Jan. 28, 190S.I 
' FOREST AND STREAM. 
peculiar whims. The same weather and programme were 
in order on the 2Sth; but on June 26 the weather 
promised better, .so immediately after a late breakfast I 
prepared to work out of the Gut. The wind was still 
S.K, as it had been, I believe, most of June — a head 
wind. But Bantam was still moored stem and stern in 
her winter quarters; so by the time I had cast off the 
various warps and made them fast to other various 
warps, so that the other yachts would not go adrift, 
and had worked into a position where I could get up 
sail, it was well on to slack high water. So' 10 130 found 
me under way, and a few minutes later I cleared the 
point at the mouth of the Gut, on the starboard tack, 
passing inside the red buoy, for there is depth enough 
at high water. I beat down the eastern side of the bay 
to get the advantage of the east in the wind, for I notice 
that when the wind is S.E. it is not true between Mouse 
Island and Southport, but comes more out of the south. 
Made the north end of Damiscove in two short tacks 
and two long ones, after which I eased the sheets and 
reached down the eastern side of the island, then bore 
away and ran across the southern end and got a peep 
into Damiscove Harbor. I've never been in there, and 
I was not much tempted on this occasion to try to enter; 
for, though I am told there is plenty of room for a larger 
boat than Bantam to luff up, it is very narrow, and one 
must moor to a stone pier on the west side. The weather 
was too unpropitious to try it alone, for there would be a 
good chance to scrape a lot of paint off if nothing- 
worse. So I kept on around The Motions. There had 
been a good swell on, coming down the eastern side, tlie 
result of almost a month of easterly weather, but after 
turning The Motions it was much smoother. Ran up 
the western side of the bay and anchored behind Mouse 
for lunch. After Lunch ran up the Gut to Capt. 
M.'s, and, as both his, jnoorings were occupied, anchored 
for the night. The weather had improved, and it looked 
like a change for the better. 
June 27. — Wind S.W., "bright and fair." Got up sail 
about II A. M. and beat out of the Gut and down llic 
west side and around Burnt Island. Bore away for 
Boothbay Harbor, Avhere I anchored, and after a lunch 
on board of scrambled eggs, crackers and coffee, went 
ashore and spent the afternoon shopping, in anticipation 
of my friend S. joining me Monday morning. While 
I was ashore somebody had thrown a handbill into my 
cabin. It turned out to be the harbor regulations — some- 
thing new this year (1903). I turned out and took an 
observation. Found I was lying all right, being to the 
west of a line drawn from the black buoy off McFar- 
land's Island to the steeple of the Congregational 
church. This line runs about over the eastern end of the 
freight house on the Eastern Steamship Company's 
wharf. The other anchorage in the inner harbor is to 
the eastward of a line from the westernmcst tree on 
Tumbler Island to^ a lone spruce tree between the Meta- 
warmet Hotel and Pierce & Hartung's coal wharf. 
June 28 (Sunday). — Had breakfast ashore. Had just 
returned to Bantam when Capt. M. hailed me and luffed 
up alongside long enough to hand me a telegram, to 
deliver which he had kindly sailed over from his place, 
and tO' transmit an invitation to dinner from a friend 
who conducts a summer camp for boys in an ideal spot 
on Townsend's Gut, just inside the Ink Bottle. Anchored 
in the cove there that night. 
June 29. — Practiced picking up a mooring in the cove 
with poor success, and made some calls. 
June 30. — S. arrived and we sailed around Southport 
to Boothbay Harbor. Were hailed by a catboat off Lower 
Mark Island. The skipper wanted something with which 
to buoy his anchor. He had anchored on the ledge to 
fish, and could not get it. We happened to have a piece 
of board, so we sailed close past him and threw it aboard. 
Got lunch — crackers, figs and port wine^ — after turning 
the end of Southport between Cape Island and the 
Cuckolds. 
July I. — Summer has come. Wind S.W. Were to 
the northward of Inner Herron Island in the Damaris- 
cotta River by noon intending to run into Christmas 
Cove and eat lunch ; but as the wind gave every indica- 
tion of dying out completely, and S. had to be in Booth- 
bay Harbor that night for important mail, we gave it up 
and began to work down the west side of Herron against 
the head flood tide, which, but for our sweep in S.'s 
hands, would have set us on the reefs. Late in the after- 
noon the wind freshened enough tO' get us into Booth- 
bay Harbor. 
