The Portland daily press., 1881-06-01
The Spring Cruise of the Yacht Club.


The annual spring cruise of the club certain
ly fell below no former one in interest or adj
venture, or the need of resource on the part of
the yachtsmen. Eight yachts anchored in the
evening at Potts Harbor and they were off
prompt at B. The Oracle, Commodore Som
ter; Tempus, Vice-Commodore Goold; Clar-
ence, Capt Jones; Ray, Capt Burns; Lena
May Capt. Waite; Bonita, Capt. Knights.
The Twilight. Capt. Charlton, with some
what later start, was we'll along when the
fleet reached Harpswell. The Undine, Capt.
Chase; Marie, Capt. Kimball; Relief, Capt
johnson; Liver, Capt. Hopkins, sailed as es-
cort some way down the harbor, and the cata-
maran, Capt. Bacon, with her builder, w.
Frank Peters, joined the feet late in the even
ing. Harpswell gave hardly an indication Of
the usual spring opening, and there was no
room for great exploits in the way of scores at
the bowling alleys, but brilliant display of
fireworks from the commodore's yacht gave
eclat enough to the evening, and there was of
course, the usual jolly visiting.
The programme for the next day from the
morning consultation of the captains on the
commodore's yacht fixed Winnegarce Bay as
the rendezvous, and the course for the most
part round Haskells Island and to the east
ward of Ragged and Flag Islands. But a
rain began about 10 and continued copiously
till 5. which altered the route of number of
the yachts, so that the eastward course round
Flag Island was abandoned, but the bay was
reached from to 1880 o'clock, though the
Ray, after sailing outside with the fleet,
turned back, while the Idler, Fleet-Captain
Owen, on the other hand, overlook the party
before their arrival having made an early
start from Portland. The Bonita had the ill
luck to run ashore on Hen Island ledge, and
remained there high and dry on her starboard
side, spectacle to the feet all the afternoon.
Skilled hands, however, had her af1oat some
time before high tide in the evening, A start
for homo at Monday, with Goose Island as
the objective point for dinner Light winds
gave an opportunity for towing down New
Meadows river, which some enjoyed well, ibut
eight bells had struck for the dinner hour be-
fore the fleet reached the rivers mouth In
the course OF the afternoon number of show
ers appeared to travel along the coast to the
northeast, and somewhat likely TO spare the
feet, until suddenly when the Oracle and
Tempus were off Jacquish Point, outside, and
the Clarence, Twilight and Idler pretty we'll
in Merriconeag Sound, stiff wind squall was
down on them with as fierce rain as deluged
the city. All lowered sails at once and some
anchored and some rode it out without, and for
half an hour anchoring all lost sight OF each
other When the storm held up and low
fog crept along among the islands, and all was
still thick at sea and in the west, they ran up
sails again and the Oracle, Tempus and Twi-
light coursed along by Mark Island. The 9TH
er yachts were at Harpswell, except the Lena
May in Lowell's Cove, and the Bonita which
was still farther out at sea. A drenched crowd
of yachtsmen returned to their moorings about
8 o'clock, and had ran into more fog on their
way home; but if they had lost something in a
compact return, they had had adventures
which the navigators on the old Dart priva-
teer or their captors, might have we'll envied.