A Week Down East | Part 1, Sailing a Vapor Sea

Objectives

Schooner Isaac H Evans moored at the Bristol Shipyard, Boothbay Harbor, ME.

I fly for a variety reasons:

To escape.

To explore.

To reconnect.

To exercise a technical skill.

To absorb the beauty of our world.

To handily beat the drive time.

Of course, the latter point appeals to my inner pragmatist. but it is also the least important. I believe that the best vacations by light aircraft are the ones that tick every one of these boxes.

Flight Plan Folly

To be sure, I would have served myself better had I not been  awake and altering my IFR flight plans well past midnight of the evening before departure. 

In preparation for a week-long vacation in Boothbay Harbor, Maine with Mark, Dena, and Izzy, I had planned for my family to fly from Sodus to Keene, NH (KEEN) for lunch at the recently opened Mama McDonnough's Irish Pub on the field before continuing on to Brunswick  Executive Airport (KBXM). Ideally, we would have based at Wiscasset (KIWI) for the week because of its proximity to Boothbay Harbor, but the airport was in the midst of a major runway project and closed.

A weather briefing scuttled plans for the stop at Keene. Landing there would have meant navigating strong, gusty winds in hilly terrain. I could not muster any enthusiasm to subject my family to that. Moreover, Keene was hosting an aerobatic practice session that morning. Although the airport was not actually closed, the NOTAM included an admonishment of "avoidance advised". Combined, those factors were enough for me to forgo adding Keene to my map.

Instead, I filed direct from Sodus to Brunswick with the knowledge that there was food just off airport at our destination. Satisfied, I went to bed.

After midnight, a sense of disquiet scratched at my mind and held me awake. When I reviewed the route, the problem was obvious. A flight to Brunswick via Keene forced a southerly excursion that avoided the most mountainous areas along the route and a couple of military operations areas (MOAs). Thus, filing direct put us through potentially conflicting airspace and over questionable terrain. I had chosen a poorly-considered plan B.

That is what I get for changing my plan so late at night. At least my subconscious was paying attention.

I investigated airway routes to Brunswick and found only one, a likely outcome of the FAA merrily deleting airways all over the place due to removal of physical VOR navaids. The route that I found was: KSDC KONDO T608 SYR V433 STODA T608 LAMMS T316 MANCH T314 ENE T295 BRNNS KBXM. To the uninitiated, it looks like a string of gibberish. To me, it was certain to require a lot of knob turning to enter into Warrior 481's navigation system. But the gist of it involved flying toward southeast New Hampshire (Manchester, specifically) followed by a turn northeast to Brunswick.  We would pass directly over Keene and avoid the worst of the terrain and all MOAs. As an added bonus, a forecast northwest wind meant that the less direct route would actually be faster. 

With a calculated three hour flight time versus the eight to nine hours required for the drive, the third plan was good enough that my inner critic finally allowed me to drift off to sleep.

Sailing a Vapor Sea

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
18 Jun 2022	N21481	SDC (Sodus, NY) - BXM (Brunswick, ME)	3.3	2460.9

There was no doubt going into it that the journey would require flying in the IFR system. The only question was whether the ceiling would be high enough on departure from Sodus to allow us to pick up our IFR clearance from Rochester Approach in the air or if a phone call from the end of the runway would be necessary.

That morning's 2,500 foot ceiling was sufficiently above the MVA (minimum vectoring altitude, which is 2,000' around the Williamson Sodus Airport) for us to launch and secure our clearance in the IFR system while airborne.

We spent about 1.2 hours actually flying through the clouds (IMC), but were above at least one layer for most of the way. As we flew eastward, the layers above began to thin and the world transformed from grey, to ivory, and ultimately to an intense sparkling blue.

We literally surfed the cloud tops at our 7,000' cruise altitude, occasionally becoming engulfed in any misty waves that rose into our flight path. I can say without hyperbole that it was a stunningly beautiful IFR flight, but sunglasses were a must to combat the glare.

I turned control over to HAL for the morning, periodically intervening as we received re-routes. Syracuse gave us a minor shortcut, from KONDO direct LAMMS (skipping the Syracuse VOR). Once we passed south of the CHUGS MOA, Portland Approach turned us direct to our destination well before Manchester, NH. Unfortunately, while this shortened the actual distance flown, we experienced a 20 knot loss in airspeed due to an increased headwind.

Ready for Lobstah and Beeah!

Entering Maine, the clouds finally began to break up and offered tantalizing hints of the terrain below.

The Bear watched several downloaded episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on her phone during the flight. As usual, she was unamused by my inadequately surreptitious efforts to photograph her.

Sebago Lake, Maine.

Portland directed us to descend to an altitude below the layer, finally giving us our first unobstructed view of the Atlantic seaboard and some of the 4,600+ rocky islands off the coast of Maine.

