It’s hard to believe, but here we are back in Portland, our home port, after the adventure of a lifetime.
We feel so fortunate to have had this experience. We saw beautiful places. We met kind, interesting people. We had friends and family visit us along the way. And we had a great time sailing the coastal Atlantic Ocean, observing its different colors and moods.
We learned a lot about Fregata, a great boat, but one that kept us on our toes as she demands a lot in terms of care and maintenance, in exchange for providing us safety, comfort and performance.
We are grateful for our loyal blog readers and your encouraging and often humorous comments.
As a couple, it’s brought us closer together as we’ve shared in a lot of fun, excitement and a few challenges. We’ve continued to learn about each other and grow together.
It’s a bittersweet time when something like this comes to an end. But there’s more to life than cruising, and it’s time to turn our attention to other matters. But it’s also hard to think about breaking a routine and lifestyle we so enjoy.
We’ll sail for a few more weeks around Maine, but mostly to places we experienced last year.
We’ll continue to post practical information and any additional experiences that stand out, as we hope this blog will inspire other sailors considering the same voyage. There really is no comprehensive cruising guide for those sailing the east coast on the outside. Most guides are about the intra-coastal waterway, which isn’t an option for deep draft sailboats or those with tall masts.
Having you follow us was encouraging and we appreciate the friendship, thoughts and questions you provided. Thanks for coming along!
38 Responses
Hi Dan and Sandy.
Once again I thoroughly enjoyed following your adventures.
Now that you’ve completed cruises both aboard True North, and the Larger Fregata, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the pro’s and con’s of sailing the bigger vs. the smaller boats on an extended cruise.
Will you be coming back to Rochester in the coming weeks?
Joe
Hi Joe, Thanks for following. Glad to catch up in Rochester, and chat about pros and cons. We’ll be back in Rochester mid-September. Are you around then? D
Wow! Way to go Dan and Sandy! And sailing on the Fregata is indeed the way to go 2,145 nautical miles. She’s a beautiful boat. Joanie, Janna, and I really enjoyed seeing both of you in Hyannis and taking a short sail around with you.
And like last year’s long sailing trip you made with True North, you managed to get to Portland, your final destination, a day or two before hurricane winds roiled up. Hope to see you next time you and we are in the same place at the same time.
Larry
Thanks Larry, Glad we made it work to get together as mutually promised. Let’s do it again next season. D&S
Congratulations Dan and Sandy. What an amazing adventure and wonderful accomplishment. It was fun to “tag” along with you via your blog. Thanks so much for sharing the experience with us all. Welcome home!
What a wonderful trip. I have enjoyed the journey vicariously – one day we will have to join you for a couple of days on one of your jaunts. Meanwhile the photos have been lovely but I have mostly appreciated the narrative on the places you visited. So interesting to learn about them and the differences. Safe travels back to port and hopefully see you in the fall sometime. Love to you both.
Thanks, Meera. We look forward to having you in board and seeing you in Europe this Fall. Thinking of a stop in Belgium. Still haven’t met my god-granddaughter. Bisous, D&S
Wonderful ! We do hope that next year , you will sail in France and visit us !!!! Jp and odette
Peut-être mais il faut que vous veniez à bord ici en attendant. Nous avons preuve que vous connaissez le chemin. Amitiés, D&S
Wonderful adventure, safe arrival to final port. Just the uplifting story I needed this week. Thx for sharing the entire voyage and so glad Ryan and I could pop in for a quick visit during your stay in Annapolis!
Great to see you guys as well, Steve. Thanks. D&S
Thanks for sharing such great photos and updates. We missed you at home and look forward to seeing you.
Karen and Tony
Thanks, Tony. And we appreciate you keeping an eye on things back home. D&S
Congrats, Dan and Sandy. Spending time with you and the fun day with Alex will be remembered as a highlight of the summer of ‘24. I will point others I meet who are interested in the cruising lifestyle to study this blog as one step. A lot of informative advice and your candid writing style brings home some balanced realities. It’s not all sunsets and black cherry ice cream. But, that just might be the reason to go!
