Preview: Slow August – Chasing Dawn’s Light at the ERR

*     *     *
OffCenterHarbor.com is a membership website with over 1,000 videos and articles on boat handling, repairs, maintenance, boat building, dream boats and more.

Sign up above to learn more, and get 10 of our best videos.

*     *     *

If it’s the first Sunday morning in August, you’ll find us chasing light and pretty boats at the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta anchorage in Brooklin.

Get Free Videos Start Free Trial Members Sign In

Comments, Thoughts or Suggestions?

You can leave a comment or question for OCH and members below. Here are the comments so far…

Leave a Comment

90 Responses So Far to “Slow August – Chasing Dawn’s Light at the ERR”

  • Avatar

    Robert Hest says:

    Thank you — beautiful boats — calming just to watch.

  • David Tew

    David Tew says:

    The early morning before the ERR is pure magic and a simple blessing to be there, and it’s captured so well here.

    • Avatar

      David Hatfield says:

      Thankyou for sharing, great start for a Monday

  • Avatar

    Bob Brown says:

    You guys are awesome. The boats are incredible, but the way you capture the scene and the boats in video is beyond amazing. Thank you for sharing your great skills with us.

  • Avatar

    Harold Wheeler says:

    Thanks, perfect timing and perfect birthday gift.

  • Avatar

    Brent Williams says:

    Wow, such the beautiful vessels, thanks for sharing.

  • Avatar

    Tom Palesch says:

    Thank you, nothing is as relaxing and peaceful as an August mornng row amongst the fleet! The lighting was perfect and the kitten’s enthusiasm was just about all I could handle. Heaven must be a quiet August morning offshore Brooklin!

    • Avatar

      Tom McFarling says:

      And I thought Port Townsend was the center of boat world. Now I’m beginning to have doubts. Maybe it’s Maine – in August. Maybe I’ll have to make a journey.

  • Avatar

    Thomas Buzzi says:

    A stout, shipshape craft.. Where to Capt’n?

  • Avatar

    Jonathan Margolis says:

    Absolutely lovely. That is what I love most about boats. (That’s right, seeing them at anchor!) Thanks.

  • Avatar

    John Franklin Jr says:

    You nailed it. Missing a Maine visit/cruise this year feels like a significant personal loss. Next year for sure.

  • Avatar

    Mike McAllister says:

    Thank you OCH for the wonderful video! Wooden boat Festival coming to the Port Townsend soon! Hope the weather is like that.

  • Avatar

    Rod Carr says:

    WoW!!! What a nice way to start the day as we get ready for thunderstorms later and think about heading to the WoodBoat Show in a couple more weeks!

  • Avatar

    Oscar Johansen says:

    Wonderful early Sunday morning share with a cup of hot coffee.

  • Avatar

    Robert (Bob) Godfrey says:

    There are no words……………………..

  • Avatar

    Bob Van Pierce says:

    Hi Steve, such a beautiful collection of boats with the most sublime music to go with it,
    can you help me out with the name of the schooner in the opening few shots,please. I could be wrong but ,she may flying a NZ Flag . Thanks for all your great work.
    Cheers Bob

  • Avatar

    Jim Mumper says:

    Absolutely beautiful–worth the price of admission.

  • Avatar

    James Reinhard says:

    Good shooting Steve. Stabilized from a boat? Drone?

  • Avatar

    Tyson Streeter says:

    Beautiful! Here’s to hoping to live by the August mantra.

  • Avatar

    giuliano ferrari bravo says:

    silent beauties waiting for the song of wind…

    • Avatar

      Ned Dukehart says:

      Transported back to last summer’s ERR. What a nice balm while under house arrest in Palm Beach.

  • Avatar

    Vernon Powell says:

    What is there not to love about this video. In the new world, post Covid, I will get there from Tasmania. What a great antidote the video is. Thanks Steve and the great OCH Team

  • Avatar

    Thom Davis says:

    Just lovely! Slow, beautiful, and I was right there with you. Loved the music, too, but couldn’t find the instrumental version anywhere. Is it available?

    • Steve Stone

      Steve Stone says:

      Thanks Thom, and sorry but the instrumental version is something they created just for OCH videos upon our request and we don’t have the rights to do anything else with it.

      • Avatar

        Thom Davis says:

        Understandable. Well, OCH has a little audio gem to go along with the video gems. Thanks for responding.

  • Avatar

    Ralph Wernett says:

    a nice shot in the arm…. just what the doctor ordered, gives you hope for tomorrow.

