WAITING OUT THE WEATHER IN BOOTHBAY HARBOUR

Shoreline of Maine and our route for this blog post

Sunday June 18, 2017 Continued from the previous blog post: Well, the fog would periodically lift for a short while and then fill in as thick as ever, so we stayed aboard Tug’n most of the day, busying ourselves with odd chores amid phone calls with Happy Fathers’ Day wishes and wonderful smells of Fran’s cooking. Periodically we’d look for weather updates, but fog, higher winds and growing waves were all we could see in our near future. We launched our dinghy to join Bob and Jan on Wings for Happy Hour and later, a trip to the marina facilities for showers. 

Monday and Tuesday June 19 and 20, 2017: Not much change in the weather. On Monday, we had very strong winds through the harbour with quite a chop making us raise our dinghy every evening. Monday we spend a few hours doing more walking around Boothbay Harbour. We visited a gallery/shop with the most unique collection of things we’d never seen. We’re beyond the stage of wanting to collect more “stuff” but this shop really did have some tempting objects d’art begging to be held and purchased.

Beautiful / Unusual Object d'Art

Lunch Tuesday was at The Boathouse Bistro where we shared a Lobster Club. While the service was mediocre, the lobster was cooked perfectly and was terrific. As we’d split the lunch we felt completely justified in returning to Kailer’s for another piece of warm blueberry pie and ice cream that we’d enjoyed so much a few days ago. Once again, it was a heavenly experience…

Later, we managed to get reasonably close to the site of a rebuilding of a wooden schooner to take a few photos. It was a very impressive site and it is marvellous that the tradesmen skills for this type of work are still alive and well. It is hard to imagine the expense of such an endeavour.

Schooner Rebuild

Wednesday is looking like our weather window to start moving further southwest along Maine’s coast as the forecast shows the winds subside and the waves are down to the 4 foot range. In the meantime, we’ve had very strong winds right through the harbour. Thankfully, the shape of the harbour has kept most of the wave action away from us.

Panoramic shot of Boothbay Harbour

Wednesday June 21, 2017: Its the summer solstice (longest daylight hours of the year). Here the sun rose at 4:59am and it sets at 8:26pm - that’s 15 hours and 27 minutes. What a wonderful thing. Back at home in Oakville, Ontario sunrise today is at 5:38 and sunset at 9:03 for a total of 15 hours and 25 minutes. So we got an extra two minutes of daylight in Maine and we enjoyed every one of them.

Today we cruised from Boothbay Harbour to Portland, Maine. We had a 10 to 15 knot breeze and 1.2 meter swells on our beam that were quite well spread out. The occasional swell was about 2 meters, but all in all, it was very comfortable. We saw far more lobster boats than pleasure craft, but the closer we got to Portland, the more pleasure craft we saw out on the water. 

Portland, with a population of almost 67,000 is Maine’s largest city. The Greater Portland Area has a population of over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine’s total population. Originally, the peninsula Portland is located on, was settled in 1632 as a fishing and trading village named Casco. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town’s name changed to Falmouth. The town of Falmouth was destroyed multiple times in various conflicts. On October 18, 1775 in its final destruction, Falmouth was burned to the ground in the Revolution by the Royal Navy. Following its rebuilding, it was initially named The Neck and it began growing as a commercial port and shipping centre. In 1786, the citizens of the former area called Falmouth formed a separate town and named it Portland, after the Isle of Portland off the coast of Dorset, England. In 1820, when Maine became a state, Portland was its capital, but 12 years later the capital was noted north to Augusta. In 1851, Maine led the nation by passing the first state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol except for “medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes”. 

In 1853, upon completion of the Grand Trunk Railway to Montreal, Portland became the primary ice-free winter seaport for Canadian exports and in the process became a significant railway hub and shipping port. Following nationalization of the Grand Trunk is system in 1923, Canadian export traffic was diverted from Portland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, causing a significant decline in the Portland economy.

