Camden's 14th annual Windjammer Weekend got off to a great start yesterday under a sunny sky and pleasant temperatures that lasted until after the fireworks at 9 p.m.  Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. watched the colorful parade of visiting  'jammers into the harbor from their deck in the afternoon and started the day with a visit to the USS Whidbey Island, LSD 41, at 10 a.m. 

     As a former naval person Uncle Jack was particularly interested in observing how dramatically the U.S. Navy has changed in the past half-century.  In 1952 his destroyer had no female crew members and only a very few African-Americans, all but one of whom were "stewards"---officers' servants---the only rating open to them until President Truman started to eliminate some of the most egregious forms of segregation in the military a couple of years earlier.

       Not so the Whidbey Island whose crew is about 25% female and is about as racially and ethnically diverse an organization as can be found anywhere in American society.  This was a heartwarming discovery for an old leftist, pinko liberal like Uncle Jack even though he deplores the size and wastefulness of our military establishment.

     Anyway he certainly got his quota of aerobic exercise yesterday in climbing the many ramps and stairways (oops, ladders) from the well deck to the bridge. The pictures tell the tale.

     More about 'jammer weekend tomorrow.

     Mother Nature is apparently trying to make amends for her bad behavior earlier in the month by sending mid-coast Maine some of the prettiest weather imaginable this week.  Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. took advantage of her largesse by hitting the glassy water of Camden harbor early this morning and rowing out to Curtis Island in Mini Too.

     Mighty preparations are underway for Windjammer Weekend which commences tomorrow with a parade of 21 of the area's "tall ships" into the harbor.  Weather permitting Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J.  plan to return to Curtis Island whence they will be able to photograph the 'jammers before they lower their magnificent sails.  Pictures at 11.

It's still August in mid-coast Maine but it already feels more like late October.  Halloween decorations have begun to appear in the local stores and they don't seem a bit premature.  Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. went for a long walk yesterday and often found themselves shuffling through piles of fallen leaves. He is not complaining though.  The fall air is most refreshing after those torrid days last week when the temperature soared into the low 80's.

Living up here on the rockbound coast of Maine for the past several months Uncle Jack has not given a lot of thought to the subject of beach erosion. It's not exactly a hot topic around here where erosion tends to be measured in centimeters per century.  This is why he was surprised to read this article in today's Outer Banks Sentinel:

Nags Head board given beach nourishment update
BY JESSICA BOWEN | SENTINEL STAFF
 
 
Nags Head Board of Commissioners, at its meeting on Aug. 20, were provided an update on beach nourishment permit issues from Coastal Science Engineering (CSE) President Timothy Kana. The presentation focused on explaining where the time and money has been going.

During the meeting on Aug. 6, the board was asked to extend the contract with CSE, however, with very few updates, there was uncertainty about the extension.

Questions arose regarding the $467,000 that had been spent and the lack of progress seen.

Kana laid out the picture for the board.

For the approximate 4 million cubic yards of beach nourishment, Kana is estimating the cost to be $35 million. "Of course, we don't know what the final bids with be. We'll have to work with the budget that we're given and adjust the scale to fit the budget," said Kana, acknowledging that the final budget decision lies within the board.

Referring to numerous binders full of reports, Kana said that CSE has provided all necessary documents to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Division of Marine Fisheries, and the State Clearinghouse.

"We are still waiting for the National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinion on the Nags Head project," said Kana.

However, the Biological Opinion (BO) from the USFWS has been received, and Kana said he was "pleased with the outcome." The opinion concluded that the beach nourishment project is not likely to jeopardize the turtles nor their habitat.

Mayor Renee Cahoon requested CSE provide a monthly update on the permitting process. "We like to be kept in the loop and get updates as to where we are in the project."

Kana agreed and assured the board that any information would be relayed between the parties.

Uncle Jack doesn't know where he got the idea that the Nags Head beach renourishment proposal was a dead issue after last year's referendum but it appears he was wrong. The chimera of beach replenishment seems to have an infinite capacity to suck money from the public treasury.  Anyway it's nice to know that the turtles are less threatened than the taxpayers.

     Camden harbor is heating up as Windjammer Weekend approaches.  So many interesting boats arrived yesterday that Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. were inspired to row around the harbor in Mini Too and check them out in spite of the somewhat less than perfect rowing conditions.

     The super-yacht "Tenacious" muscled her way into the Wayfarer Marine company's dock after several days at anchor in the outer harbor.  She makes everything else in the harbor at the present time look a bit puny.

    By far the most interesting boat, though, is "Glooscap II" of St. John, Nova Scotia whose owner, a yacht broker named Ernest Hamilton, invited them aboard for a look at the comfortable and ingenious interior of the 35-footer he sails singlehandedly.  They had lunch with Mr. Hamilton at the nearby Camden Yacht Club where he entertained them with fascinating stories of his sailing adventures in "Glooscap" over the past 30 years. If you're curious about the derivation of "Glooscap" Google tells all. 

