Hello Shipmates,
The photo gracing the top of this month's newsletter reminds us of those wonderful early June days, not too far off now, with plenty of wind to fill the sails and more hours of daylight than any other month, giving us lots of time for both sailing as well as exploring the harbor towns or islands where we anchor.
Sailing past Mark Island Light through the Deer Island Thorofare or up Eggemoggin Reach after being away all winter is like coming home again.
While the days can be cooler, with an extra sweater, a warm hat and a pair of gloves, we're comfortable and enjoy the breezes on our faces and sun on our backs. We work off our hearty breakfast raising the sails and as they fill with the wind, we're off!
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Yo galley....seals on a rock.
photo courtesy of Laura McGerigle
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Seals are welcoming pups during May and June and we're apt to see families sunning on the rocks between swimming lessons and catching fish for dinner. The osprey have returned from their winter in the tropics and are building a first nest or perhaps sprucing up an old one in preparation of starting their family.
We'd love to have you join us for one of our early season adventures. Call Shary to reserve your berth.
If you've sailed with us in the last twenty years, you've probably talked with Shary, either on the phone or at the dock. We celebrated her twentieth anniversary as our reservationist in early February. Shary's a real dog person. When asked
how long Shary's been here, Capt. Doug's answer is a resounding "Four dogs!" Here's a recent picture with her latest office assistant, Coco.
As the winter season winds down, our travel adventures do as well. In February we enjoyed taking our 1984 Excalibur, "Elegant", on a roadtrip to Florida.
Roughly 3,000 miles in a vehicle of that age requires some advance planning, double-checking systems and a few short test jaunts. It was smooth sailing the whole way. We spent time visiting family and even had a tailgate party with some schooner family members at the Daytona 500. What a fun time we had.
We visited Fort Mantanzas National Monument near St. Augustine, Florida. These iconic southern live oak trees are native to the southeastern United States coast.
Live oak is a hard wood well suited for shipbuilding and was used for the frames in the
U.S.S. Constitution.
More recently we made an overnight trip to Massachusetts to celebrate granddaughter Anna's first birthday.
My, that year just flew by.
She's walking now, holding her proud papa's hand for a little added balance.
She's a real joy and we always look forward to visiting with her, Rachel and Justin.
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Hot off the galley stove
March has been a month of snowstorms and there's nothing we enjoy more for dinner on those biting cold days than a bowl of piping hot chowder.
CAPT. LINDA'S FISH CHOWDER
This basic chowder recipe can be used for fish, corn, scallop or clam chowder.
On the
Heritage, fish chowder is often served as lunch the day after we've had poached fish for dinner. We save the liquid when we poach the fish and use it to cook the potatoes for the chowder.
If you like to have bacon in your chowder, first cook the bacon until crisp, and set aside on paper towels. Use the bacon fat to sauté the onions. Crumble the bacon into small 1/4" pieces before adding it to the chowder.
Melt 2 T. butter in a large pot.
Add and sauté 2 onions that have been chopped.
Add 2 c.
peeled and chopped potatoes.
Add approximately 2 1/2 c. liquid, either fish broth or water, just enough to cover the potatoes.
Cook until the potatoes start to soften.
Add the spices:
1/2 t. parsley
1/8 t. pepper
1/8 t. rosemary
1/4 t. thyme
Rinse 2 lbs of haddock or cod fillets. Check the fish for bones, removing any you find.
Put the whole fillet in the pot. The fish is cooked when it flakes apart with a fork. Don't over cook it.
Now add:
1 c. half & half
1/2 13-oz. can evaporated milk
1/2 c. milk
2 T. butter (optional)
3 slices of crispy bacon, crumbled.
Heat until the butter melts and "steam" rises from the stirring spoon. Don't allow the chowdah to boil as the milk will curdle.
Variations
Corn Chowder: substitute corn for fish. Without the bacon, it becomes a hearty meal for our vegetarian friends.
Scallop Chowder: follow the fish chowder recipe, leaving out the fish, of course. Use as many scallops as you can afford! They should be rinsed in cold water, removing any bits of shell. Chop into bite-size piece and add to the pot. Take care not to overcook the scallops as they will become rubbery.
Clam Chowder: substitute canned or fresh clams for the fish. Fresh clams should be rinsed carefully to remove grit. Be careful not to overcook the clams as they can get very tough.
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courtesy of Robert Angell
Our first crew member has arrived and the others will be along soon. Only 9 weeks until we'll be sailing. Looking forward to seeing you all aboard.