Portland’s “Old Port” area went through a major transformation in the 1970’s when developers bought up derelict buildings and refurbished them into apartments, condos, offices and retail space. The “Old Port Association” was formed and they helped halt the city’s demolition of historic buildings. The end result is a wonderful district with cobblestone streets, renovated 19th century historic buildings, restaurants, boutiques and offices. Today it is a magnet for people and tourists, boats, marinas, yacht clubs as well as commercial vessels and lobster boats. 

Two tugs in Old Port 

Tug with extra tall "bridge" used when pushing a barge 

The Centerboard Yacht Club (CYC) was the most economical downtown choice for us on the South Portland side of the harbour. A terrific staff of young people operate the tenders to bring you ashore from the mooring ball. They kindly took us across the Fore River to Portland’s Old Port where we spend about three hours wandering the streets, window shopping and exploring. We had a desire for a hamburger for lunch and found a place (new to us) called Elevation Burgers. Their ads of grass fed beef, ground fresh on site and Peak Organic Beer won us over and it turned out to be an excellent choice. Later, we were repeat after an ice cream from Mount Desert Ice Cream. We met some lovely people at CYC in their lovely clubhouse, learning that the clubhouse was brand new this year. We can highly recommend the club with its reasonably well protected moorings and its great view of Portland across the narrow river.

CYC Tender bringing us back from the "Old Port"

CYC Yacht Club

Schooner entering Portland Harbour

Sunset over the Old Port 

Thursday June 22nd, 2017: Bob & Jan weren’t with us last night. They needed to replace their dinghy as their old one, at 16 years, was past its “best before” date and multiple seams were failing. They’d ordered a new Zodiac from a dealer in Yarmouth, Maine and spend last night there, with a plan to meet the dealer this morning and make the switch. Hopefully we’ll meet up at the next stop.

We woke up to a beautiful morning. The deck was covered with dew, which had dissolved all the dried salt spray from yesterday’s run. A rinse with our fresh water wash-down hose and a wipe made our decks, cabin and windows look and feel fresh again.

We were underway by 0920 for Biddeford Pool or Wood Island Harbour. It was a picture perfect day on the water with a light 10 knot breeze from the SW plus a < 1 meter ocean swell from the south, which was all very comfortable (at least for cruising on the open ocean). We passed mostly lobster boats, one fishing trawler and a couple of pleasure craft and dramatically fewer lobster pot floats. Biddeford Pool is a reasonably well protected basin made by Wood Island, Stage Island and Fletcher Neck. Biddeford Pool Yacht Club is further in, through a narrow channel but we found the Pool to be suitably calm and chose to anchor there. It is a very pretty location with lovely homes around the perimeter and a large beach to the north. Here it feels like the boating season is well underway as sailboats and small fishing boats are coming and going regularly from the yacht club. 

Stage Island Monument 

Stage Island has an unusual cone shaped monument with an interesting story. There had been so many shipwrecks on Stage Island’s shallow waters, as the shoreline in this area was quite nondescript, so the government decided a “day mark” was needed as an aid to navigation. In 1825, they awarded the $1,200 contract to three Portland stone masons, specifying the tower be 60’ tall. It was to be built from stones blasted from the shores of Stage Island. The tower reached 54’ when tragedy struck. The foundation had not been built on solid stone and when it gave way, the tower collapsed killing one of the three contractors and injuring three other workmen. The remaining two contractors were held responsible to rebuild the tower at their own expense. The second tower was successful and once completed, it was painted white. Today, the white paint is long gone and it is no longer considered an aid to navigation. 

In the 1800’s the island was used for grazing sheep, for drying fish plus a two family home was built there in the mid 1800’s. It was owned by two fishermen brothers and their families. One of their son’s was Waldo Verrill, born in 1858. He went on to become a lobsterman and a highly regarded Poet, publishing over 200 poems. Waldo was also an eloquent speaker and lecturer, who never strayed far from home. In a reminiscing article Waldo wrote in 1930 on lobstering in the early days, he said:

“Maybe it was 55 years ago I started in the Lobster business here, I operated the smack Etta B. Rich between here and Portland.  There was no well in the craft but lobsters were so plentiful and the run was so short, we got along all right without one.  I would frequently take from 600-800 lobsters in two or three hours that would average two pounds or more a piece.  I also bought from other lobstermen.  Maine’s lobster business really started here at the Pool.  Uncle Frank Verrill began way back, he would fill an 18 foot boat to the gun-whales and he did not save a lobster that weighed less than 2 pounds.  That was the smallest while most of them weighed 3 or 4 pounds.  Today, the demand is for the one-pound nine inch (sic) Canadian lobsters which have almost ruined our fisherman and their markets.   