  • Avatar

    dave nederhood says:

    Gorgeous blend of both wooden boats and music. Just put the first coat of varnish on the teak cockpit coaming of my 1978 Bristol 35.5, after multiple days of stripping/sanding. Not a wooden boat, but definitely my “good old boat”. Seeing this video will keep me going with a goal of 10 coats…at least that’s the plan…of course, I may just have to skip today and watch the video again…many thnks OCH

  • Avatar

    Gerrit Beneker says:

    Represents a lot of back-breaking work by a lot of people for our pleasure.

  • Avatar

    Frank Crumbaugh says:

    Ohhh yeahhhh….. lowered my blood pressure, recalibrated the rest of the day…. see,THIS is why I’m a member…. OCH manages consistently, with elegance and without sentimentality, to demonstrate not only the technical but also the spiritual relationship we all have with our boats…. thank you, friends.

  • Avatar

    Jon Baldock says:

    Thanks for the beautiful share of what heaven looks like . Jon Baldock

  • Avatar

    Stefan Pabst says:

    Wonderful! Thank you!
    Really good to see the Bowdoin! I once had a chance to man her helm while under sail for 30 min as she accompanied the USS Constitution during her annual turn-around cruise.
    I would love to make a half-hull model of the Bowdoin. Does anyone know of lines for her hull?
    Thank you again for a great video!

    • Avatar

      Conbert Benneck says:

      Stefan, Boucher in New York had a model Bowdoin sailboat . I owned one and used to sail it at the Conservatory Lake in Central park s a boy. Years later it sailed in Paris, on the Chiemsee in Germany, in the Adriatic in Yugoslavia, and in New England waters.

  • Avatar

    Chris Bame says:

    Fantastic collection of boats! Thanks for the ride.

  • Avatar

    Fred Green says:

    OMG! Oh how I needed this!
    Thank you!
    Cheers.

    • Steve Stone

      Steve Stone says:

      Thanks for the feedback, Fred. Drew me in to watch it again. Oh how I needed that too.

  • Avatar

    Peter Kirkeby says:

    How do you manage to gather this many beautifull boats in one video….I really need to get my things togethers and go there…….but do I dare to arrive in my plastic fantastic classic anno 1977???

  • Avatar

    Walter Wise says:

    Delightful! In our row around the harbor, I caught a glimpse of a King’s Cruiser, which took me back to 1958; at age 14, I crewed on one on the Chesapeake Bay. It was a delightful boat, but I haven’t seen one on the Bay for many years. Off Center Harbor takes me to places I wish I could be. Thank you for bringing back those memories.

    • Avatar

      FREDRIC WISE says:

      Walter Wise. Where was the KC . I too sailed on on out of Portsmouth in a race in Hampton

      1963??

    • Avatar

      Conbert Benneck says:

      Hi Walter,
      I was working i Germany back in 1958, and as I recall the King Cruisers were built in Poland.
      I looked at them at the Amsterdam Boat Show.

  • Avatar

    Allan Becton says:

    Wow, makes me want to move up north and slow down! Living in the south is not so slow anymore. Great video’s!

  • Avatar

    Konstantinos Lekkas says:

    I like this video so much!! What would add a lot of value for me, would be to be able to see the videos on my TV instead of coming to the PC. Just a suggestion for the future. Maybe an app that can use OCH with my AppleTv or any really similar system?

    • Avatar

      George Krewson says:

      I have a Samsung smart tv that can access the internet, I’m able to watch anything on line.

    • Avatar

      Conbert Benneck says:

      Konstantinos, just connect your PC to your TV, and you can enjoy these videos on your large screen. If you don’t know how to do this, I’d suggest going to YouTube, and you can probably find videos there showing you how to do it..

  • Avatar

    Vince Bobrosky says:

    I absolutely love this series. My friend and I just sailed the waters around Center Harbor in his Penobscot 14. We had the theme of this series in our minds many times. We were tentcamping and sailing in the area for 10 days. He is from North Carolina and I am from Illinois. It was a treasurable experience to enjoy the coast of Maine. Back when I built my Penobscot 14, I named her “E-Z Duzit” even before I started the build. This served as a reminder to go slow and thoroughly enjoy the process as well as to take it easy when sailing. So, E-Z Duzit and enjoy the moment, makes for a wicked good time!!! Oh, and throwing back a Dark and Stormy at the camp site after a fine sailing day just sweetens it all.

    • Steve Stone

      Steve Stone says:

      Hey Vince, if you ever do that cruise up here again, let us know in advance. We’ve been wanting to do a video on the Penobscot 14 and that would be the perfect setting/environment.

  • Avatar

    Doug Sherr says:

    Been stuck in the desert for a couple of years. Your damned video showed me what
    I’ve missed. Keep it up.

