From Sea of Life to Sea of Dreams By Dave Witherill, Maine Authors Publishing 2016, 186 pp., $14.95 paperback). On a lighter note, we have a retired sea captain from Maine who trades about three football fields worth of oceangoing tanker for 34 feet of sailboat, and, with his wife,Read More

Fall. This four-letter word creates passion in many, but I lament the nasty season that follows, so please excuse my disdain for the arrival of autumn.

Like so many New England sailors, I have long thought of taking Preamble, my 1998 Island Packet 37, south for the winter. Typically, the idea surfaces while I’m finalizing my fall haul-out and winter storage plans.

Some say there are no wild places yet to discover in the Gulf of Maine, or wild times to be had in its ports-of-call. Nonsense!

We learn from, and share resources with, other islanders in New England and beyond. We experiment. We have developed a new awareness that waste is not an option. These efforts are yielding great results. Sometimes they are quirky; often they’re ingenious.

Points East ad rep Lynn Whitney keeps an eagle eye out from her perch over the Fox Islands Thorofare.

Rockland Maine breakwater after super moon tides. iPhone capture from the North Haven ferry, Capt. Neil Burgess by Kim Alexander

  If you can correctly identify this harbor, you’ll be on your way to winning a fine Points East designer cap. To qualify, identify the harbor AND tell us something about the harbor, such as how you recognized it and some reasons you like to hang out there. We’ll pickRead More

Gloucester, Mass. Robert crossed the bar Nov. 11, 2016. He was a lifelong professional sailor, sailmaker, rigger, boat captain, boatyard manager, and avid skier who will be sorely missed in the local community, big-boat racing and Sunday River ski area. He worked for Hood Sailmakers, Hood Yacht Systems, and wasRead More

This year’s Yachtsman of the Year is the son of our very first winner back in 1999.