Portland, ME

That's where I am today, Portland. Flying into the airport, (known to pilots as KPWM) when the weather is good and the wind is blowing from the right direction, one flies a route known as the "Harbor Visual RW 29." To do it fly out over the Atlantic NE while avoiding the city of Cape Elizabeth at 3000', loop around the Portland Head Lighthouse to the NW, (drop the first notch of flaps to start down and slow down; finish up the approach checklist) pick up the channel between Cushing and Peaks Island, bend around House Island to the SW over Portland Harbor, (hang the gear; run the landing checklist to the line) jump the Portland Bridge and hook a right to line up with the runway, (a cross check of the descent rate with the ILS GS would be a good idea) clear the US 1 Bridge, (this would be a good time for the rest of the flaps; oh and click the yaw damper away if its still engaged) cross the I-295 bridge, squeeze off what little power one carried to contend with the wind, and flop ye old air machine onto the tarmac.

Though not as complicated as it sounds, I had to discipline myself to do my pilot thing. This is some seriously beautiful territory, and there are A LOT of sailboats in these parts! Looking out the window too much could lead to a major distraction at a most inopportune moment. Actually, heading out over the water to the NE on a hazy day like this, looking forward out the window doesn't help much; the horizon is gone with the sky and sea melting into one indistinct sucker hole. Best to pay attention.

Done for the day and at the hotel, I headed off down the hill toward Portland Harbor's Commercial street. Out at the end of a point of land where the Harbor and Casco Bay bump into each other is Portland Yacht Services. The young man working the desk was friendly, offered some info on prices for those visiting in boats, and let me wander around to my heart's content. (Or until my feet gave out, which ever occurred first.) Out at the very end of the very last pier I just sat and felt the dock move on the ocean waves while watching the boats dance on their mooring balls. (In fact I watched a 50 footer plow into one while trying to pick up the line. Ops. Guess it isn't as easy at it looks?) There appeared to be a lot of live-a-board boats out there. Watching them bounce in the swells, even on this day with no real weather or wind, had me thinking, "Catamaran." A thought boosted by the lone Fountaine Pajot in the crowd, which was noticeably more stable.


Here's the life, your boat parked outside your condo in Portland.

After a while the sun convinced me it was time to move on, so I explored more of the water front. At one point I was gazing across a narrow channel where someone was working on a massive wooden powerboat. Some bozo pulled into the channel from the bay dragging a giant wake, which set boats to rocking and the "someone" to protest rather loudly. Bozo pulled the power back a little, though I suspect it was more because he was running out of water than out of courtesy. I think he has a cousin who lives in IL.

Tomorrow morning its off to a couple of other places with home being the last touchdown. But this is a place I need to see again while doing the Harbor Visual RW29 approach on a sailboat.