We’re back! Today marks the first day of our 2026 cruise, and we’re delighted to have you along — virtually, at least.
A lot has happened since we left Fregata in Camden last September. I continued sailing on Lake Geneva through October. We hosted our families for Thanksgiving in Rochester and again at Christmas in Geneva. In February, we headed to Milan for the Winter Olympics, where we took in figure skating, speed skating, and ice hockey — and squeezed in some time with old friends in the city. Sandy was a competitive figureskater as a child, and it’s always been her dream to see it at the Olympics.
The biggest news came in March. After years of planning, we finally made the move from Upstate New York to Maine, where we settled in Falmouth, just north of Portland, and so far we love it. We’ve started to meet our neighbors, joined the Portland Yacht Club just down the street, found a new gym, and I’ve gotten involved with the local grassroots activism groups and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. It’s beginning to feel like home.
Yesterday evening, we moved aboard Fregata, moored offshore from our new house, to prepare for this morning’s departure. We were welcomed with a spectacular sunset — a reminder that you don’t have to travel far from home to find spectacular views.
Our plan for the first half of the season takes us south: Portsmouth, NH, then around Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. We’ll rendezvous with the Salty Dawg Sailing Association in Newport and join their rally cruise back up to Rockland, Maine. The second half of the season, we plan to explore Down East — Maine’s rugged northeastern coast and islands, stretching toward the Canadian border.
You might wonder why that region is referred to as “Down East”. The term originated among 1700s sailors making the northeasterly trip from Boston. 
But why not “Up East”, since the route is as northerly as it is easterly? It has to do with the prevailing southerly winds (winds blowing from south to north). This meant that the vessels were sailing downwind, thus “down east”.
OK, enough etymology. Those of you who’ve followed the blog know that Fregata has kept us on our toes mechanically over the years. Happy to report that this season, everything is — almost — shipshape. The one wrinkle: the boatyard that winterized her last fall made an error that cracked the fan coils in the air conditioning system, and we’re waiting for parts from Italy. Not ideal, but in these waters, truly hot days are rare enough that we’re not losing sleep over it… literally.
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Wishing everyone a wonderful summer!
