We woke up to the smell of breakfast and fresh-perked coffee.  The first impression of the Stephen Taber was “cramped quarters.”  The first “best impression” was “good food.”  I browsed through the stowed gear and my bunk, looking for clothes and the coffee cup that had been issued to us during the prior evening’s “all hands on deck” meeting.  I found the cup and enough clothing to be decent and fairly warm in the chilly September morning.  I followed my nose to a great cup of coffee and the cruise was officially underway.

We had boarded this 127 year-old schooner the previous afternoon and spent the night listening to the gentle lapping of bay waters against her wooden hull.  Despite the excitement of our pending adventure and the cramped space we would call home for the next week, we slept quite well. 

We were welcomed aboard by First Mate David Clemens, who we later learned was better known as Super Dave.  Dave directed each member of the cruise to their quarters and helped with the luggage.  We had been advised to bring only one small duffel bag filled with only what we absolutely must have to keep warm, dry and decent.  That advice was mostly ignored.  This was billed as the photography and lighthouse cruise.  Nearly every couple had at least one camera bag and a tripod.  Storing all that junk in the space allotted was … problematic.  But we managed. 

Dinner was not served that first evening but Captain Noah Barnes came aboard for the all hands meeting and answered questions about places to eat and things to do on our final evening in Rockland. 

We wandered around Rockland for an hour or so, returning to the ship after an expensive but not so good dinner at the Black Bull Restaurant.  We spent the evening hours socializing with the other twenty or so passengers aboard the Stephen Taber. 

The morning was bright and beautiful; the coffee was just as good as it had smelled and Cara, the Galley Mate, had prepared a huge feast of blueberry pancakes, bacon and fruit for breakfast.  In the bright, but slightly chilled, morning air, we had breakfast on the open deck rather than in the cramped surroundings of the absolutely authentic galley of the Taber.

I said authentic because everything Cara cooked was on the old wood-burning stove and the associated oven of this National Historic Landmark.  The Steven Taber was certified as a National Historic Landmark in 1991.  Nothing can be added to or taken from the vessel that would change authenticity.  Rather than go into a lot of detail about her historical significance, I will post this link.

The sailing got underway at a very casual pace.  The passengers were almost immediately involved in sailing the ship, literally.  Hoisting sail takes a lot of hands.  It was exciting.  Most of us knew little to nothing about sailing.  We started learning the lingo, names for all those huge hunks of canvas and which lines to pull and how to secure them.  It certainly helped work up an appetite for lunch. 

We were having a difficult time switching between being sailors and photographers.  I kept the little Sony in a pocket so that it was immediately available.  It worked but I was having a hard time controlling depth of field and exposures in some harsh conditions.  We had not left the harbor until around eleven o’clock. That meant taking pictures in some harsh conditions.  Plus, using the rigging and sailing equipment for foreground interest made aperture settings critical.  The main drawback to a point and shoot is the lack of manual controls.   I panicked and switched to the Nikon. 

Above is the Rockland Breakwater Light.  Owls Head Light was off to the opposite and much too far for a photograph.  At this point we were under full sail and headed into the Penobscot Bay.  Our destination according to Captain Barnes was, “Wherever the takes us.”   

With so many small (and a few larger) islands along the Maine coast, there was always another image that needed taking.  Jane and I managed, however, to relax and enjoy the scenery, feeling romantic and thoroughly enjoying our 50th Anniversary Cruise.

The day passed quickly.  We took pictures, socialized and ate.  It seems that even the do-it-yourself cruises are as much about fine dining as are the major cruise lines.  Though we ate outside, the food and service were fantastic.  Above, deck hand Julie is doubling as galley hand to help serve lunch.  I think I remember this being the most delicious tomato soup I ever tasted. 

I’m drawing on a very old memory to piece this together.  Procrastination is my strong suite.  I think our first anchorage was in Northeast Harbor.  I seem to remember the crew mentioning Cranberry Islands.  Evenings were special. After dinner, we would socialize and follow the sun down.  Most of us would photograph the event.

Sunset was followed by basic photography classes, the presentation coming from certified PPA photographer John Shipman.  John specializes in wedding photography in the Philadelphia area.  That first night was a discussion of the basics with John getting to better understand the level of expertise of our group.  There were some very skilled photographers on our cruise.  Others were hobbyist, but all seemed fairly well versed in the basics.

All that fresh air, good food and a few glasses of fine wine led to an early retirement for me.  That and the knowledge that some of us would be tasked to raise anchor and hoist sail.  Sailing is heavy duty work. 

I have procrastinated so long, and am so far from completing my story of this trip, that I want to close here and break this into several parts.  I will try to more punctual with the next edition.

l8r

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