July 2. — Wind S.W. Ran up the Gut to try Southport 
for S.'s mail, which had not materialized at Boothbay 
Harbor. Wind was freshening and getting into the west, 
and we went through the draw at a satisfactory speed. 
It takes a pair to open this draw — not a pair of Jacks, 
but a pair of noises — two blows of the whistle or twO' 
toots of your fog-horn; or, if you have no mechanical 
noise-maker, two yells. Luffed up off the landing and 
S. took the boat and went ashore while I sailed about the 
cove. By this time the puffs were coming in heavy from 
anywhere between west and north, and Bantam got 
several knockdowns. A launch passed and a lady in it 
took a snapshot of us — I think when we were pretty well 
heeled over. If so, I would like to have had one of 
the photographs, to see what sort of an exhibition Ban- 
tam makes of herself when sailing on her rail. I thought 
it was time tO' reef, and I was busy at this when S. came 
aboard, and we were soon under way again for Five 
Islands. ' The , wind had backed around again to S.W. 
As we came about off Boston Island it blew very hard 
for a few seconds, and the port jib sheet parted. I carry 
both headsails with only one reef in the mainsail. As 
soon as I had headway, I put her back on the starboard 
tack, and then slacked sheets and ran up behind Isle of 
Springs while S. got in the head,sails. We anchored in 
the little cove north of the steamboat landing. 
■ July 3. — The strong wind of yesterday must have 
started the luff of the mainsail from the bolt-rope. We 
did not notice it, however, as we raised the sail, so the 
whole strain of our swigging on the thi-oat halliard came 
on the edge of the duck, and it tore a little. Uncle Sam 
still had his grip on S.'s mail, and our programme had 
been to run over to Southport and get it and then go 
over to Five Islands. But as I now had a job of sail 
mending on my hands, S. thought he could row over to 
Southport , and back, by the time 1 had it finished. This 
proved correct, as I ^m not an expert with the needle, 
and the rent was in an awkward place to get at, and it 
was almost noon before I had it mended to suit me. We 
had lunch aboard and then set sail, reefed mainsail and 
both headsails. The wind was still in strong puffs from 
the west, mixed with intervals when it was almost calm. 
After sailing down the Sheepscot some distance below 
Five Islands, we put back and anchored there for the 
n.ight. 
July 4.— Sailed oyer to Popham Beach. There was no 
incident till we reached the mouth of the Kennebec, 
which we did some time before the ebb had ceased to 
run. We found we could do nothing against it with 
the uncertain N.W. to N. wind which was steadily be- 
coming lighter. When, after having worked up to be- 
tween North and South Sugar Loaf, we drifted almost 
down to the red spar off north end of Pond Island, we 
thought it time to quit, so ran over close to the beach 
on the west side and anchored. After loafing a while, 
during which I put a new strand in the cable where it 
had chafed against the bobstay, we had a swim. The 
water was cold, but the sun and wind were delightfully 
warm. The wind the last three days had been unusually 
warm and dry for Maine, almost as if a few parched 
whiffs from Kansas had strayed our way. By the time 
lunch was over and cleared away, the current was mak- 
ing up stream, but not till more than an hour after low 
water. We shook out the reef and got up sail, and now, 
as a few light zephyrs came off the sea, we made in a 
few minutes more than twice the distance we had won 
and lest in an hour in the morning. Anchored near the 
beach opposite the hotel, between the steamboat wharf 
and the fort. After stowing the sails, landed on the 
beach, as there is no floating stage here. In fact, there 
is no region on the coast of Maine that I know of where 
the facilities for landing are so good as in the neighbor- 
F 
' .-MitifwiMHHfWWBBiiriiii 
■BANTAM. 
hood of Boothbay. There are, for ins:ance, floating 
stages at the Metawarmet and on the town side, at West 
Harbor, Mouse Island, Capital Island, Squirrel Island, 
Murray Hill (head of Linekin's Bay), Cape Harbor, 
Christmas Cove, Southport Landing, Isle of Springs and 
Five Islands, and others which the writer does not re- 
member exactly, 
July 5,— Light wind from the south. Our objective to- 
day was Mackerel Cove, Bailey's Island. About half 
■way between Seguin and Cape Small, while S, was at the 
tiller, a young land bird, tired of flying, perched itself 
on my sleeve, I stroked its tail with my hand, but— my 
usual luck— had no salt handy. It "remained a few 
seconds longer, then winged away again. Had lunch be- 
tween Cape Small and the Monument, during which we 
passed Ragged Island, which is said to have been the 
scene of Kellogg's "Elm Isle" stories, which I used to 
pore over as a boy. Anchored in Mackerel Cove in five 
fathoms at 3 P, M, The oronrietor of the boat livery 
here has a floating stage, but he had not put it in com- 
mission 3'et. 