     There used to be wonderful fishing right around the river mouth. The mackerel fleet all came in here, but it was the herring that made things hum.  I have seen as high as 200 sail of herring fisherman anchored off there in Winter Harbor.  The buyers used to speculate in herring just as one might in wheat or corn.  Sometimes a big catch would change hands several times without being moved from the vessel.  Fortunes were made and also lost in the business--Waldo Verrill" 

Regulations have changed dramatically and lobstermen report they only keep about 1 in 10 lobsters from their traps due to the narrow size range they are allowed to harvest, plus no female lobsters are taken. Their strategy seems to be working as the industry is thriving and the lobsters are well fed and reproducing rapidly. However, an article sent to me by my friend Bob in Poland talks about changes to the timing of lobster moulting (shedding their shells as they grow) due to warming of the ocean and the author wonders whether the strong controls Maine has in place will be enough for the long term health of the lobster fishery.

Later in the afternoon we launched our dinghy and explored the community of Biddeford Pool. We visited the yacht club, the local general store and did some beach combing at low tide while neighbourhood children with bathing suits on, played about in the shallow 14 degree C water. 

Sunset at Biddeford Pool

Bob and Jan aboard Wings made it to the harbour by 1830 hours having obtained their new dinghy. As the late day wind died down for a quite evening, we had brief discussions with Bob and Jan confirming plans to depart at 0730 tomorrow for York Harbour.

Friday June 23, 2017: We were up and underway by 0730 with very light winds and a modestly rolling sea for our 25 nautical mile run from Biddeford to York Harbour. It was a pleasant and uneventful run with the highlight being passing a 102 Windjammer named SSV Harvey Gamage from Portland Maine. This schooner is dedicated to your programs on the water and she looked extremely well cared for. 

SSV Harvey Gamage 

York Harbour has a narrow dog leg kind of entrance and we’d read during flood and ebb tides the current can run as much as 4.5 knots, so we timed our arrival at high tide and secured mooring balls from the town in the small basin. It is a very attractive harbour and both sides of the shoreline before the harbour and further on up the York River were lined with exquisite homes nestled among large trees with lovely landscaped properties. A very friendly harbour master came out to ensure we got safely secured to the mooring ball and to process our paperwork and collect our mooring fee. He also volunteered to drive one of us to Hanaford’s Grocery and as Jan had the longer list, she took him up on the offer and took Fran’s list to shop for us at the same time.

Bob and Jan launched and successfully tested out their new dinghy but managed to get soaked in a fairly heavy downpour. After they dried off, the sun came out again and they joined us for happy hour as we discussed tonight and tomorrow’s weather and our destination options for tomorrow.

What a night we had with the evening flood tide while moored in the York Harbour river. We faced the full brunt of the 4.5 knot current with both our boats swirling back and forth, often burying the mooring ball 1 1/2' below the water's surface. The force of the water was so strong, our prop shaft began spinning (free wheeling), which is not good as the shaft seal was not getting its usual water lubrication from the engine. To stop the free wheeling, after a few attempts I managed to get a line around one of the shaft coupler bolts and secured it to one of the very stout engine mounts. As the current continued to batter us, I regretted putting the mooring line over a bow cleat instead of the much heavier bollard. I set the alarm for 2330 hours, just after high tide, so we could relocate the mooring line making it more secure for the next flood tide beginning at dawn. In the morning, we learned Bob on Wings got up at 0230 hours as their mooring ball was banging against the side of their hull in the slack water. When up on the bow of Wings, he noticed our two boats were starting to swing together (stern to stern) and he dashed back to the cockpit and managed to separate them when they were only one foot apart. Then he lined the stern of their boat with fenders in case the two boats came together again. 

