Sold and Sailing Away

Quiet Passage, that lovely boat that has carried us into retirement, has been sold.

They say the happiest days in a sailor's life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells her. That's true for myriad reasons. We both have loved the adventures we experienced aboard Quiet Passage. She was a great little boat and she carried us comfortably for eight years. We traveled more than 15,000 miles aboard her sturdy hull. But it became more and more physically difficult to twist and turn in her tiny space to do the endless maintenance. When I had my back problems two years ago, I knew the writing was on the wall.

So the decision to sell her was one of necessity and little regret. Her new owner is from Alabama and plans to sail her down the Connecticut River in early September. Although we were not there for the sale, I have agreed to visit with the new owner and give him in-depth guidance about her systems for a day. The entire sale was handled via the Internet, although we did have to scurry around to find a notary public when it came time to sign the bills of sale.

In the meantime, we have found a gem of a campground, hidden in the Maine woods. We are eight miles from downtown Freeport, Maine, one of the busiest commercial centers in the state. This is the home of L.L. Bean, an enormous clothing and sports equipment enterprise.

We found Recompense Shore Camp Ground by chance. It is part of a farm that raises organic beef and vegetables and lies on the shores of Casco Bay. The place is quiet, with thick trees, many birds and a certain peacefulness. We can hear sheep and cattle calling out in the background.

We have parked here for four nights and used it as a base from which we can wander the coast of Maine and down to Portland.