Heart’s Desire

Farewell Heart’s Desire!
Final morning coffee views on Heart’s Desire

It is with a heavy heart that we have said goodbye to our lovely Heart’s Desire. She’s been a part of our family for over 10 years, but is now moving on to her next chapter with the Portland Schooner Company in Portland, Maine. Hopefully many people can enjoy her on day cruises as she returns closer to her original home.

We had some really great times sailing on her, from St. Thomas to Newfoundland with most of the time spent around Martha’s Vineyard. Matt did an incredible amount of work, rebuilding the rig and the forward interior, as well as maintaining her in beautiful condition. We now have two young children, 4 and 1, and were spending more time with upkeep than enjoying the boat. While we lived on the boat for 9 summers, that has also become more arduous with work, daycare, sports, and other engagements. If we were off cruising without a schedule, or even on a dock regularly, maybe we could have made it work, but as our lives stand now it was a challenge.

As for this blog? Well, we’ll see what comes next. I might have to change the address soon…. While it was not our intention, we serendipitously acquired a new (old) wooden boat – a Sparkman & Stephens Nevin’s 40’ yawl. She has been living in Pocasset, MA on Cape Cod and needed a new owner to keep her up. Now back in Vineyard Haven we hope to enjoy sailing her with a co-owning family friends this summer.

For those who have been following along on our adventures we hope you are well! We’ll try and document more adventures soon!

Heart’s Desire For SALE….

With mixed emotions we have decided to list Heart’s Desire for sale. I had hoped to take her through her centennial birthday but I guess that will be an honor she will bestow upon her next owner. Heat’s Desire is a wonderful boat full of history and grace, a yacht version of the great American Fishing Schooner. This is an opportunity for someone to own a true vintage American yacht. Not an opportunity that comes around all that often. It’s hard to explain the joy of sailing a 94 year old, heavy displacement wooden boat. It’s deeply satisfying, humbling in it’s challenge and a sheer joy to bridge time and space upon the water. Heart’s Desire is nimble fast little ship and a real sailors boat with four working sails and two top sails. She is very seaworthy, well built and extremely strong. I have single handed the boat but she is really a two person boat and who wants to cruise alone anyway! When I bought Heart’s Desire it was with the intention of going cruising far and wide and with that in mind I spent nearly two years doing an extensive refit from the keel bolts to mast truck. This boat is ready to go! I will quickly list the specifications of the boat here and some of the work and improvements we made. The list is by no means exhaustive so please contact us with any questions you may have. (more…)

Finally Fog!

I recently mentioned to Matt that I think the idea of fog on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia was a hoax, a big conspiracy to keep this wonderful cruising ground all to themselves and the brave few who decided to venture up despite warnings.

Well, I definitely jinxed us because on the 16th day of the trip (July 2nd) we found out what it is all about. (more…)

Trip Log – Gulf of Maine to Lunenburg- A Wet Warm Welcome in Lunenburg

061614_0043Well our last 12 hours of sailing was an adventure. I was asked by the Lunenburg Librarian (not a sailor) if I was afraid for my life when I told her we arrived on Wednesday by sailboat… Well, I answered, not really afraid I would say… A little nervous I suppose. (more…)