We continue to learn...

Wing's mooring ball pulled under the water

Two light houses from today. We love lighthouses!

ROCKLAND, BOOTHBAY & BEYOND

(Remember - you can click on any picture to see a larger version)

Here's a map of the coast of Maine & our route for this post.

Wednesday June 14, 2017: It was another beautiful morning in Camden and we are feeling this weather could become habit forming. We ventured over to the dinghy dock around 0900 for a little exploring around downtown Camden before meeting up with Bob and Jan for brunch at Boynton & McKay Restaurant. It was a fine recommendation from Charlie, a very friendly and helpful staff member at Wayfarer Marine. Upon entry, Fran and I were studying the blackboard menu when three friendly bikers whose dolled up Harley Davidson’s were out front, spoke up and raved about their breakfast choices. Their recommendations influenced us to order the “Two Eggs & Slow Cooked Beef Brisket on a Bed of Local Greens”. Fran also ordered their Blueberry Pancakes and Crispy Bacon and as is our usual practice, we shared the choices 50/50. What a first class breakfast. I’m making myself hungry again, just writing about it.

Camden's Harbour

Later, we met up with Ben Ellison again and he very generously provided us with wiring for two solutions to my cell phone signal booster, which I hope will work when we are in an area with some AT&T signal we can actually boost!! Thank’s very much Ben

Afterwards, we made a brief stop at the Camden Yacht Club dock to rinse off a rather thick layer of pollen on our decks, followed by a holding tank pump out at Wayfarer Marine and then we headed off to Rockland, Maine, a further 9 nautical miles down the western shore of Penobscot Bay. 

Cruise Ship in Camden's Harbour

Boating friends Laurie and John on Nordic Tug “Mirto”, whom we’d met last summer in Rimouski, Quebec had called us recently to see if we could meet up. They keep their boat in Rockland and they were about to head out for a week of cruising in Penobscot Bay. They very kindly offered to let us use a mooring ball they have that was not in use this week and upon arrival in Rockland Harbour, we spend a while cruising up and down the aisles of mooring balls looking for one with their name on it. We are still learning how to approach and connect to mooring balls and this attempt was not the most elegant, but we managed. 

Thursday June 15, 2017: The sun is shining again this morning, putting smiles on our faces. Rockland is the home port of a number of the great Windjammers in Penobscot Bay and there was one in particular we were interested in seeing - The Heritage, a 95 foot schooner, that was in port today. The Heritage is a 95’ long, 24’ wide schooner build by Captain Doug Lee and launched in 1982 as a purpose built vessel to accommodate passengers in comfortable lodgings while coastal cruising in Maine and giving customers an authentic schooner sailing experience. Unlike some of the older, converted “working boat” schooners, the Heritage has full headroom and plenty of below deck space for comfort. Her more traditional elements are, she operates without a motor (they use one of their tenders with a motor as a “push boat”); they cook for the 36 guests and 9 crew on a wood burning cast iron stove/oven and the sailing rig is an all authentic traditional schooner rig. We had a fantastic one week cruise aboard The Heritage in 1997, 20 years ago this summer. 

After breakfast, we headed off to see the Heritage and found three crew aboard her on their day off. Captains Doug and Linda were not on board, but the crew kindly invited us aboard for a visit and we got to look about and marvel at how well she has been maintained. At 35 years old, she looked magnificent. Wandering about her decks made our hearts beat just a little faster imaging her under full sail making good speed in a 20 knot wind….

Pics of the Heritage

Cast Iron Stove in The Heritage's Galley

One of 2 small cannons aboard The Heritage

Daydreaming....

Heavy duty gear for anchoring

Afterwards we headed off to Journey’s End Marina to find John and Laurie aboard Mirto. Later that morning, Wings arrived in port and the six of us went off to lunch at Cafe Miranda for a wonderful meal. We are continuing our tradition of trying out the local chowder along the coast and today’s Haddock Chowder was right up there with the best. Over lunch John and Laurie answered all kinds of our questions about our route down to New York and up the Hudson River that will be very beneficial in the weeks to come. It was great to be able to spend these few hours together with John and Laurie and we’re hopeful they will make the trek to Georgian Bay and the North Channel in the next season or two from now. 

