Good morning from a sea day off the southern coast of Nova Scotia! Overcast and a bit wavy, we’ll be spending the day sailing along this coast before arriving at the north end of Nova Scotia and the port of Sydney tomorrow.

Spent a fun day yesterday exploring the city of Portland. I’d never been to Maine, so it was nice to see the beautiful northeastern corner of the US for the first time.

I downloaded an audio walking tour app and enjoyed learning about Portland’s history. A key seaport dating back to colonial times, Portland celebrates its connection to the sea and particularly its lobstermen.

What I wasn’t as familiar with was the key role Portland played as a link in the Underground Railroad. Due to the fugitive slave act of 1850, escaped slaves weren’t safe even if they’d made it to the free North. Portland would house and outfit escaped slaves for their onward journeys to Canada and England, leaving from the very port we sailed into.

After the walk, I stopped at Shipyard Brewery’s tasting room. The bartender had been with Shipyard for 25+ years as a brewer and told me a bit about the history of the brewery, one of the first craft brewers at the dawn of the craft beer renaissance in the 90s.

Very much enjoyed Portland and wouldn’t mind visiting again some time.