July 6, — Rained during the night and part of the fore- 
noon. Under way at 10, Beat down to the Monument, 
then put helm up and reached between Haskell's Island 
and Haddock Rock into Broad Sound, and ran up past 
Green Islands and the pretty little Pound of Tea— on 
the latter of which a camping party were enjoying an 
outing— into Freeport River and anchored off the village 
of South Freeport. It had now cleared up, and was 
bright and warm. Got supper at Casco Castle and en- 
joyed the magnificent view from its roof; the flood had 
made enough to cover the flats, which are the one eye- 
sore in this part of Ca.sco Bay. There is a yacht club 
at South Freeport, just above the upper Avharves. There 
are steps at the upper wharves where one can~land, and 
a float at the lower wharves; which, however, is not 
accessible at low water. 
July 7.— Went out of Freeport .River on the first of the 
ebb. Almost no wind at any time, and at times flat 
calm. In a calm and a tide-way Bantam has a tendency 
to go stern-foremost. If we permitted this procedure, 
it would take the whole force of the next little whiff to 
get us pointed on onr course again, and then there 
wonld be another soft spot, another "taiLturning," and a 
loss of any advantage there was in the intermittent 
zephyrs. So we had a sweep over the side, and a few 
strokes during the soft spots kept up our steerage-way. 
Between Bu,sting's and Bibber's Islands the wind 
freshened a little from the south, and we bore up and 
skirted along the deep west shore of the Goose Islands, 
and peeped through the romantic looking passage be- 
tween Upper and Lower Goose, and thought we would 
like to go through some time at high water. Turned the 
upper end ut Goose ajid beat down Middle Bay, going • 
within a few feet of h'tt]e_ Irony Island, which is'' cer- 
tainly weli named. The wind worked to the S.W. arui 
fieshened to a vvlnilf-sail bi-eeze, and we reached our 
ohjective i;oiut — .South llarpswell — in tiuie for lunch 
\vhich we took on bo;ird, Aftei" lunch, landed at the 
Merriconeag House float and sought a bathroom, which 
we found at the Ocean View House, about a mile up the 
Harpswell Neck, Returned to the Merriconeag and had 
a most excellent supper there, which we enjoyed to the 
utmost. 
July 8, — Rained during the night and at intervals dur- 
ing the day, S. was to take the night boat from Port- 
land to Boston, so we spent the morning looking for 
wind enough tO' take us over to Portland, but it came 
not; so S, had tO' fall back on the steamer from South 
Harpswell. 
July 9. — Fine morning. Sailed to Portland, or rather 
.I'-'eak's Island. As the wind was very light and westerly 
—S.W, to W. by N. — and would have a head tide 
through Chandler's Cove, after crossing Broad Sound 
I went outside through Luckse's Sound and crept along 
the sea side of .Long, Peak's and Cushing's. Off White 
Head the wind freshened materially. Anchored off 
Forest City Landing. After Itmch aboard, went ashore 
and walked about the island, as I felt rather lonely after 
S.'s departure. 
July 10, — Fog. Took the ferry to Portland and the 
trolley out beyond Underwood Springs, which are on the 
north shore of CascO' Bay, and back. By this time the 
fog had cleared oft", so got up sail and knocked about 
the harbor a little. There is a float at the steamer 
landing. , 
July II.— Wind N.N.E. Went oft' before it, and 
through the passage between Peak's and Cushing's, in- 
tending to return to South Flarpswell via the passage be- 
tween Crotch (Cliff) Island and Jewell's Island, as I 
had never been through that way. From White Head 
could just lay my course, close-hauled; but the wind 
came lighter and lighter, and it finally fell flat calm 
when up with Crotch Island. After lolling about for 
twenty minutes, however, it suddenly breezed up dead 
astern, and bowled me through the passage and into 
Pott's Horbor in good style. About 4 P. M. a coasting 
schooner came through Pott's Harbor, and, attempting 
to go out through the eastern passage, was set on Pott's 
Point by the tide. She had to stay there four or five 
hours. 
