Several friends and family joined me August 12th for my Adrift release party/meet up at the Michigan Maritime Museum for a short cruise aboard Friends Good Will. We had a great day for a sail. I was in heaven. Big stupid grin on my face.

Family and friends, post-sail. Friends Good Will and downtown South Haven, Michigan behind us.

As I said, we had a lovely day for sailing—perfect, actually, except for the swell. (We’d had some weather come through the day before.) Everyone handled it, though. Even me. Thank you, Blisslets.

My sister, my books, and me. And a cannon.

One of the hands holding me steady so my brother-in-law could get that perfect shot. Plenty of wisecracks flying at this point—I enjoy sailor humor, as you all know full well. (Actually, this man reminded me of my character, Mark Findley—”impudent man,” as Molly would say.)

Then that hand went and proposed marriage with a ten cent ring—apparently a running gag on Friends Good Will. I was highly offended. Clearly. Then he asked if my husband owned a shotgun. (Sadly, my husband wasn’t able to come. The day’s one low point.)

The Michigan Maritime Museum offers visitors plenty to see, including a collection of small craft and Coast Guard vessels:

Petite, 1953. The mainsail is gaff rigged—the sail is attached to a yard, which is raised by the halyard, creating the trapezoidal shape. This was a common fore-and-aft rig in the 18th century.

This is a daggerboard*, for those of you who read Adrift and are wondering what one is. A daggerboard is used with shallow keeled sailboats, allowing them to sail further into the wind. It goes up and down through this casing.

*99% sure it’s a daggerboard and not a centerboard.

Here’s something cool: Merryman, a 26 foot Revenue Marine (Coast Guard) lifeboat designed and built in the 1870s. Notice the short masts and sprit sails—the sails held up by a diagonal sprit, or yard: these masts could be stepped up or down quickly, depending on the needs of the rescue and the weather. When Mr. Findley bequeaths Grandfather Robb’s Penelope to Josiah, he mentions its sprit sail.

You had better believe I will be back. Also: I’ve begun petitioning my husband for sailing lessons:

A girl can dream, right?

Aboard Friends Good Will, August 12, 2023. Video by Nick Renken.

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This is the single most low-key book release party ever—a meet up. To celebrate the release of Adrift, I’m going for a short sail aboard the Friends Good Will, a replica 1810 top sail merchant sloop and flagship of the Michigan Maritime Museum. And if you want join me, then I would love to have your company!

Saturday, August 12, 2023
Departure time: 3:15 p.m.

Michigan Maritime Museum
South Haven, MI

Purchase Day Sail tickets here: michiganmaritimemuseum.org/explore/our-fleet/friends-good-will/

My plan is to visit the museum first, then sail, then go out for dinner. (Somewhere. Not sure where yet. I’ll pick something mid-range, since we’ll be paying for our own meals.) If you can’t get a reservation for 3:15, then try for a 1:15 departure. We can still meet up later.

If you’re planning to join me:

Step One: Reserve your ticket. Cost is $40 per adult.

Step Two: Fill out the form below so that I know to expect you. I’ll figure out dinner reservations once I have a head count.

Looking forward to seeing you!

p.s. If you’re prone to motion sickness like I am, might I suggest Blisslets? Friends of mine own the company; their stylish and affordably priced acupuncture bracelets have been featured on Good Morning America, CNBC, Forbes, Cruising World, etc. Definitely worth checking out! blisslets.com

Speaking of Custom House...

This online exhibit from the National Archives about early 19th century merchant shipping and its paper trail is amazing. I've referred to it again and again as I continue with Book Two revisions.

From the exhibit's introduction:

This exhibit features early federal records that document the first voyage made by the Ship Mount Vernon of Salem, Massachusetts in 1803. At that time, tall ships from Salem, like the Ship Mount Vernon, traveled around the world exporting and importing cargoes from the West and the East, including exotic locations such as Canton and Sumatra. These documents, and the information recorded on them, are typical examples of records for thousands of American ships of that time. They are also documents that were an integral part of the daily life of seamen, merchants, and officials.

All of the documents in this exhibit are from records created by officials of the Salem and Beverly Customs District for keeping track of American vessels, the cargoes that they carried, and most importantly, to account for the import and tonnage taxes that were the main source of federal revenue in those early days of the Republic.

As one of my characters says, "Paperwork is Custom House's raison d'être." While I would never bore my readers with the intricate details of said paperwork (snooze...), it's always fun to see historic documents and artifacts. If you have a few spare minutes, head over to the National Archives site and take a look!

The idea of climbing a mast appeals to me, though I probably wouldn't make it past the maintop...

Probably better that my character is the one doing this, not me. Heights! Eek!

Hat tip to gCaptain.