Former NAS

Before it was a civilian airport, Brunswick Executive was known as Naval Air Station Brunswick and was home to P3 Orion sub hunter aircraft. Spotting the parallel 8,000 foot runways from a distance was trivial. (One of those runways, 01L-19R, is permanently closed). A group of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft were active in the area and Portland Approach helped us manage them while inbound to the non-towered airport in Brunswick.

Solar panels and a derelict air traffic control tower at the non-towered Brunswick Executive Airport.

Maneuvering for the 45° entry to the right downwind for runway 1R.

Looking seaward from the pattern at Brunswick Executive.

Final, runway 1R, Brunswick. Photo by Kristy.

A stiff quartering headwind blew across the runway, requiring a significant crab on short final. I would love to claim that I really nailed this landing. But that would be a lie.

FlightLevel Aviation, Brunswick. GA parking around back. Photo by Kristy.

It was our first return to Brunswick since 2015. As opposed to our last visit, the premium runway-side parking spots were exclusively taken up by turbine aircraft. Air knockers like Warrior 481 were relegated to parking behind the FBO building. We were eventually joined there by an entire gaggle of CAP aircraft.

FlightLevel Aviation To the Rescue!

I credit FlightLevel Aviation for saving our vacation.

After a flawlessly-executed IFR flight from Sodus to coastal Maine (perhaps that landing was a bit questionable), we arrived to discover that the local Enterprise branch did not deliver our rental car to Brunswick Executive. The branch closed just a few minutes before we landed.

Displayed inside the FlightLevel Aviation lobby.

In planning the trip, I was very pleased with myself. With current rental cars prices solidly in the exorbitant category, I had booked the rental with Enterprise using my National Emerald Club number. Although the number belongs to me personally, it is tied to my employer's corporate rate and this meant that I secured a full size car rental for the entire week at an outstanding rate of $30/day.

On arrival at Brunswick, I was less pleased to discover that Enterprise had effectively stranded us. When mistakes occur, I usually I assume that I did something wrong, but Enterprises' national customer service line confirmed that I did, indeed, have a car reserved for the correct day and time. Because all local area branches were closed, Enterprises' customer service line could do nothing for me.

"Can you get to Portland?" customer service asked.

"Not without a car!" I responded. Obviously, I could have flown to Portland, but the point of basing in Brunswick for the week was to keep the Warrior close for a planned day trip.

 After the fact, I learned that the car was actually dropped off to the airport in Brunswick, Georgia. Despite the fact that this was a data entry error on Enterprise's part, customer service suggested that I should have verified that their agent entered the correct airport into a system to which I have zero visibility. Way to pass the buck, Enterprise.

Welcome to Brunswick, Maine! Inside the FlightLevel Aviation lobby.

This is where FlightLevel came to the rescue. They secured a Nissan Rogue through Hertz for me at a daily rate of $39/day. While this meant that I spent more money than I planned to, it was still an excellent rate in the current economy. I am not sure how they pulled this off, but I am grateful. Best of all, it was already parked outside the FBO and ready to go.

The line crew promptly topped off Warrior 481's fuel and helped us tie the airplane down on the widely spaced tie-downs left over from the Naval Air Station. They even provided an extra rope when one of my three straps was too short to secure the airplane's tail.

I cannot say enough good things about FlightLevel, Brunswick. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and helpful. They really did save the day.

Wild Oats, Sown

The land and buildings of the Naval Air Station have been repurposed into mixed-use properties collectively called Brunswick Landing. This includes a small air park featuring a P3 Orion (a tribute to the site's legacy), a small naval museum, eateries, a brewery, apartments, and what appeared to be a small biotech manufacturing facility.

A mere block from where we tied-down Warrior 481 was Wild Oats, an outstanding café, bakery, and deli.

It was very, very windy in Brunswick.

Hungry, frustrated by the missing rental car, and chilled by the blustery wind, we sought food and refuge at the highly-recommended bakery.

We enjoyed excellent panini sandwiches, which Kristy and I ordered with a side of wonderful pesto potato salad. My sandwich was the Harvest Turkey, smoked turkey with bacon, cheddar cheese, apple slices, and cranberry mayo. Truly outstanding. We also purchased some locally-produced pop, with the Green Bee Honeycomb Cider being particularly unique. Somehow we managed to resist the vast array of temptingly fresh baked goods on display at Wild Oats.

One of my good friends from high school, Alex, lives in Brunswick. Maine is a long way from our hometown in Michigan. The last time I saw Alex was in 2015 when he hosted us for an incredible home-cooked dinner of fresh lobster. That was our first time eating whole lobster and Alex patiently coached us through the process of crustacean dismantling. I had been hoping to reconnect with him on this trip, but failed to provide any advance notice.

