Tree and field covered hills slope down to the sea. The shoreline is broken with gorgeous granite cliffs and sand beaches. Beautiful weathered cottages, homes, wharfs, and lighthouses dot the coast. Everywhere you look, there is a panoramic landscape that looks as if the world's most talented artist has painted it. Sailing is made risky by frequent rocky ledges just below the water line.
Tides moves in and out twice daily, affecting course and steerage.
Winds and storms can blow up unexpectedly, quickly turning a tranquil sea into a perfect storm-tossed, forbidding ocean. Through the centuries, hundreds of ships have sunk off this beautiful but treacherous coast. Although some had inexperienced skippers or incapable crews, many had capable skippers and great crews. Their tales can serve to guide the sailors who follow them, as can those of the thousands of other ships that through the centuries have made safe passage. Successful leadership of a health-care organization is much like skippering a sailboat along Maine's coast.