Sitting By The Dock Of The Bay Watching A Tall Ship Pull Away

Excuse me for borrowing the title of the well-known Otis Redding song—slightly modified. But it feels fitting.

Labor Day Monday finds me sitting at the Bar Harbor Inn’s outdoor restaurant, overlooking Frenchman Bay in Maine’s Acadia National Park. My view is spectacular, centered on the schooner Margaret Todd. A tourist favorite, it offers a relaxing sail of an hour or so. (I enjoyed it myself a few years back.)

As my wife and I settle in for lunch, I notice the Margaret Todd filled with passengers and preparing to set out on its next journey. I have my GoPro with me, as I almost always do—something my regular readers already know. Our table sits in the perfect spot, right by a stone ledge overlooking the walkway and the bay. I place the camera on the ledge, switch it to timelapse mode, and let it run.

The result is brief—but, I think, beautiful. I hope you do, too.