styrofoam. The bits that I could reach filled the better half of a bucket. Anyone ever have a similar experience? Since the plastic covering has been chewed apart, should I remove all the styrofoam? Unsure how I would get at it, not being a small rodent myself. Click on any image for an enlarged view.

Indian Summer Cruise 2014

Click on any image for a larger view.

It was already September when we finally got away for 10 days and headed for Toronto Islands, our cruising destination when all other plans fail. The Islands are an excellent destination in their own right, only 25 miles from our slip in Frenchman's Bay east of Toronto.

The view of the Toronto skyline from the mooring wall at Hanlan's Point. Flashback: The Captain watched the CN Tower being built from Toronto Island Marina where he kept his first sailboat, Austra, a Folkboat bright from the water up.

Fearless raccoons attempted to board At Last! but were foiled by much banging and yelling by the crew.

Minks are a common sight, having arrived in Toronto Islands about four years ago, apparently attracted by the muskrat population—which no longer is significant!

Happiness is having Baluchon aboard. It was named Cheese of the Year at the Canada Cheese Awards we founded earlier this year. Click here for photos of our visit to the award-winning Fromagerie FX Pichet.

We spent a few days on the mooring wall on Centre Island, always a busy place on weekends. The TomCat is barely visible, with the red kayak bow a tell-tale.

As usual, we ate well, from rib eye to scallops to the salmon on a cedar plank in the photo.

One of our favourite stops is tiny Harbour City Yacht Club, tucked away among the liveaboards in Toronto Island Marina.

There are only four slips at HCYC. We like the one tucked in close by the trees.

Here's the view at dawn from HCYC.

During our final week, the Admiral commuted to the city on the Toronto Island Marina tender. Someone has to bring in the bucks!

The night before we started our cruise, when we were moving aboard and in need of a take-out dinner, we made a beeline for fabulous Jasper Fish & Chips where this explanation is posted on the wall. Sexist, we know.

Click on any image for a larger view.

Cruising little but eating well

What with travel to British Columbia and Quebec on cheese business, it seems we have hardly left the dock this season. But we're eating well as witnessed by . . .

. . . Country Blue made by The Farm House Natural Cheeses in B.C., with Sandhill Cabernet Merlot, our favourite west-coast red . . .

. . . grilled lobster tails . . .

. . . grilled scallops . . .

. . . eggs sunny side up on caraway rye dressed with Village Cheese Smokehouse Cheddar, also from B.C.

Click on any image in TomCat Tales for an enlarged view.