     Uncle Jack and daughter Emily spent a few hours in Portland on Friday visiting several of the cultural shrines of that fair city.  (Her return flight to San Francisco departed at 5:30 a.m. Saturday so it was necessary to spend Friday night in close proximity to Portland International Airport).   

     First stop on the cultural tour was a brewpub of some renown called Gritty McDuff's where they washed the dust of travel from their palates with pints of Gritty's Pale Ale while lunching on lamb burgers and Gritty's signature french fries which are rather weird looking but tasty. Gritty's was the first brewpub in Portland and has spawned a host of imitators but it remains extremely popular with locals and tourists alike.

     After a leisurely wander through the excellent Portland Art Museum (followed by a much needed nap) they returned to the waterfront for dinner at another iconic watering hole called Bull Feeney's, a warren of well worn rooms which greatly resembles a genuine Irish pub.  The veneer of authenticity ends, however, at the Guinness beer tap where the lovely dark brew emerges from the cellar ice cold, just like the Bud and the Miller Lite.  This apostasy is almost enough to turn Uncle Jack away from Bull Feeney's forever but the excellence of their fish and chips brings him back every time.

      He dropped Emily at the airport in the dark at 4 a.m. Saturday and drove the Mini back to Camden, arriving just at sunrise, a picture of which may be seen below.  Emily's flight to San Francisco was uneventful and she arrived home in Concord, California safely where she now awaits the arrival of her luggage which should be along any day now.

      Meanwhile back in the harbor there has been much movement of boats of all kinds, some of which is pictured below.  Uncle Jack made a short video of his favorite yacht,  the 1914 William Fife ketch "Sumurun" as it returned from an outing in Penobscot Bay yesterday afternoon.  To see it go to YouTube and type in "Sumurun enters Camden harbor".

     Uncle Jack's daughter Emily from sunny California has proved to be the scourge of bad weather in Camden.  She arrived on Monday and the sun has been shining brightly ever since.  This resulted in much rowing about in Mini Too and lots of pictures, some of which are displayed below.

    Yachtwise the highlight of the week was a visit from "The Highlander",  formerly owned by the Forbes family of publishing and flat-tax fame.  This "Highlander" was the fourth of that name but it has been supplanted by a far larger boat and sold to another owner whose name Uncle Jack does not know.  She is now registered in Willemstad in Holland so the new owner may be Dutch.

     Emily and Uncle Jack are off to Portland today where her plane leaves at 6 a.m. tomorrow for the flight back to San Francisco.  Let us pray she won't take the pretty weather back with her.

     Uncle Jack drove to Fitchburg, Massachusetts on Sunday (four hours down I-95) to visit his new great-granddaughter Adeline Marie Van Hazinga who is now all of two months old.  (see pictures below).  On Monday he returned to Camden with Adeline's grandmother in tow (who happens to be Uncle Jack's only begotten daughter, Emily Randall, of Concord, California).

    This morning he and Emily hopped into Mini Too and rowed out to take a look at all the spectacular yachts that have wound up in Camden harbor simultaneously this week.  They had a lovely trip out to the outer harbor to check out the super-yacht "Kaleen" but were drenched when the clouds moved in on the way home.  Now the sky has cleared again and the weatherman promises three consecutive days of rowing weather.  Stay tuned. 

      The organizers of the second annual Hope Jazz Festival were the recipients of the second annual Hope weather miracle yesterday.  A dismal, rainy morning metamorphosed into a glorious sunny afternoon just as it did last year and the show went on.  Once again the wretched morning weather held the crowd down but the several hundred who showed up were treated to some great jazz---along with some that wasn't so great but still enjoyable.  Hope is not New Orleans but then again nobody expects it to be.

     The headliner was a world-class guitar player named John Jorgenson who channels the spirit of the great gypsy jazzman Django Reinhardt in uncanny fashion.  Uncle Jack is ashamed to say he had never heard of Jorgenson before yesterday but he is now a rabid fan.  If you ever get a chance to hear him play don't miss it.

    And now Uncle Jack is off to Fitchburg, Mass. in the Mini to see his great-granddaughter Adeline, age two months, for the first time.  Pictures at 11.

     A spectacular yacht has been anchored in Camden's outer harbor for the past week, its nameplate just out of reach of Uncle Jack's binoculars.  He has been hoping for a chance to row out in Mini Too and check it out and yesterday he got his chance. 

      She turned out to be "Islandia", 130 feet of elegant steel, aluminum, wood and carbon fiber built in Holland by the Jongert shipyard in 2002.  Click on the link below the pictures for further information about this fabulous boat which is apparently privately owned and not available for charter.  