Hi Tom, And meeting you and Hope was a highlight for us. We’re expecting you onboard next season and/or for your belated visit in Switzerland. Enjoy the boat show! D&S
Glad to have been a part of your journey! See you next time I’m in Rochester. Enjoy Maine. xo
And we’re glad you were part of it, Beth. D&S
What an amazing summer! Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us. Enjoy the rest of your travels before settling back into life on land. Now, how do you top this trip next year?
Thanks, Shep. That’s a good question. Newfoundland? Caribbean? More New England? We’ll keep you posted. Come visit us in any case!
You are fantastic!!
Grazie, Cara!
We really enjoyed the Blog, Sandy and Dan — thank you for taking the time and sharing! Wonderful (vicarious) adventure for Rania and me!
Hugs,
Francois
Merci, François. Hope you’re having a good summer. Best, D&S
Congratulations Dan and Sandy!!! What an adventure you had!!! Glad everything went well! Living life to the fullest! Great job.
Thanks Don. Hope to see you soon in ROC. D&S
Fabuleux…
Félicitions à vous deux, quel magnifique voyage, magnifique bateau mené de main de maitre par un incroyable équipage…
Le lac va vous sembler tout petit maintenant, mais nous vous y attendons de pied ferme 🙂
Au plaisir de vous revoir et d’entendre votre récit de vive voix.
Chers Martina et Philippe, Merci pour ces mots sympas. Le Léman reste dans notre cœur et malgré cette aventure, nous nous réjouissons d’y naviguer en automne, et surtout de vous retrouver ! Amitiés, D&S
Wow!!! Vicariously sailing those 2,145 miles with you and Sandy was a highlight of Donna’s and my summer. Of course, spending 4 days and sailing some of those miles with you and Sandy on Fregata in Annapolis was THE highlight. You are a great captain, and Sandy is a great first (and last) mate. What a team! The skills you used creating the blog and posting the visuals are topped only by your abilities as a captain. I never felt more secure on a boat than when sailing with you. It goes without saying that Fregata is a simply amazing boat. Most importantly is how clearly you and Sandy work as a team. You are both lucky to have found each other. Donna and I look forward to getting together some time when you return to CNY and get settled into life on hard. I am sure you will be swaying for a few months after you leave Fregata in Maine. May your dreams forever include dolphins, porpoises, waves, and lobster pots.
Jim, Donna, Thank you for these kind words. Sandy and I are speechless. We feel fortunate to have you both as friends and we’re glad we got to share some of our summer with you. Looking forward to seeing you on terra firma. Love
you guys! D&S
What an amazing journey! An experience few have seen. We were so happy to sail with you for a few days and to get a glimpse into what your adventure is all about.
Thanks, J. Hope you’ll join us again next year, hopefully somewhere cooler! D&S
To paraphrase a well- known baseball character, Shoeless Joe Jackson, “Say it ain’t so, Dan and Sandy!” Hard to believe the trip has ended! No more insighful comments from the blog master, no more beautiful scenes from your great adventure, and no more striking photos of some of the coolest lighthouses on earth! Oh, well we hope the record is as memory- and thought-provoking for you as it was for all of your vicarious visitors along the way. Looking forward to the next thrilling episode in your peripatetic life at sea.
Thanks, Charlie. Enjoying a final few weeks in Maine, but then we take a break. We look forward to next season too! See you in CH soon. D&S
Congratulations Dan and Sandy ! I had an immense pleasure to follow your adventures and descriptions of the places and people you met, although my reading was erratic and not yet complete.
I will finish reading your posts from Fixing Fregata onwards, hoping you will not close comments on old articles too soon.
Hope we will meet for a “repas chasse” this automn.
Dan and Sandy,
Congratulations on this amazing life adventure! Wow!
Maria
Thanks, Maria. See you soon.
Dan & Sandy,
Thanks a lot for Sharing your trip, this is very inspiring, even if I can only imagine what’s in your mind after such a human experience!
Laurent
Merci, Laurent. Effectivement une expérience sans pareil. À bientôt en Europe ! D&S