Lunch at Cafe Miranda with Bob, Jan, John & Laurie

What a great Haddock Chowder looks like

We spent the balance of the afternoon exploring Rockland and picking up a few provisions, including a magnificent, small blueberry and peach pie with a crumble topping from the Atlantic Bakery Company. Wow, what a treat that was.

Friday June 16, 2017: As we contemplate moving out of Penobscot Bay and moving further down the coast of Maine, weather forecasts become more important as the open ocean conditions need to be taken into account. Today looks like the best travel day of the next few days so we were off our mooring and under way by 0645 hours for a 37 nautical mile run to Boothbay Harbour, under cloudy skies with a light drizzle. It was comfortable for the most part with some rolling sections from waves on our beam. The most protected part of the harbour from the forecast strong winds was at the Tug Boat Inn (appropriate for us in a boat named Tug’n). We took a mooring ball very close to their docks for very easy access to the downtown Boothbay. 

Antique cars in Boothbay Harbour

Fran taking a break in the lap of a local moose

Boothbay Harbour’s economy is primarily driven by tourism as crowds arrive to go on boat tours to coastal islands, go on whale watching outings, art galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Special events include “Schooner Days” when the Penobscot Bay fleet all descent on Boothbay Harbour.l Earlier in its history, in the mid 1800’s, the town was a significant fishing centre. In bad weather it could hold 400 to 500 vessels seeking refuge. It had a fishery, a fish oil company, an ice company, two marine railways, a fertilizer manufacturer and a factory for canning lobsters. During WW11 and up to the 1950’s, the town build mine sweepers for the US Navy

After lunch on board Tug'n, we went ashore to register with the Tug Boat Inn and explore the town. While the town clearly caters to the tourist trade, the streets are loaded with a wide range of boutiques, shops and restaurants and we had a lovely time wondering about and stretching our legs before retreating back to Tug’n  the as the rain began falling again.

Saturday June 17, 2017: We’d had quite a bit of rain overnight, which is always welcome as it rinses our decks and they demand a wipe down in the morning, making Tug’n look her best. Gradually the sun emerged and it became quite warm as we headed ashore to do more exploring before our pre arranged lunch out. 

One of our first stops was a shop called Eventide Specialties who carry the most amazing selection of Extra Virgin Olive Oils from around the world, fused and infused olive oils, specialty olive oils and aged balsamic condiments in endless flavours etc etc. Initially, it was a little overwhelming when you stared at the five or six dozen stainless steel containers from which you could draw samples to taste. We really did not know where to start until one of the sales staff took us under her wing and got us a couple of samples and explained the contents of the cards on each one. The flavours caused us to emit many oohs and wows as we sampled their wares, eventually selecting a few purchases for our galley. 

Lunch today was at Kaler’s, “Your Local Crab & Lobster House”. Yelp reviewers raved about their award winning Spicy Lobster Corn Chowder, so that is what we ordered, along with their Shrimp & Lobster Cakes. Both were breathtakingly good. Thankfully we still had room to share a piece of their blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream. It too was among the best we’d ever had (that’s two seniors who've tasted a lot of blueberry pies in their lives). It was really great! This boating and eating out in local seafood restaurants could get habit forming…

We spend another few hours exploring downtown Boothbay Harbour before returning to the boat and later, enjoying a game of Sequence with Bob and Jan over a happy hour refreshment. We also discussed the next leg of our journey, deciding on Basin Cove at Potts Harbour for its great protection from strong south east winds and over 2 meter waves forecast for Monday and Tuesday. The entrance to Basin Cove is rather shallow, so we decided we’d be best to enter it closer to high tide than low, necessitating an early start, so we planned on leaving at 0630 hours tomorrow. 

