Guest Perspective: Capt. Michael L. Martel I awoke in the darkness with a start, disoriented, only to eventually realize that I was still in my bunk, fully dressed and wrapped in my blanket against the cold. Even though the last two days had seen the air grow milder, I wasRead More

Guest perspective: Christopher Birch “What’d you sail in on?” asked the man shaving at the sink next to me. “A Caravan 18,” I replied, pleased with my quick thinking and grateful for the shaving cream concealing my smirk. It was a beautiful August morning in Northeast Harbor, Maine, and myRead More

As experienced boaters know, there is much more to an outing than packing a picnic basket, picking out a destination, and heading out into the wide blue yonder. A good captain should have a lot on his or her mind: One must consider the weather, currents, the marina and berthRead More

The luckiest day of my life took place in the summer of 1972. At the time, two college friends, Spot and Alec, and I were working summer jobs in Kenne-bunkport, Maine. Spot, his wife, and Alec were sharing a rented cottage that sat at the edge of a large estuaryRead More

By Christopher Birch For Points East Not every marina has a duck house, but, lucky for me, mine does. I’m thinking now of a certain duck that once lived there. She had a bad starboard wing and a bad port leg. When she walked, she leaned on her good wingRead More

By Capt. Michael L. Martel For Points East Paul Dennis loves boats. He especially loves sailboats, and one type in particular, with which he’s had a long-standing affair. The humble and soft-spoken man has no qualms admitting it – he loves the often-unconvential-looking sailboats built by Freedom Yachts, and hasRead More

Guest perspective/Randy Randall “Hey Dad,” Jeremy yelled. “Looks like you hit the jackpot! What is all this stuff?” He was right. I’d practically filled the front of my kayak with trash. “Help me unload all this,” I told him. But you see collecting trash is kind of a game withRead More

Guest perspective/Capt. Laura Tecce Surely, many long-suffering spouses have heard this: “No one talk to me while I’m docking.” (But, if you can’t talk to him, how are you supposed to know what he’s doing or where he’s going?) Or how about this: “Throw the lines.” “Where are the bumpers?”Read More

Guest perspective/Randy Randall Oil tankers are fast. Much faster than you probably think. The behemoth ships that seem to take forever to cross the horizon when you’re offshore are actually moving right along. They’re like an optical illusion – so big and imposing, so long and so wide – thatRead More

Guest perspective/Mike Camarata I am 35 years old. My stitching is solid. My straps and handles are snug and strong. My zipper slides up and down as smooth as silk. My Coast Guard-required printing is very legible. My D-rings are bright and shiny. My belt clips still have their grip,Read More