America’s 250th Anniversary 2026 (Maine, Cape Cod, & Newport, RI)

 Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary in one of America’s Oldest Seaports (Camden, Maine) and then a post visit to Bar Harbor  and then on to Cape Cod and to our  finish line in Newport, Rhode Island.

Our hotel room at Grand Harbor Inn in Camden overlooking (and on top of) Camden, Harbor.  

Onboard the “Schooner Appledore” in Penobscot Bay waiting for the sun to disappear and for the 4th of July fireworks show to begin.  Melissa at the helm (for the moment).

Happy 250th Anniversary !

Bar Harbor is actually on an island called Mount Desert Island and is near the Acadia National Park.  It is a beautiful seaside village with outstanding lobster restaurants.  Our favorite this trip was the “Siren & Sailor” which had a very unusual lobster chowder, totally delicious!

Multi masted sailing vessel sailing out of Bar Harbor.  Picture taken from our walk around the island.

One of our very favorite things to do is to sail small catboats in Arey’s Pond near Orleans, Massachusetts on Cape COD.  This is our 3rd visit to this hidden and out-of-the way secret haven-a small tidal, drowned kettle pond with salt water flowing through the Namequoit River from Pleasant Bay and from the Atlantic Ocean.  

The Head Sailing Master at Arey’s Pond is our very good friend, Jamie Gallant.  Jamie was born and grew up on Cape COD and knows everything about this beautiful peninsula- seafood to lighthouses!

And one other very special place to visit is the Chatham Pier Fish Market.  Have you ever seen so many creatures of the sea coming together to make this place so exciting and beautiful.

We find it difficult to leave Cape COD without a stop in Newport, Rhode Island.  And taking a sail with our good friend, Captain Dave McCurdy aboard his sailing vessel “Hurrah”.  Dave spend nearly a decade as the Executive Director of the Rose Island Lighthouse and is a delightful host and totally outstanding sailor.

Sailing the British Virgin Island-Steve & Melissa solo! Dec. 15 - 22, 2025

 It had just been too long since we’d had hold of a tiller, so off we went back to the island of Tortola for a pre-Christmas adventure.  Melissa & Steve solo - no crew to assist.

Melissa at the helm sailing East down the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  No established destinations are in our minds at this point.  This is just one of those “gunkholing” trips - cruising slowly & aimlessly from place to place.  

We have a course “laid in” for the moment, but as Captain Ron says  “if it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen out here!”  

Of course, color and island favorites are the Choice of the Day!  Hey, the boat was very comfortable.

We are off in the dinghy and grabbed a picture of our 42 foot catamaran-which had 4 staterooms.  We would have preferred a sloop but the two engines offered on the catamaran gave us much more maneuverability which was important with only 2 of us onboard. 

This was our favorite place to anchor (we anchored here twice) in Privateer Bay near Caravel Rock off the west end of Norman Island.

Sailing the BVI with an entire crew of Croan shipmates - Nov. 18th-Dec 2nd, 2024

Our flagship was a Moorings 4500 Catamaran with plenty of staterooms & comfortable seating.  The plan was to spend several days at sea and then rest a bit at a beautiful bayside home on a secluded little bay on the west side of the island of Virgin Gorda, just north of Spanish Town.

We have all been wanting to take the boys sailing in the Caribbean ever since they were born.  So 1st task of the day, to get the Grandsons squared-away on navigation - using parallel rules and dividers on real nautical charts.  They are laying their first course and a “good” one it is !

We’re dropping off Hunter & Ashely and Rylan & Zane to explore the small island of Sandy Cay.  The ocean swells hit this very beautiful beach with a rolling motion that makes it wise to leave some crew onboard.  And even landing the dinghy on the rolling beach is a hop, jump, & grab exercise that takes some getting-used-to!

Several years ago, an local entrepreneur anchored the “Willy T” in the Bight of Norman Island and started to serve rum drinks as well as allowing patrons to jump at leisure off-the-top-of-the boat.  Rylan at the helm ready to moor us along side.

Rylan took the opportunity to do some air on his wake foil while Hunter takes a few photos from the dinghy.  He could ride for what seemed like an hour or more.  And it attracted a lot of local attention.

Rylan & Zane at Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke.  Foxy’s is the most well-known island rum bar in the entire Caribbean.  It started in the 1960’s with Foxy and his wife selling rum and cokes out of a small ice cooler sitting on the beach.  

The Croan family at the Baths on the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda.  The Baths are a group of massive granite boulders that form unique tidal pools & tunnels to explore and enjoy!

Melissa and Rylan at-the-helm.  Zane is forward handling the foredeck!

Sail to the North end of Virgin Gorda and then due East passing between Anguilla Point and Mosquito Island heading into North Sound where sits the unique Bitter End Yacht Club.  A great place to enjoy a fabulous dinner and take a group picture with our own mooring field behind us.

