My Tern

[Sumpter250]

Beautiful ship!

Yup ! She was, and still is!
10:00 AM ,Saturday, 8 September, 1969 was the start of a 6 day cruise on the Taber. We would anchor in a sheltered harbor each evening.
There was no electricity on board, all lights were either oil, or kerosene lamps. Hot water, for the morning shave?, was hand pumped through the galley stove, which was coal fired, and tightly rationed, as it was from the drinking water tank. The boat, that was carried astern, was our "outboard motor" Taber had no engine. Tuesday afternoon I had the privilege of taking the helm for our passage through the Deer Isle Thoroughfare. Was relieved later that afternoon, when we headed in to Pulpit Harbor, for our night mooring.
Yup! not only beautiful, but a joy to have been able to take the helm, and sail her.
While researching all the dates of the "cruise" I stumbled across an old announcement that the schooner "Mattie",
had her original name "Grace Bailey" restored..... guess that unless I find a name that I like better, I will use the name of the town I grew up in, "Copiague", which, according to what research I can do, is a "Merrick Indian word" for "sheltered Harbor".
Hey it's "my tern", and my choice.