Vipah in Boothbay Habah

I drove 3 hours this morning to meet Bob Bowditch, who purchased new Viper # 136 after one demo sail in Marblehead last August.  Bob resides in Brookline, MA and summers in picturesque Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The purpose of my trip was to help Bob rig his new boat and take her for it’s maiden voyage.

Well, we pulled up to the town ramp, amidst thick trees and a private residence hidden in the woods. Within 5 minutes of arriving to rig the mast, out of the woods, almost from the height of the treetops, we both hear a voice…” Hey is that a Viper?”  we both are shocked.  Boothbay is more known for very traditional yachts and sailing sloops, nothing as modern as the Viper.  So down from the stair steps comes Jeff, whose voice we heard.  Immediately he is signed up to do some sailing with Bob this summer.

You know the saying in Maine is ” you can’t get there from here”.  Well to get out of the cove from where we launched with the breeze on our nose it took something like 20-25 tacks as the width was not much more than a couple of football fields. Once we cleared the cove, the scenery and water really opened up.  I will let the photos tell the rest of the story.

PZ

PZ

Bob on his new Viper

Ayup. Looks faast.

Boothbay Harbor, ME