       Yesterday was a glorious day weatherwise---the best day of the month so far---and tomorrow is predicted to be another.  Unfortunately the same is not true of today---Saturday---which must be giving the organizers of the second annual Hope Jazz Festival a bad case of the blues.  The sky is completely overcast and heavy rain looks imminent which will discourage many potential customers from making the ten-mile trek out to Hope.  Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. bought their tickets in advance but it's beginning to look like that wasn't such a good idea. 

         Just checking in to let everybody know that all is well in Camden.  Uncle Jack and Mrs. U.J. have been enjoying a visit from some old friends for the past few days, hence the lacunae in the weblog department.

         Excitement has been limited to a few more arrivals and departures of snazzy sailboats and motor yachts but the weather has not been conducive to outdoor activities which has resulted in a paucity of pictures.  So call this one a filler.

         For those who have been waiting with 'bated breath to know if Walgreens got their requested zoning change in Rockland the answer is yes.  The planning board was agin it, the mayor was agin it and a large and vocal part of the population was agin it but for whatever reason three members of the town council voted for it so Walgreens wins. Small town politics is a wonder to behold no matter where it plays out .

     Next time:  Complete coverage of the second annual Hope Jazz Festival which is coming up on Saturday. It nearly got blown away last year but the promoters are back again and hoping for better weather.

     That was yesterday.  This morning it's completely overcast and cold again with more rain almost a certainty. Uncle Jack did manage to get Mini Too bailed out yesterday but he will have to put off rowing for another day.

     The parade of super-yachts continued over the weekend with some exceptional beauties included among the over-wrought fiberglass stinkpots. "Litchfield Lady" (see picture below) is a throwback to a more gracious era and is worth googling to check out some of the websites featuring her.

     The Rockland city council votes today on a rezoning request from Walgreens that would enable them to build a big-box store at a busy intersection.  Everybody in Rockland including the planning board is opposed so interest is high in what the council will do.  Have they been paid off with promises of free aspirin for life?  Stay tuned.

     Uncle Jack is somewhat flummoxed this morning by the fact that he had to turn on the heat in his apartment when he got up.  At 6 a.m. the outside temperature was 53 and the weatherman was predicting a high of 61 for the day which was also yesterday's high. 

      He comes to Maine in the summer to avoid the beastly heat and humidity of the Outer Banks but this is ridiculous.  He actually finds himself feeling sympathy for the fatcats who own all those sumptuous yachts out in the harbor because it can't be much fun to sit hunkered down next to a dock in the cold and rain when you would rather be out cavorting in Penobscot Bay. Especially when it's costing you $50,000 a week or more to rent that sucker. (There is not an ounce of schadenfreude in Uncle Jack's depleted body).

    He keeps saying "This can't last forever" but the weatherman seems to keep saying "why not?"  Lucky for Uncle Jack he has a front-row seat overlooking the endlessly entertaining pageant that is Camden harbor in the summertime---no matter what the weather.   

     Sooner or later the sun will shine again and he will be able to take bucket in hand and bail out Mini Too (if she hasn't sunk by now) and all will be right with the world.  Sooner would be nice.

     For seven days the Genghis Khan of intestinal bugs has been marching his army through Uncle Jack's innards,  looting, pillaging and robbing him not only of his waste products but his dignity, his strength and his joie de vivre. Unless Genghis is merely taking a breather it appears this morning like the battle may be over.  Either he has grown bored or he is tired of skirmishing with Uncle Jack's elite fighting groups (Imodium, Gatorade, Progresso Chicken Noodle soup) and has decided to move on.  Either way Uncle Jack feels pretty good this morning and has the energy to sit up in front of his laptop for a while.

     He has lost seven pounds through this ordeal which made him think that he could market it as "Uncle Jack's Quick Weight Loss Method" and salvage something out of the dreadful experience. As he grew more rational he realized that it would be difficult to find potential customers desperate enough and dumb enough to fall for it even though many equally wacky weight-loss programs have made their promoters rich.

     While Uncle Jack has been slithering back and forth from bedroom to bathroom for the past week, clutching his toxic entrails, life has gone on as usual in the harbor.  Big stinkpots and sailboats of all kinds have come and gone through the rain and fog and he did manage to get pictures of a few of them.  Without a doubt this has been the worst week of the summer weatherwise and it continues unabated this morning.

     Anyway he is back, for better or worse, and he does want to thank everybody who kept clicking in vain through his long ordeal and especially to those who offered their sympathy and suggested remedies.  Obviously he is not the only one who has been similarly stricken and judging from the size and breadth of the Imodium display at the Rite-Aid he won't be the last.   

      And now he is off to the Deli to treat himself to a plate of blueberry pancakes.