Set the Mainsail Wide

I visited Rockland Maine this past summer and was introduced to the Friendship Sloops during the Friendship Sloop Society's annual rendezvous and race. I fell in love with these classic sloops which were once the workhorses of the lobster industry in Mid-Coast Maine. The inspiration for this painting was the description offered to me by a sloop owner of how the boats could be trimmed with their mainsail set wide and easy and the boat would sail itself down a line of lobster traps allowing the sailors to tend to the traps. The painting shows a baldhead sloop heading out of Rockland Harbor during the race following two larger topmast sloops toward the windward mark. The painting captures the beauty of the sloops and conveys a sense of joy and serenity enjoyed by its current owners. I hope that my paintings of these sloops help increase awareness of Friendship Sloops which are now considered one of a few surviving American classic sailing vessels.