Finally, a time to relax a bit.  This beautiful home is nudged on a secluded small bay between Pond Bay and Mahon Bay on island of Virgin Gorda.  Snorkel in the back yard, drive on the wrong side of the road, and figure out how to acquire local provisioning makes for a wonderful adventure.  

 

Off to Taste Wine in Tuscany and Rouladen in Germany - April 2024

 We wanted to go wine tasting.  But not along with a thousand other people at the same time.  So off we went (under the radar) into the country side of Tuscany- the birthplace of the Renaissance and don’t forget the Sangiovese grapes of Chianti, Montalcino, & Montepulciano!

We spent a few first nights here in the small hamlet of Radda - a beautiful medieval town.  Here at the Estate of CorteDomina, a small winery in the heart of the celebrated Chianti Classico, we were almost the only guests residing in the few available (but beautiful) suites.  This is actually a real Italian home growing the Sangiovese grape on one side and the Merlot grape on the other.  We love the “dolce far niente” atmosphere.

We tried to visit 2 to perhaps 3 different wineries per day.  But sometimes, we just cut it down as too much work.  And also, it’s often “chili” in the cellars!

This is our Maria at Casa Solo winery in Barberino Tavernelle.  The “black rooster” on the bottle neck certifies genuine Chianti Classico.  History is:  To settle a dispute in the Middle Ages between Florence & Siena, two noble knights from each kingdom would ride forth to mark their territory at the morning crow of a rooster.  The Florentines kept their black rooster famished, in a dark box, and malnourished.  Of course, this rooster started crowing well before dawn giving their knight a decisive advantage.  Long live the black rooster!

We eventually made it all the way to the Capanna farm just to the north of Montalcino (pronounce “cheeno”).  Brunello de Montalcino was granted the DOC status in 1966 and this family (Cencioni) was one of the 25 founders of this consortium.  

We’re in the sleepy hamlet of Bolgeri at the enoteca called Enoteca Tognoni on the western coast of Tuscany.  An enoteca is a wine shop with a range of high quality wines where a proprietor is on hand as an expert to guide you with assistance.  Traditionally, enotecas served no food, but this one is special and their food and wine were outstanding.

We even stopped by (just for a bit) to see the Tower of Pisa, in the Province of Pisa, Italy and give witness to its 4 degrees of lean.

Before we headed home, we stopped in Germany for some good German food & German beer.

At the Hofbrau House we found Alois Hingeri who (years ago) was a porter at the Munich central train station and was a very loyal regular at the Hofbrauhaus.  One day, Alois dies and he goes to heaven.  Although in heaven, Alois has many problems adjusting to everyday life in the clouds.  Suddenly, the Lord has a seemingly good solution to the problem and Aloisius is sent by the Lord back to Munich in order to give heavenly advice to the Bavarian government.  When Alois arrives in Munich, he goes directly to his old familiar table in Hofbrauhaus to have a beer.  Then he orders a second beer and then another and so on.  AN SO TODAY, he still sits there and he believes that he is in heaven.  And for this reason, the Bavarian government is still waiting for divine inspiration!

       (Melissaois  and Alois continue in their quest to provide guidance to  the Bavarian government.)

                                                                PROST & GESUNDHEIT !

Sailing the San Juan Islands - June 7 thru 17th, 2024

 We were first introduced to the beautiful San Juan Islands back in 2014 when we were invited by our good friends, Dan & Donna, to join them on a bareboat adventure.  We had an excellent opportunity to charter the sailing vessel “Northwind” in early June, so “why not”

We are anchored here in Echo Bay of Sucia Island (a Spanish name from early explorers) where we can see Mount Baker in the background-the 3rd highest mountain in Washington.  Sucia is a fun island to explore and there are many seals and otters playing in the coves.

Melissa is studying her Nav Charts here in the salon.  This yacht was initially named “Ella Bleu” after the previous owner’s (John Travolta) daughter.  This color “blue” was a favorite of the family.  And it does, indeed, make an elegant salon.

This is Melissa Lee’s birthday week and is the 18th year-in-a-row that she has enjoyed taking the helm of a vessel in celebration.  Nice tradition.  Nice helm!

Bald Eagles (national symbol of the United States) are abundant within these islands and it’s always fun to see and follow them.  This fellow is on Elephant Rock just off of Cypress Island.  We are anchored here for the night preparing a fabulous dinner of marinated lamb chops.  This is a beautiful anchorage and we are the only boat in the cove.

Back in the Port of Bellingham, the fresh seafood open market takes place on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month.  The quantity and “quality” of this seafood is amazing.  Where else are you going to get a 2 inch thick halibut steak or bucket of Dungeness Crabs?