Sunday June 18, 2017:  Happy Fathers’ Day to all the Dads reading this. We were up at 0530 to prepare for our departure, but the morning did not look too promising - fog, thick fog, with visibility of about 200’ at best. At 0600, on a brief radio call with Wings, we decided it was best to stay put. Normally, fog wouldn’t be a big deal. Two boats travelling together, both with their radar going, can provide for quite safe and comfortable travel. But, here in Maine, with lobster pot floats everywhere, we were nervous about the prospect of running over their floats and getting a line wrapped around our prop shaft, so we decided to sit tight. 

WINDJAMMERS AND PANBO

Coast of Maine with our route over the past week

Monday June 12, 2017; Another perfect day with bright sunshine, very light wind and the promise of warm summer temperatures. As pre-arranged, we were underway at 0900 hours for Castine Harbour, a 13 nautical mile run. Castine Harbour is on the Bagaduce River and the moderately narrow river causes a significant 2 knot current in either direction with the tidal flow, so when grabbing a mooring ball, it requires great coordination between the Captain and the Admiral. We chose to rent a mooring from the famed Eaton’s Boatyard. Owner Kenny Eaton has been a fixture in Castine for many decades and he distinguishes his business from others with such things as delivery of morning newspapers to a free lobster with your mooring fee in July and August (we were a little early for that benefit). A local author has written a book about Kenny and his friendly antics and his helpfulness to all. Inside his prominent and crotchety building is, what appears to a casual observer, the most disorganized collection of boating gear imaginable, both new and used. But if you ask Kenny for something, he knows what he has and where to find it. 

Castine is one of the oldest towns in New England, predating Plymouth be about seven years. It was originally a fur trading post. During its tumultuous history, Castine changed hands 25 times among the English, French, Dutch, Spanish and American colonists. The entire town is on the National Historic Register with many fine examples of its historic architecture. 

Today Castine is home to the Marine Maritime Academy, established in 1941 to train merchant seamen and now offering a range of courses in engineering, management, transportation and nautical & ocean science. 

Marine Maritime Academy

Tuesday June 13, 2017: 

This summer weather is addictive - another sunny day, bound for temperatures in the high 20’s. We got underway by 0830 for Camden, Maine, about 19 nautical miles away on the west shore of Penobscot Bay. Camden was first settled in 1771 by folks trying to scrape by with modest farming in the mountainous terrain. Like Castine, Camden has a storied history of conflict. In the mid 1800’s the town had sawmills, gristmills and carriage factories. There were six shipyards launching six to twelve vessels annually. Lime quarries were also a significant source of commerce. In the late 1800’s Camden’s natural beauty was discovered by sportsmen and those seeking summer and autumn homes and those nostalgic for the sea. Thus began the property buying and grand summer homes being built by the wealthy from Boston, New York and Pennsylvania. 

One of the most enduring symbols of Camden and Penobscot Bay are the schooners or windjammers. Once, thousands of wooden sailing ships raced up and down the eastern seaboard in hopes of being the first to market with their cargo. Now a days, instead of carrying fish, granite and lumber, these venerable tall ships sail the bays of Maine, transporting guests back to the golden age of sail. Most of these ships are schooners, which have at least two masts, with the shorter mast forward. They were first built in the 1700’s, designed for speed and minimal crew. In their heyday, schooners were the workhorses of a young and thriving America carrying everything from coal and oysters to bricks and Christmas trees. 

By the 1930’s commercial sailing ships couldn’t compete with trains and steamships and they were on the verge of abandonment. An artist named Frank Swift from rural Maine saw the beauty of these schooners and through his paintings and finally through buying a schooner in the mid 1930’s and offering “Windjammer Cruises”, he single handedly started the revival of schooners in Maine. 

Today, there are vessels in the Maine Windjammer Association, seven of which have been designated National Historic Landmarks. 

Here are some pictures of this wondrous fleet. 

