We had finally completed the absolutely necessary chores to launch our new-to-us Pearson 365 sloop, Shayna. We got her in the water just in time for a cruise we had planned to make with friends in two other boats. We had one weekend before takeoff to bend on the sails, tune and provision her. Luckily, that weekend was perfect for the projects we had to complete. We didn’t have much time to test her sailing characteristics, but after all, a sailboat is a sailboat.

The plan was to leave from Scituate Harbor in the late morning and do an overnight to Tenants Harbor, Maine in the company of our friends aboard a Bristol 39 and an Islander 37. The reason for the late start was to allow us a daylight arrival around Monhegan, since only the folks aboard the Islander had traveled to Maine before and it seemed like a good idea to have daylight visibility in such an unfamiliar area.

We had our number 1 crew aboard but none of us had ever done an overnighter nor traveled to Maine by sea. We left Scituate on one of those July dog days when the sea was like glass, the sun was hot enough to fry an egg and anything moving was under power. As our motorcade proceeded along a northerly course, late afternoon brought a change to the weather. (So what else is new in New England?)

At last we began to sail, albeit not on my preferred tack. As we went from breezy to windy, as the weather folk are calling things today, our boat went from rolling to corkscrewing, and we struggled to maintain our course. This was before the days of loran or GPS, when we thought our RDF was the greatest gizmo for pointing us in the right direction. As a matter of fact, trying to tune in to the precise frequency and then find the null, in addition to maintaining one’s balance aboard a rolling vessel, was an exercise that required luck as well as skill. The seas on our stern were rather steep and it became more and more difficult to hold both our balance and our track.

In addition to the wind rising, the sun had set and the temperature dropped from more than 90 degrees to what felt like 40. By 9 in the evening we were all wearing every layer of clothes and foul-weather gear that we could manage. Our carefully conceived plans for watch standing were scratched. Captain Bob was at the helm most of the night, relieved periodically by Crew Dick. Navigator wife Elyse relieved the men for brief spells when seasickness permitted a break from the pail.

Another problem arose: our friends in the lead boat couldn’t slow down, so Carolyn and Bud, aboard the Islander, went on ahead. Sybil and Alan on board the Bristol stayed in sight as we both slogged along. When we first bought our 365 I had entertained brief thoughts of sailing to Bermuda. After this trip I totally scratched that dream.

Needless to say, despite the mountainous seas and interminable sail we finally arrived at the first mark of this trip, Manana lighthouse. Our RDF was invaluable in pointing to the radio tower that pinpoints Monhegan Island.

Then the wind died, the seas calmed and all we needed was a bit of daylight to make an easy run to Tenants Harbor. However, we were not destined to see the sun that day. Instead we were treated to the first of many times when we have had to deal with Maine’s infamous thicka-fog.

I had not expected to be the tour director for our trip, but before we left, I had studied our planned courses. I don’t actually remember much more of the voyage between Monhegan and Tenants, but we obviously made it with no further noteworthy incidents. All I do remember is picking up a mooring in Tenant’s Harbor (there were many to choose from in those years), having a bit of nourishment that would then stay down and turning in for some much-needed rest.

During these past 20 years, we have made several wonderful overnight trips across the Gulf of Maine, to Nova Scotia and to New Brunswick. Never Bermuda though! We have learned to travel by the weather reports rather than a calendar, and never to start out unless we were promised a few good days ahead.

Elyse and Bob Katz are the authors of "Nautical No-No’s."

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