July 12. — Flad intended to go out through the eastern 
passage if the wind should be fair. But the wind was 
S. and not very strong nor steady, and the worst of the 
flood had hardly run. So, with the example of the 
schooner before me, I determined to go round by the 
Monument. Got under way about 9:30, and passed a big 
schooner yacht which had gone out ahead of me. Of 
course she hadn't wind enough; she overtook me again 
toff Haddock Rock- but just as she was about to pass to 
windward of me, between me and the black buoy, she 
came about, shaving the buoy pretty close, and easing 
her sheets, went off to the northward again. The 
maneuver seemed rather odd, but she certainly made a 
stirring picture. Cleared the Monument at 10:35, and 
laid a course of E. by S. for Small Point. The wind 
was freshening, and by the time Bantam was up with 
Bald Head Ledge it was all of a whole-sail breeze. I 
kept on around the south end of Seguin before easing 
my sheets, then bore up and headed for the Cuckolds, I 
was now dead before it, as the wind had worked around 
to S,W. by S. _ My foresail is laced to a boom, and I 
tried to boom it out as a makeshift spinnaker, but did 
not succeed, for the wind and sea were so lively now 
that Bantam, before the wind, would not spare me from 
the helm more than a minute at a time. I finally gave it 
up, and as the foresail then began to slash viciously from 
one side to the other, I lowered "it, and the jib, too, 
though it was not so obstreperous. Off the Cuckolds it 
became necessary to gj'be or come about, and as it was 
blowing too hard to gybe with a whole mainsail, con- 
.sidering the risk of breaking something, I raised the 
jib and came about. Off Tumbler Island the wind was 
lighter, so I gybed; and again after passing the harbor 
buoy, and came to anchor once, more in Boothbay 
Harbor at 2 130 P. M. 
July 13. — At the post-office found a letter from my 
friend F., saying he ^ would take passage with me to 
Camden. This was in response to an open invitation 
given before leaving home. After wiring an acknowledg- 
ment, I got up sail and went around into Townsend's 
Gut to visit some friends who had come since I had left. 
Anchored in the cove inside the Ink Bottle. 
July 14.- — Came out of the Gut at slack high water 
about half past two in the afternoon. The true wind was 
S.W., but in the narrows, owing to the back draft from 
the high banks, this means a foul wind on both tacks. 
It becomes more and more fair as you cross, but just as 
you are pointing fairly down the Gut you have to come 
about, 
I had two ladies as passengers. My intention was to 
take them for a sail, then make for Boothbay Harbor, 
where I was to meet F, the next morning, and drive 
them home. But the wind was coming in heavy puffs, 
and Bantam, sailing pretty well over on her side, and 
occasionaly taking a bucketftil of water over the cock- 
pit rail, proved too uncomfortable for them; so after 
beating far enough down the, west side to weather Burnt 
Island, T put the helm up and crossed over to the east 
side of the bay. Finding the wind had too much west 
in it to let m.e head for Tumbler with boom on port 
side without sailing by the lee, I came about again to 
avoid gybing. Anchored at "The Harbor," and drove 
the ladies home according to programme. On my re- 
turn was delighted to- find that F, had arrived, twelve 
hours earlier than he had expected. So' Bantam's sleep- 
ing accommodations were soon once more fully occupied. 
July 15. — Wind S. Got under way at 10:30 A. M. 
After weathering Gangway Ledge off Ocean Point, we 
had a fair wind, growing stronger and hauling a little 
to the W. of S. for Port Clyde. Flad lunch after coming 
to anchor there; then rowed about the harbor, landing 
on a little island, which had a single inhabitant, a lobster 
fisherman who had built himself a swing to help' him 
while away his lonely idle hours. Then landed in the 
town, made some purchases, and returned in time to get 
supper and wash and put away the thing,s before dark. 
July j6. — While I washed and put away the breakfast 
things, F. rowed ashore to make some purchases and get 
some fresh water. Under way at 10:15 A. M. Were 
delayed at the last moment by the lacing along the gafl" 
starring. After the. bell buoy off Mosquito Island was 
■weathered, we again h;ui a fair wind for Rockland — 
south, hauling a little to westward, and increasing,, so 