Penobscot Bay Windjammer Fleet

For boaters, the name Panbo and Ben Ellison may ring a bell. He is the Senior Electronics Editor for Passage Maker Magazine, Sail Magazine, Power & Motoryacht and others and he uses his boat is a lab for testing and reporting on new electronics. A friend and reader of our blog, Tim, who boats on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay was following our movements via the AIS website (https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5038556/mmsi:316015007/imo:0/vessel:TUGN) notices we were in the same harbour as Ben Ellison’s boat Gizmo. He encouraged us to go visit Ben, which we did. I introduced myself as an avid follower of the Panbo info emails and let him know how many of our Great Lakes boating friends read his material. 

Ben was just finishing up an install of a Webasto Hydronic Heater, which I was very interested in and during our discussion, I was delighted to be able to solve a problem he was having with a wiring question. I also took the opportunity to discuss a problem I was having with our cell phone signal booster and Ben offered to see if he had an antenna extension and replacement cell phone cradle at home for me which will hopefully see our signal booster back in service.

Ben Ellison

Gizmo

Camden is a very picturesque town whose population triples during the summer. Its combination of historic buildings, attractive and busy harbour, great restaurants and boutiques makes it a great stopover. We stayed at the Camden Yacht Club on one of their inner harbour “float docks” and used their tender services to get back and forth to shore. everyone we met were so very helpful and friendly. Interestingly, an initiative by the State of Maine reimburses marina’s offering pump out services (for our black water holding tank) to help keep the ocean clean. Very impressive and how it should be. Canadian maritime provinces could learn from this example. 

Stephen aboard Camden Yacht Club tender

Camden Harbour

We have seen small cruise ships in Castine and Camden. One can also see this area on one of those magnificent schooners whether its for an afternoon or w week. Interestingly, however, the summer boating season is not fully underway yet. Most mooring fields are quite empty and shops, yacht clubs and marinas say things will really begin to pick up at the end of June. I'm thinking, with this great weather and light crowds, our timing is pretty perfect. 

THE CRUISING BEGINS

Wednesday June 7th is our launch day. Sunrise is very early hear, currently 4:52 am, meaning it gets light much earlier. We were up and out of bed before 0600, fed and freshened up by 0700 and completing last minute odd jobs prior to launch. At 0830, Wayne brought Atlantic Boat Company’s huge tractor and hydraulic trailer to Tug’n, knocked on our hull and called out that its time to launch. Atlantic Boat can only launch boats about 2 hours before high tide to 2 hours after, so you don’t want to miss that window. The day is perfect - a bright clear sky, 16 degrees C and a very light breeze. No matter how well prepared we are and how highly competent the boat yard staff are, my adrenalin level always jumps when it is time for launch or haul out. Seeing our boat high up in the air on a hydraulic trailer or a travel lift just fills me with nervous excitement. 

Launch at Atlantic Boat Company

Launch goes without a hitch. Our big Cummins diesel fires up on the first try and seems excited by the prospect of another summer of cruising with us. We idle out into the bay going through a check list of tasks to be sure all is in order. After a short three mile run we are back in the bay to grab a mooring ball. I spend the rest of the day checking further equipment (generator, electronics, water maker etc) completing a tweak here and there to get things working the way I want. Our friends Bob and Jan on Wings get launched a couple of hours later and they are going through exactly the same steps with equipment check outs and solving the occasional head ache. 

The gentle wave slap on the hull on our first night on the water prevents me from getting the best sleep, but I’ll get used to it over the next few days. Prior to launch, we’d had a couple of happy hour discussions with Bob and Jan about where to start our cruising in Maine. We decided on heading southwest from Atlantic Boat Company to Deer Isle. 

Last year, friends Lee and Barb, aboard a 37’ Nordic Tug named Encore, spend a few hours with us, marking good anchorages along the New England coast and we are now making use of their guidance. Deer Isle has many possible anchorages and we chose Pickering Cove as it will offer good protection when the forecast strong northerly winds arrive early Friday. The anchorage is a leisurely 9 nautical mile trip past many gorgeous waterfront homes. Lobster fishing seems to be thriving as we zig and zag our way along our intended route dodging hundreds of lobster pot floats. Following a straight line is absolutely impossible and our autopilot is getting a break as hand steering is the only way to avoid running over these floats and getting one of their lines wrapped around our prop shaft. I certainly don’t want to have to get in that 11 degree C water to do a repair. 