As we ate, I sent him a text. "Hey Alex! Have you ever heard of a place called Wild Oats Bakery? Because I'm sitting in it."

His response was both prompt and characteristic. "Why are you at Wild Oats? That's in my town?!" We made arrangements to meet later in the week.

Sated by our delicious meal from Wild Oats, I wandered next door to Flight Deck Brewing, established in the Navy's former small arms firing range, and picked up some "Remove Before Flight" red ale to share with Mark and Dena.

By the time we returned to Warrior 481, well-fed and with our ground transportation problems capably rectified, even the persnickety process of bundling the Warrior in her cabin cover in a gusty wind couldn't detract from our excellent mood. We transferred our baggage into the Rogue planeside and departed Brunswick for our rental house in Boothbay Harbor.

We were on vacation!

A Place To Lay Our Heads

We drove north out of Brunswick along US-1, through Wiscasset and past the excessive line of people waiting for lobster rolls at Red's Eats, then south on highway 27 to Boothbay Harbor. It was a similar route to the one we followed years before when we stayed at the Newagen Seaside Inn. Mark, Dena, and Izzy arrived at the house slightly before us, having started their journey from Rochester by car the day before.

Our rental house was on the main street through Boothbay Harbor, literally just around a hairpin corner from downtown and across the street from the Bristol Shipyard. It was an odd three story structure with characteristically weather-beaten shaker siding. We occupied the top two floors with the ground floor housing a defunct business. It was clean, well-maintained, and the owners were very responsive to our needs.

The second floor had a large dining room with ample seating for everyone.

The kitchen was adequately provisioned, but severely limited in space. We decided that it was a 1.5 person kitchen. Given the nautical theme of the area, perhaps a galley kitchen made perfect sense.

A wooden spiral staircase connected the two levels internally. Thank goodness for the conventional stairs outside the house because no suitcases were going to pass the spiral staircase without a lot of struggle. It was approximately the same width as my shoulders. A full bath and laundry facilities rounded out the second floor.

All three bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and a well-lighted seating area occupied the third floor.

Windows provided a commanding view of the street, Bristol Shipyard, and the harbor.

Mastery in negotiating this staircase was a week-long endeavor.

Exploring Bristol Shipyard

Two things drew my attention about the shipyard across the street. First was the schooner Isaac H. Evans. Built in 1886, the Evans is the oldest surviving oyster schooner. It was originally built and operated from New Jersey as the Boyd N. Sheppard. In 1992, the two-masted schooner was designated a National Historic Landmark and currently gives visitors to Boothbay Harbor a taste of sailing on an historic ship.

The other thing that caught my eye was the eyesore of a plastic-covered Quonset hut partially blocking our view of the otherwise lovely harbor.

That evening, Mark and I went exploring in the shipyard. Nothing was roped off and there were no signs admonishing unauthorized personnel against exploring  So we did.

The Isaac H. Evans was beautifully restored. I am still kicking myself for not advocating that we purchase tickets and sail for a couple of hours.

Beneath the white plastic eyesore was another ship under restoration, her bow proudly proclaiming her to be the Ernestina Morrissey. Research revealed that she is the official vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Also a designated National Historic Landmark, she was launched in 1894 and served as a fishing schooner, freight hauler, and arctic exploration vessel. She has been in Boothbay Harbor for complete restoration since 2016 with the project slated to wrap up by the spring of 2022. (Oops! I'm sure that no one saw the pandemic and ensuing labor and supply chain chaos coming back in 2016.) Mark and I discovered her new masts laid out on the shipyard pier.

With understanding of what was happening under that Quonset hut, I no longer considered the structure an eyesore. The whole thing was fascinating and cool and the folks at Bristol Shipyard must know their craft well to have won the job of restoring such a storied vessel.

A pretty, new propeller for the Ernestina Morrissey.

Another ship moored at the Bristol Shipyard - I could not see the name.

Looking out across Boothbay Harbor to the west.

A dry dock cradle at Bristol Shipyard.

As the sun set, Mark and I returned "home" eager to explore more of Boothbay Harbor and coastal Maine in the coming week. After a late night, a three hour instrument flight, and frustration with Enterprise, I crashed hard that evening and slept longer than I have in months. 

I guess I needed the sleep. I am certain that there was more to it than just a late night futzing around with flight plans in ForeFlight.

Dashboard

So. How did we do with our goals around flying ourselves to vacation?

• Escape? Check. We were definitely not in Rochester any more.
• Exploration? In progress with much more to come.
• Reconnection? In progress.
• Exercising a technical skill? Check. I think planning and executing any IFR flight counts.
• Absorbing the beauty of our world? Check. But there was definitely much more to come.
• Handily beating the drive time? Check. Just ask Mark and Dena who drove the whole way from Rochester.

I think we're on track.