Thank you Portsmouth for A Great Visit!

Loading up at Prescott Park. Photo by David R. Hiley

Ardelle's masts. Photo by David R. Hiley

Photo by David R. Hiley

Photo by David R. Hiley

Photo by David R. Hiley

Photo by David R. Hiley

Photo by David R. Hiley

Harold and his father, Charles "Chuckie" Burnham are entering the Annisquam River as I type after the schooner Ardelle finished up a great visit to Portsmouth, N.H. this week, including a visit from Prof. David R. Hiley from the University of New Hampshire who sent us these great photos and who had a nice sail with us yesterday. Thank you, David!

At Prescott Park in Portsmouth

Heading out of the Annisquam river

Passing the old Annisquam Light - one of the nation's oldest lighthouses

Entering the Piscataqua river and Portsmouth, N.H.

On the sail, a Fin whale crossed our bow twice and we startled two young seals

An oil tanker leaves the Piscataqua

Passing Newcastle, N.H.

As we docked at Prescott Park in Porstmouth, a great group of school kids and teachers came by to say hello.

We had a look at the Gundalow, under construction at Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth

Harold talks with a fellow shipwright Paul Rollins who is building the Gundalow

This one is for you, Zach!



We are tied up at Prescott Park until Sunday! See the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard behind us. Its been there since 1800. The foto above is of the Gundalow, now under construction at Strawberry Banke museum in Portsmouth, N.H.



Yesterday, Harold and Laurie sailed out of Gloucester to Portsmouth, N.H. where we have a charter on Saturday. We took advantage of the good weather yesterday and we had a great sail. We had 15-20 knot SW winds and flat seas so we flew up the New Hampshire coast in a few hours. On our way, we had the great reward of seeing a Fin whale crossing out bow, twice, and some harbor seals at play. When we reached Portsmouth (Prescott Park to be exact) we visited our friends at the Gundalow project - a massive wooden Gundalow being built at Strawberry Banke (check it out!) and had lunch at the famous Ceres Bakery on Penhallow Street owned by a friend of the Burnhams. We chatted with shipbuilder Paul Rollins, Nate Piper and others and had a lot of folks asking us about the schooner Ardelle as it related to the Gundalow. Some Portsmouth school kids decided that the Gudalow and the Ardelle must be cousins...as they are about the same age and are two great building projects ... ours now complete and the Gundalow getting close. It was great to see our Portsmouth cousins. Come by this week if you are in the neighborhood. Portsmouth is a great city by all accounts. Thanks, Nate, for the ride back to Essex yesterday. Harold is heading up today (Wednesday) for the rest of the week.



A Crew Member of the Ardelle Treats Us to Photos

Thank you Pierre Erhard for these photos from last week's sail on the schooner Ardelle. The crew covered a lot of ground but these shots show some of the beautiful things you see offshore and cruising the coast. We hope to have more sails like this is in future...pick your destination...maybe we can get there next spring/summer!

Steve Hastings on the recent men's sail. Steve is Harold's first cousin and is the mastermind behind the time-lapse photos we enjoyed during the construction of the Ardelle.

Steve Willard and Harold leaving Provincetown.

Heading to the Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire

Entering the Isle of Shoals

Isle of Shoals

Offshore on the Ardelle

Under sail on the Ardelle

Sunset

Harold and Steve Willard

Davis Griffith

Bruce Slifer (in the foreground)

Great light!

Lighthouse at Isle of Shoals

Heading into Provincetown

In Portsmouth harbor

Portsmouth Harbor

Leaving Scituate Harbor

Thanks for the Photos, Folks!

Our friend Cheryl Andrews from Provincetown, who organizes the Great Provincetown Schooner Race each year, came aboard with some friends during the recent visit by Ardelle to P'town. Harold tells us that Cheryl and crew had a bit of "octopus stew" made by the Hastings brothers (I think it is a kind of beef stew, really)... They arrived at night and left the next morning for Scituate and then  headed back to Gloucester.

Thanks Cheryl for the photos!

Harold and the crew in Provincetown. Photo by Cheryl Andrews.

Photo by Cheryl Andrews

Bill Ellegood took these photos from the Schooner Lannon last Sunday

Thanks, Ray Mello foe sending this photo from last Monday!

From Isle of Shoals to Provincetown - Great Sailing, Guys!

At Portsmouth harbor

Harold and the crew tell us that they had a great trip during the recent men's sail. They went to Portsmouth, Isles of Shoals, Rockport, Marblehead, Provincetown, Sctituate, and Gloucester. Harold says it blew like hell for most of it. Ardelle reached 9.6 knots on the way into Rockport and sailed out into 35 knots under full lowers.

"We thrashed her around a bit, Harold said, but,  the boat likes wind and handles a sea beautifully and through all of it only a little spray came on deck."  Harold said he had no need for rain gear, and that is dry as it was blowing 35 knots with a  full sail to windward on thier way out of Rockport. "She really is a dry boat and I think she will do fine in the really big stuff.," he said. (meaning ocean crossings!)  Thanks for the update Harold. Thank you Kathy Slifer for the photos.

Today, Sunday, looks like a great day for a public sail. Check it out at Maritime Gloucester...I think the boat leaves at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Columbus Day Weekend and Fall Sailing Should be Great

Harold and the boys are back from their week long sail along the coast and Harold and crew will be at Maritime Gloucester this weekend for public sails at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.  Weather seems to be great this weekend, and Harold will probably have the wood stove going so you can have some hot mulled cider, too. Bring a sweater and go out and see the sights of fall from the Ardelle!

Ardelle Off Marblehead

Thank you Ed Moll who sent this  photo of the Ardelle off Marblehead on Wednesday. Looks like the boys are having a good time and seems like it based on this photo! Thanks again.

Bermuda Sloops and A Jolly Good Time

Optimist Dinghies and Cruise ship in Hamilton harbor, Bermuda

A Bermuda sloop.

IODs racing in the Argo Group Gold Cup

Sloop sailing by..in Hamilton harbor, Bermuda

These kids are here to race!

Bermuda, there is not much to say about this beautiful place except it is very unique.  I have been coming here each October off and on since 2004 to report on an event called the King Edward VII Gold Cup ... and I report on it for the newspapers or whatever magazine will take a story. So far this year the teams raced all day in Hamilton harbor and although the writing is done I thought I would post a few photos from the day. It is a rare opportunity for me to come here each year and it is always great!  Word from a friend is that Harold and the gang were last spotted in Portsmouth, NH on Monday night which means by now the men's sail has got to have gone all the way to Maine. I hope so, hope they made it to Boothbay, and I also hope they stopped to see the Gundalow in Portsmouth. Hope you guys are having fun and send me pictures if you have any!