The New Season

An island lobster bake last fall.

What happpened to the Sunday blog? Gonzo. I buried myself in sailing and writing a new novel. I finished the novel, GROUNDFISH--which is about a murder within the Gulf of Maine commercial fishing industry--but I haven't finished sailing, and a new season is approaching fast.

Many have commented on the name change. Three or four or more changes? I never liked the Sail Polaris Jack name, and it took a few iterations, and three web domains, for me to arrive at Polaris Ocean Charters. So now, despite not having running water in my house, I'm the proud owner of 3 domains.

Polaris Ocean Charters had a good season last year. We did some lobster bakes on the islands, we sailed the downeast coast and islands all summer and fall, taking a surprising number of passengers out. We saw tons of seals, eagles, porpoises, cormorants, and all other kinds of seabirds--razorbills, harlequins, terns, shearwaters, petrels...

And a few whales passed by Polaris Jack to say hello.

Lots of calls about puffins, but the waters we sail aren't puffin territory; we aren't far away, and it's certainly a doable trip to get to Petit Manan Lighthouse and the Petit Manan Wildlife Refuge where the puffins live, but it'd be a full day of sailing. Now and then, if you're out far enough, you might spot one shooting past the boat like a football, but it's not a guaranteed sighting.

And to be frank: it's cool to see them, yes, but I'd much prefer the solitude and peace of an authentic, old school Maine sailing experience and cruise around the wild, forgotten islands of the downeast coast.

Why do I say the islands here are forgotten? They certainly aren't by the locals, or the lobster fishermen who circle them dailly in the summer. So maybe they're not forgotten, they're just not on the radar like the rest of the coast is. Once east of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, the coast changes, becomes less crowded and hectic. More real-Maine in the way we all like to envision it.

But I don't want to advertise the area; I like it the way it is. So it's a quandary. But there's a lot of conservation going on around here, efforts to keep it wild and undeveloped, and those efforts take money and support. I believe that it's good for people to experience these wild places in a responsible manner, to learn and grow from them, to appreciate and love them lest they become another Bar Harbor or Camden.

Many days, Polaris Jack is the only boat out there; the lobstermen have all gone home, and the ocean is quiet, empty, and amazingly beautiful. Where else can you experience that?

That's it for now. I'm going to switch the blog from the old Sunday formal essay format to more frequent, informal posts. For now. But one never knows. There are some changes in the works this summer for Polaris Ocean Charters, but I'll wait until those are complete to get specific.

Oh, and online booking just opened! Currently limited to 4 souls but that may change. And, as always, reach out with any questions or cool trip ideas.

Fair winds,

Capt. Jon

A typical sunset sail with a group from London. And Mavis.