Author: Tom Young

One of the many watery threads through the pink granite of Merchants Row. Photo by Tom Young/USHarbors.com.

Following a Thread of Water Through Merchants Row

1/9/2012 - Sailing out of the eastern end of the Fox Island Thorofare, the distant coast ahead from huge Deer Isle all the way to high Isle Au Haut appears to be continuous. It’s not until we’ve sailed halfway across the bay that the solid green between the big islands begins to… SEE MORE

Leaving the Cape Cod Canal, bound for Provincetown. Photo by Tom Young/USHarbors.com.

Savoring the Beat of Provincetown on Cape Cod

12/29/2011 - Last fall I rode the tidal flow north out of the Cape Cod Canal heading for Maine. Exiting the north inlet, the swift current stacked up against the fifteen to twenty knots of northwesterly wind blowing across Cape Cod Bay. I had optimistically hoped that I might “pinch up” just… SEE MORE

Waking up in Pulpit Harbor is an experience not to be missed by any boater.

Best of the Best: An Overnight in Pulpit Harbor

12/21/2011 - It’s not without some local bias that I boast of Penobscot Bay as a world-class cruising area. And within these spectacularly varied sailing grounds the pinnacle, I would have to say, is Pulpit Harbor. As I’ve been lucky enough to sail much of our magnificent East Coast from the Canadian… SEE MORE

Sunset in Great Salt Pond, on Block Island. Photo by Tom Young/USHarbors.com.

Block Island, an Oasis Made for Exploring by Boat and Bike

12/16/2011 - Block Island is far from Maine, in many ways, especially in the high season. Sailing from Cuttyhunk to Block Island (about 30 NM), on a hot August day, we took advantage of a lack of wind to troll for Bluefish. It wasn’t long before my son and I each had… SEE MORE

Rolling toward Gilkey Harbor, Islesboro. Photo by Tom Young/USHarbors.com.

Enjoying the Passing of Time and Tide in Gilkey Harbor

12/13/2011 - Rolling toward Gilkey Harbor in the company of following swells kicked up by the stiff southwesterly breeze, we intercepted a fleet of sleek Dark Harbor 20s. The classic one-design racers were slicing toward the windward mark just off Minot Ledge that was covered in sunbathing seals (a familiar sight on… SEE MORE

A classic yawl negotiates tight quarters in Northeast Harbor. Photo by Tom Young/USHarbors.com.

Northeast Harbor, a Delightful Basecamp for Exploring Acadia

12/9/2011 - Northeast Harbor is one of an overflowing handful of iconic sailing destinations on the coast of Maine. It’s also one of the few harbors along the Maine coast where the visiting sailor is reliant upon finding a mooring or dock space to spend the night. That, on occasion, can be… SEE MORE

A mother and daughter stroll in Edgartown. Photo by Tom Young/USHarbors.com.

Edgartown, a Versatile Destination on Martha’s Vineyard

12/5/2011 - On each new visit to Edgartown Harbor, I cut a little farther inside Bell No. 2. On our first visit years ago, with our two excited young kids onboard, I’d prudently steered safely to seaward before rounding Bell No. 2 and into the harbor. Coming into a now-familiar Edgartown Harbor… SEE MORE

The Isles of Shoals offer a great stopover for anyone crossing the Gulf of Maine. Photo by Dave Cleaveland/MaineImaging.com.

Isles of Shoals Offer a Break When Crossing the Gulf of Maine

11/30/2011 - The Isles of Shoals Light burned brightly through the pitch-black night ahead. Had I left Provincetown earlier, I might have had some dusk light left. But it occurred to me, after several stops at this archipelago off the New Hampshire-Maine border, I’d yet to come into the Isles of Shoals… SEE MORE

The view under a schooner's bow, as a lobsterboat unloads its traps.

Final November Row of the Season

11/21/2011 - Last week I had the urge to take one final row on my home harbor of Rockport, Maine. The summerlike afternoon, in November, made it hard to resist. Rowing up the placid Goose River at dead low tide felt like floating in the bottom of a granite block-lined crevasse. You… SEE MORE

The "Nantucket Sleighride" across Nantucket Sound is always a wild ride.

A Summer Sleighride to Nantucket Island

11/17/2011 - Nantucket Sound lay between us and Nantucket Island. Not a boring stretch of water in our experience. Cape Cod sailors know their stuff. They deal with tricky, swift currents and incessant winds, five knots more powerful than their actual speed (I swear). Sailing to an island like Nantucket is exciting,… SEE MORE

Author: Tom Young

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