After nearly 40 years of flying I have a serious side, and approached boating with an eye toward safety and situational awareness.

Guest Perspective By Randy Randall For Points East Snow Goose was a Marblehead cruiser designed by Eldridge-McGinnis and built in the late ’50s at Marblehead Boatyard on the Biddeford side of the Saco River in Maine. My dad owned the boat for over 20 years, and, as with any long-termRead More

Guest Perspective By Dave Tew For Points East In 1975 I was a senior in college, and trying to figure out what to do with my life. At the time, the Western Electric Corp. offered a program in which they evaluated and sponsored soon-to-be-graduating college students, and introduced them toRead More

Guest Perspective: Paul Brown Fundy Flotilla 2004, from Northeast Harbor to Grand Manan, and then on to Saint John and the St. John River. Brownscow, my Beneteau Evasion 32, had made it to Grand Manan, New Brunswick, and then had to leave the flotilla as my crew, Irv, had toRead More

Guest Perspective: Marilyn Brigham My father, a lifelong sailor and cruiser, suffered a major stroke in his early 80’s. During his recuperation, it was difficult to discern how much he understood about what had happened to him, and what we told him each day. Part of this was that he’dRead More

By Tim Plouff For most Mainers, the name Saddleback has long been associated with the western Maine mountain near Rangeley that was a popular ski resort for decades before successive owners fell on hard times. While the ski trails remain closed, an effort to re-start operations is ongoing. For manyRead More

By Marilyn Pond Brigham At the end of a day of cruising aboard Selkie, our Catalina 445, my husband and I are inevitably tired and looking forward to being at the day’s port-of-call, where we can relax and discuss one of the more mundane – yet pleasurable – aspects ofRead More

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