Wind speeds at Matinicus Rock Lighthouse reached 50 knots yesterday with gusts to 60. The Penobscot Bay weather buoy had a steady 25 with gusts to 30 and with the wind shift from east to west has not slowed down the winds one bit. So I am throwing in a historical photo, which I mentioned the other day. I haven’t been down to the harbor today so Mary Day might look just the same as this photo. I really hope not. But this is the way schooners used to be layed up for the winter. A storm like the one we just had would have dumped freshwater, frozen or otherwise, all over the decks allowing some of it to eventually get down below. Freshwater moisture during the warmer weather is one of the elements that rot requires to grow and thrive. Once upon a time there were hundreds of schooners around these parts. Most of the old schooners have been reclaimed by the elements and the handful that exists today gives us a wonderful window into the past.
The accompanying photo was given to me and credited to noted photographer Carrol Thayer Berry but I don’t know this to be a fact.