  • Avatar

    Steven Wallace says:

    Just love this video, my boat is on the hard this summer, but OFF CENTER keeps me going.

  • Avatar

    Ian Anderson says:

    Life needs a handbrake sometimes. Thanks again OCH.

  • Avatar

    Josh Stranahan says:

    Nice job OCH! Sailing out of American Samoa watching the video with Kurt Lietz sails aboard Kuan Yin. Hope to make it back there!

    • Steve Stone

      Steve Stone says:

      Hi Josh. What’s the chance of finding that little shop in Apia that sells authentic lava lava’s so I can purchase a few and have them shipped to me in Maine? Have been trying to get a few more of the thicker hand woven black/brown/white ones for years but cannot find them. If I recall they’re made from tree bark? Most valuable non-boat gear item on a boat/cruise.

  • Avatar

    Michael Jolicoeur says:

    A conveyed sense of being there. So very well done.

  • Avatar

    Gene Gilbert says:

    So relaxing as always…..never regret the day I became a member of OCH……….Thank You

  • Avatar

    Don Dewees says:

    Many years ago I arrived for a week-long course in Brooklin and was told they had no room for me. I settled for a bunk on John Blatchford’s yawl NAVAGATRIX on a mooring in the anchorage. Things got worse; one morning my row ashore was obstructed by dozens of wooden boats that had shown up for the ERR. I managed to wend my way through the fleet, and never did put in a complaint.

    • Avatar

      Paul Gill says:

      John’s boat is a beauty. I saw it listed for sail recently. Is John still with us?

  • Avatar

    David L Schroeder says:

    I took a break from working on emails and found this outstanding video series. Outstanding–Thank you for producing such relaxing, beautiful sights and sounds!

  • Avatar

    Chad Brown says:

    A regatta in Brooklin looks to be pretty close to what Heaven is to me. Perfect music to go along with the mood. I’m not a cat person per se, but that was enjoyable watching them claw up the mainsail!

  • Avatar

    Conbert Benneck says:

    Nothing beats a very quiet early morning row through an anchorage filled with lovely boats.
    It brought back lots of memories of such mornings years ago, in Block Island harbor, when it was still owned by sailboats.

    Your video removed 30 years from my age. Thanks for the memories, and all the delightful chats with other sailors I had, who also enjoying the peace and quiet.

  • Avatar

    Lansing Hays says:

    Lovely. A slow dinghy ride around the harbor and a cup of strong coffee describes pleasure. Thanks.

    • Avatar

      Somer Estrin says:

      Nice music.. nice video.. nice slow rainy Sunday morning . Thinking of going for a sail if the rain stops and the breeze picks up.

  • Avatar

    Todd Van Gordon says:

    I spent two weeks in Brooklin this summer and I guess I could use some more. Because, this silly video made me tear up. I loved it. Thanks.

    • Avatar

      John Traina says:

      Are you the the Tod Van Gordon whose father was Don ?

  • Avatar

    Rod McLaren says:

    Ah, yes…. along with a second cup of java. Thank you, OCH.

  • Avatar

    John Supan says:

    Ahh. Inspired me to take an nap in my hammock and dream of pretty boats.

  • Avatar

    stanley kelly says:

    love light peace in this moment. beautiful vidio.

  • Avatar

    Ron Breault says:

    Hi Steve
    My Dolphin 24, Marionette, is currently moored in Center Harbor (22y) with Maynard’s boat just off her bow. She’s a frequent traveler on Eggemoggin Reach and one of her many ‘stories’ is one involving’ your buddies Benjamin and Maynard. Here’s the link to that story http://dolphin24.org/Nicoles_Delivery.html. I’m the webmaster for this website http://dolphin24.org/index1.html and love telling her stories
    Ron

  • Avatar

    Johanna Wigg says:

    such a privilege… viewing your video and enjoying summer on the water in a “slow” wooden boat

  • Avatar

    Norman NOLAN says:

    Thanks for the warning! I found a single malt whiskey did the trick!

  • Avatar

    Scot Copeland says:

    I’d love a video on the little schooner “Perseverance” – just sayin’

  • Avatar

    Ron Shafer says:

    Really captures the essence of summer on the water. Perfect and beautiful!

GET THIS FULL VIDEO!

Get Immediate Access, Plus
10 More of Our Best Videos

Your email is safe with us.
We'll NEVER share it, and we DON'T spam.

or …


Start Free Trial

Get Instant Access as a Member to the Entire Site

  • Access all 1000 videos/articles
  • No risk! Cancel anytime
  • Get a nice discount if you join