And while ashore, why not rendezvous with old shipmates at a few -way-out-in-the-country- local dance halls?  (Just like in Texas.  Now who would have guessed that?)  Captain Dan & Melissa Lee have stamped their seal of approval.  (Not a real seal, of course!)

Set Sail on a Mediterranean Culinary Voyage- October 10-26, 2023

rFor years we’ve enjoyed sailing Greece.   Setting the anchor & climbing upon our bunks, sometimes gets a fella into thinking - “why NOT click-it-up a notch”!  Take a real sailing boat but embark on a champagne & culinary themed cruise from the Italian Riviera (Riviera Ligure) to the French Riviera

(Cote d’ Azure) and onto the Spanish Riviera.  Take along only about 50 other sailors as well as —

2 MICHELIN Star Chefs.

“Sea Cloud Spirit” has the flair of a fully rigged sailing yacht.  She is 452 feet long, draws 18 feet of water, has 28 sails, and accommodates around 100 guests.  Traveling with a small amount of like-minded sailors from all over the world is just a fun thing to do.

We began our voyage from Genoa, Italy, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.  Interestingly,Genoa is often pronounced here as “ jay-no-va”.  So be careful if you don’t know where you are at?  Melissa is enjoying a walk through Mercato  Orientale.  Popular here are such treats as focaccia, pesto, salami, and farinata.  We need to be onboard by late afternoon.

We’re onboard now on the Lido Deck.  “Fresh tuna” said the Chef!  Let’s take him at-his-word!  Melissa was pleased to find that you could be served raw or quickly seared right in front of your eyes.  But if that doesn’t float-your-boat, there’s prime rib steaks over yonder on the starboard.

Nice, France is the largest city on the French Riviera.  Our local guide, Leo has introduced us to a young German couple celebrating their anniversary with some vino on the back streets of Old Town-with cobblestone streets & colorful restaurants.

Barcelona, Spain is laidback and beachy and known for world famous tapas.  Jamon Iberico (cured ham) is the pride of Spain.  Columbus carried them on his ship voyage to America.  These pigs eat only acorns (bellotas) from special rangelands.  They are referred to as “walking olive trees” because their fat is nearly as healthy as extra virgin olive oil.  Some hams sell for over $2000.

Speaking of sailors, Carlo & Helen have a sloop moored outside of Athens at a marina well known to us.  We’re in our  “Dress Blue” attire having just feasted upon another culinary delight in the main dining room on the Verandah Deck.

It’s about 2200 hours on the Lido with the lights of Nice shining in the background.  How delightful it is to enjoy the city and to be in such a serene setting.   Several days later, we disembarked from our voyage in Valencia, Spain.  The “V” is often pronounced as a “B”  and the city is famous for paella, Flamenco dancing, and Cava (Spain’s answer to Champagne). We were in Valencia for several days and enjoyed our visit immensely-so much so that the visit would require another blog.

Greece - Another Great Sail in the Ionian Islands Sept. 6-22nd, 2022

 When something feels good, do it!  This is our 6th sailing adventure in Greece and yes indeed it still feels good!  This time we flew into London for a few days and later caught a short flight to Preveza on the east coast of Greece-which happens to be very close to our marina.  

We loved our hotel but we really loved “John” the Doorman.  His smile and fabulous counsel & advise made our London visit a tremendous success.  We stayed on the West End in the city of Westminster overlooking Green Park.  If you haven’t tried the Yorkshire pudding soaked in bone marrow gravy, then you need to turn around and head back to the UK.

Most unfortunately on our second night in London, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth passed away.  This evening at Piccadilly Circus was most unusual and forever makes Melissa and I closer to the wonderful people of the UK.  

We departed London on a Sunday morning, flew into Preveza, Greece and took a short taxi ride to the very small sailing village of Vliho where we climbed aboard our sailing vessel “Freedom”, a 42 foot Bavarian sloop.  This was a last minute surprise gratuitous upgrade given to us by the wonderful Charter Company-the boat was brand new as well.

Before departing on Monday morning, we bought spinach pies at the local bakery which we enjoyed as we sailed around Meganisi running south around Kythro and finally into Syvota harbour for a port side tie.  The quay was busy as we totally enjoyed our evening at the Tabepna Ionian (dockside taverna).

A view from behind the olives on the Island of Ithaca.  Homer’s most famous Greek hero, Odysseus was King of Ithaca.  This tale was composed around 700 BC and was performed theatrically by bards for several hundred years before the age of written words.  No surprise that there are no words for an appropriate description.

After a week of sailing, we moved to some nice nearby shoreside accommodations to enjoy a few more days.  We drove our rental car to the far west shore of Lefkada where the cliffs are high and the surf is beautiful.  Dining on the beach for a lunch time break was just in-the-cards that day!  

                                     “Sandy toes, sun-kissed nose. Don’t call it a dream, call it a plan!”