Feb. 20, 1904.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
181 
TlNCr 
The Maiden Cruise of Istar* 
From Gfcenpoft L. I., to St. Johns, N. B.^ and Return, 
July 16 to September 8, 1903. 
BY BROOKS H. WELLS, NEW YORK CITY. 
(Concluded from page 18.^.) 
August 8. About 3 A. M. the skipper was wakened by 
the rattle of chain, and, looking out, found that the fog 
was being blown seaward by a gentle air from N.W., and 
that the Twilight, a St. John pilot boat, was getting 
under way. Skipper started to do likewise, and had 
gotten the cable short and the gaskets otf the sails when 
the mate appeared on deck. At 3:30 Istar was passing 
the harbor light and ran on with a gentle wind and fair 
tide to a mile outside Libby Island when the tide began 
to run flood. The dawn was beautiful, clear, and very 
cold. At 6:55 passed Moose Peak Light, nineteen miles 
from our anchorage. The schooner yacht Mlmina had 
just come out the main channel way from Mistake Har- 
bor. She was beautiful in the clear morning light, and 
The "Yacht" Maple Leaf— St. John's River. 
going like a race horse to^ the eastward. Running along 
by the desolate red granite escarpments of Great Wass 
Island and by Cummings Head, Petit Manan tower lifted 
itself like a little gray peg from the western horizon, and 
Istar reached straight for it along a shining blue sea, 
smooth except for the ripples of the offshore wind and 
the long swell rolling in from southward. 
As is usual along this coast with a northerly wind out 
of a clear sky, the breeze failed, and at 8 130 we rolled in 
a flat calm midway between Moose Peak and Petit 
Manan. At 9:30 the expected S.W. wind came in as a 
light air, but failed after a half hour, and again it was 
calm. An hour and a quarter later it came back as a 
brisk true breeze, but with enough westing so that we could 
not lay a course nearer than two points for Petit Manan 
An Inland Light — St. John's River. 
and Schoodic. After a fine sail, with, at the end, all the 
wind we could stagger under, anchored in Winter Harbor 
at 2 P. M. ' • ; 
August 16. We had spent an enjoyable week in ex- 
ploring every nook and corner about Mt. Desert Island 
and Frenchman's Bay, and now had been becalmed since 
early morning off the Point of Otter waiting for the wrnd 
that would bear us westward. It came at noon, so that 
it was a close reach from the Nubble bell through Casco 
Passage to Eggemoggin and a broad reach through to 
Buck's Harbor, with balloon jib and wind so fresh that 
our stout topmast bent "like a willow wand." The mate 
was much interested in the tame foxes on the little island, 
that makes the harbor. 
Sailed to Castine the next morning and .from there. iii 
a driving thunder storm with reefed sail to Turtle .Head,' . 
and then in light airs to Seal Harbor near I.slesboro. 
Night closed in looking thundery, and we found use for 
a second anchor in a severe squall about midnight. 
Drifted the next day with light airs to the -Herring ©trt: ' 
At sunset the sky in the west was clear lemon yellow, 
with a line of low-lying, heavy, smooth-edged clouds 
which brought the next day a fresh gale from S.W. In 
the morning we ran up the beautiful Damariscotta River 
to East Boothbay, where we lost an anchor on the foul 
bottom in spite of two hours' maneuvering trying to get 
it. Had an enjoyable run up the river in a fresh gale, 
and anchored a little below Damariscotta for the night. 
The next day was an unpalatable mixture of heavy 
rain, thick fog, and fickle breezes. Istar felt her way 
down the river and around to Boothbay and Townsend 
Gut. 
August 21 was a fair, bright day, with a brisk N.W. 
wind and a heavy rolling swell from the southward, so 
that we had an exhilarating run nearly to Mark Island, 
where the wind backed and came out very light from 
ahead. The big rollers helped to push us in by the 
Whaleback, and we went by way of Chandler's Cove to 
Portland. 
August 22. At 4:30 A. M. the skipper opened his eyes 
and went on deck. Dawn was just breaking. The west 
was dark and threatening. Barometer was 29.74, and 
dropping slowly. Last evening there was a iDrilliant 
: Aurora. The wind was S. Everything portended a gale. 
We determined to run out for a look at things 
off the Cape. Just outside Portland Head the skipper 
ordered jib in and a reef in the mainsail. By the time 
this was accomplished, we were in a: big chop coming in 
from S.E., and the wind was fast freshening. Made our 
way out to Old Anthony in a fairly heavy sea and fresh 
gale with very threatening sky. A friend who had come 
aboard at Bar Harbor and who had showed signs of ner- 
vousness during the exhilarating run from Boothbay to 
Cape Small, was badly frightened. The mate was de- 
moralized almost to the point of mutiny, and evidently 
wished himself ashore. The skipper, sorry to throw away 
so good an opportunity to try what Istar could do against 
wind and sea, kept on for a half hour, then reluctantly 
put the helm up and ran back, feeling angry and hurt that 
any of his . crew should have shown the white feather. 
By, Portland Head we met a bark going out under courses 
and lower topsails. In spite of calainitous looks and 
quite unnecessarily urgent protests from the two, Istar 
Point Lepreau — Bay of Fundy. 
was turned about and sailed out a mile or so to watch 
the maneuvering of the bark. Then back we drove, and 
hardly had we reached our anchorage when the friend, 
whose nerves were in tatters, went ashore for a bracer 
and the train home. Lay at anchor all day wasting a 
beautiful fresh S.W. wind. Several sail and steam yachts 
bound west ran out, but all came promptly back. 
