2024 has been a great sailing season for us already with 19 days of short-duration cruising and 8 racing days of uncommonly great weather and favorable results. The weather has generally been spectacular – just last weekend we enjoyed seemingly endless hours of 15 knots, modest sea state, 72 degrees, unrelenting blue skies, and the welcoming prospect of a great mooring in Perry Creek. I burst into song when sailing on days like that.

With that as a preamble, in late July, with a month-long Maine cruise starting in just a few days, it really does feel like Christmas. We’ve already experienced many wonderful gatherings of family and friends at regattas, gams, and other planned and unplanned happenings—perhaps more than during the December version of Christmas. There are even more to follow. It’s crazy what a magnet Maine is during the summer.

While in December there’s great expectation over what might be under the tree, on our cruise we’ll finally have time to read all the intriguing books that were found under that tree last December. And we can have the time to play with new adult toys—in our case, an amazing drone that simultaneously captivates and terrifies us.

We also look forward to expanding our knowledge horizons by learning from the more than a dozen new content elements in the CCA Cruising Guide to Maine, especially Bird Watching in Maine Waters and Marine Mammals in the Gulf of Maine.

While we rigorously avoid schedules and obligations while on our long cruise, we have one initial commitment to ourselves that we will honor. That is our annual pilgrimage to Eggemoggin Reach to anchor in the lee of Torrey Island and gather with friends in our front-row seats on the beach at Torrey Island to watch the start of the 100+ classic boat Eggemoggin Reach Regatta while enjoying an elegant lobster bake.

Cruising Maine is truly a gift to us all. The serenity and grandeur of the surroundings, the authenticity of the locals, the sweetness of the reliable sea breeze, and the endless assortment of quality destinations, both wild and civilized. And the opportunity to disconnect from our land-based lives and breathe it all in is the best Christmas gift of all.