The skipper was unhappy until, as he groped about in 
his mind for an adequate reason for the mutiny of the 
morning, he saw this picture, understood, and forgave: 
A tall ship, clothed from her trucks down, is speeding 
along through the night. From out the darkness a sudden 
(blast bears her over, over until the water pours in upon 
:lier deck, until her lower yards dip almost to the leap- 
ing seas; - The crew, pressed by the hand of fear, and the 
hoarse voice of command, are straining every fibre to re- 
lieve her from the overbearing pressure of her canvas. 
A sailor, known as the best and bravest on the vessel, 
goes up, up through the howling blackness to the topmost 
yard, the main royal. The sail has been clewed up and he 
is out on. the leeward arm ready to make all snug and 
fast. The clew line gives way and the sail, driven by the 
fury of the. wind, sweeps him from the yard except for 
the frantic clutch of the fingers of a single hand. 
Beaten by the flapping canvas, he seeks in vain for a 
new hold, until, when despair had almost crushed his 
spul, he feels and grips the taut strands of the leeward 
lift. Unconscious of his torn and bleeding hands he 
fights his way inch by inch up this slender line to the 
masthead, slides down the spar to the royal yard again, 
and makes fast the. sail. The ship, now stripped to her 
lower topsails, some canvas furled, some blown to rib- 
bons from the .bolt ropes, is running off before the storm. 
' Years have gone, and when skies are blue and winds 
'.faif the. incident -seems . almost forgottem Yet when the 
heavens, clbiid and thicken with the coming of a summer 
gale, his'hearf grown faint with dread that he may feel 
.again the.chilling clasp, of the clinging .arms of death. - 
August ' 23. ' We "had sailiip and'ready at 5 A. M., but 
wind did ii«t'eomp until -after 8. "^e yawl 'MattaclTeeset, 
28ft. waterline, passed out by Portland Head a mile and 
a half to windward of us. We gained on her steadily, 
and she ran by Old Anthony eighteen minutes in advance, 
but we caught and passed her half way between Wood 
Island and Cape Porpoise, sailing fourteen miles to do 
so. Wind light and ugly old sea. After this it was a 
drifting match. In the tumble we could drift fastest, so 
that we made our anchorage among a crowd of vessels in 
Porpoise Harbor, had dinner and the dishes washed be- 
fore Mattacheeset appeared. 
Aug. 24. The clink of a windlass as a fisherman be- 
gan to get in his anchor roused the skipper and the 
mate. In the east a pale gray rose showed the coming 
of day. Overhead, the stars still shone in a cloudless 
dome, and little ripples ran from the north over the 
smooth water. The fleet was waking up. There was 
the rattle of chain, the " chirp of blocks as sails slowly 
rose along the masts, and from somewhere the faint 
fragrance of old Mocha. Istar spread her wings, and 
slowly glided out from the calm circle of the port to 
the heaving roll of the open sea. The tide was low, 
and the rounded swell ran swiftly and smooth as oil 
until it broke and crashed into foam on the black, 
weed-covered rocky fangs that guard- on either hand 
the harbor's mouth. 
In the east the glow deepened. Red, orange, azure 
Moose Peak Light — Entrance to Mistake Harbor. 
and purple, above the sharp cut line of the horizon; 
silver flecked, with flame below, burned sky and sea 
until the sun came swiftly up , and day had begun. A 
couple of small black whales, like huge porpoises, swam 
with soft blowings. In the far northwest the mighty 
peaks of Washington and his lesser fellows of the 
Presidential range stood faintly clear in the soft morn- 
ing light, overtopping all of the nearer hills. From 
Point Arundel west and south curved the green level 
line of shore to Agamenticus, and seaward rose the 
tall dark tower of Boone Island. 
Istar, deserted by the wind and rolling idly on the 
swells, led by a mile the bunch of yachts, fishermen and 
coasters that had followed her out of the harbor. 
She drifted slowly along until 11, when the wind came 
out from S.S.E., a fair breeze. At 11:15 Boone Island 
and the Nubble were abeam. At 1:20 Appledore and 
Des.olation, Cummings Head — Near entrance to the Bay of Fundy. 
Smuttynose had risen out of the haze, and we were 
leaving them broad off the port quarter. Later the 
wind failed to an almost imperceptible air, so that when 
the Cape Ann lights flared out we were Still a mile 
north of Halibut Point, and Mattacheeset, which had 
started a mile astern of us, was far off to leeward, a 
tiny speck against the sky, at sunset. Drifting along - 
through the night, at times uncomfortably close to the 
reefs, it was nearly i when the great towers on Thatch- 
er's Island lay astern. Soon after a breath came in from 
the N.E., and as the night was so far spent, the skipper 
turned her head toward Provincetown, the mate taking 
the stick. At 3:30, when he relieved the mate, there was 
a brisk breeze, and the topsail had been taken in. At, 4 , 
the skipper set it again, Istar, bowing a little to the' 
growing swell, was making steady progress. '" 
Sunrise revealed a horizon transparently clear in the 
southeast, but with a suspicious dimness in the south- 
west. ^ There was no land, in, sight, and everywhere- the 
sky ran down into the sea. The wind now began to 
veer rapidly by E. and S. to S.W., and the barometer to 