Pickering Cove was lovely, with a few fantastic homes along the shoreline and only one large sailboat on its private mooring ball, there was plenty of room for us to anchor. This was our first anchoring of the season and we were not as well prepared as we should have been. We went through the mental calculations on water depth, plus tidal range to sort out the length of anchor rode we needed. But, we didn’t have our wash down pump working so when our first attempt at anchoring left us too close to a lobster pot float, without the wash down pump, we got lots of mud on deck. I scurried to get the wash down hose in place and turn on the pump only to realize the connection to the output side of the pump was not attached and sea water was being sprayed all about in our bilge. After successfully anchoring, I had quite a mess to clean up.

The prevailing southwest wind caused a minor swell in the anchorage until the wind swung around to the north. In the afternoon, the bright sunshine gave us a brief high temperature in the low 20’s and we enjoyed a couple of hours in the cockpit doing some bird watching, reading and having a happy hour refreshment. After a lovely dinner and showers, we enjoyed a movie on our tv before an early night. 

Happy Hour in the cockpit

Sunset at Pickering Cove on Deer Isle

Friday June 9, 2017. We woke to a chilly 9 degrees, wind and rain (as was forecast). We stayed in bed until almost 0800 hours. As planned, we were underway by 1030 hours for a lunch stop at the town of Stonington on Deer Island Thorofare. It’s a picturesque town with plenty of white houses on a hill sloping down to the water where the bay is filled with lobster boats tending to all those traps we do our best to dodge. Stonington’s residents initially made their living harvesting granite at nearby quarries and running sardine canneries. Lobster fishing and tourism now drive the community’s economy. 

Cold and wet in Stonington

There is no real visitor docking here, but we managed to get approval to tie up at “The Landing” dock for a few hours, in the pouring rain, allowing us to walk into town fur lunch at the Harbour Cafe. We split a bowl of fish chowder and a plate of haddock and chips, that was most welcome after our outing on this damp and chilly morning. After lunch, we headed off further west to Perry Creek Cove on Vinalhaven Island, at the south end of the famed Penobscot Bay. As we cruised along, admiring the shoreline, the forests and the lovely homes, we were struck with how similar it looks to our home cruising area on Georgian Bay. The big difference of course is the salt water, the tides and the look of the rugged, seaweed strewn shorelines at low tide. But at high tide, one could easily believe you were cruising Georgian Bay.

Perry Creek Cove is a lovely, well protected anchorage which we were pleased to share with two other boats and of course a bunch of lobster trap floats. Vinalhaven Island's more recent history since the arrival of Europeans some 250 years ago, was focused on fishing, shipbuilding, logging & shipbuilding. Later, high quality granite was discovered in 1826 and Vinalhaven became one of Maine's largest quarrying centres for the next century. Today, the island's residents are focused on fishing and lobster and the island is also home to wealthy north easterners mostly from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. 

Maine’s coastline has many islands, coves and channels and each one needs a name. It has been quite fascinating getting acquainted with the area as we sort out our cruising plans and reading the names one thinks those responsible for naming them must have had quite a lot of fun. Check out these names: Eggemoggin Reach; Naskeag Harbour; Burnt Coat Harbour; Isle au Haut; Mount Desert Island (that locals pronounce it Mount Dessert, probably due to the French origin of its early European inhabitants); Brimstone Island; Crotch Island. Trust me, there are many more entertaining names. I’m sure there is a story behind each one and I plan on doing some digging to see what I can find out.

Saturday June 10, 2017: This morning was one of those days that is just picture perfect. Cloudless, mirror calm water, silent and breathtakingly beautiful reflections of the tree lined shore. The rain/dew mixture on deck begged for a wipe down, which I did before breakfast, pausing every few minutes to admire the beauty. A mom & pop small lobster boat swung by to tend to their traps in an efficient and orderly manner.

By 1000 hours, we were underway for a new anchorage in southerly Penobscot Bay called Pulpit Harbour on North Haven Island. Our route took us between Vinalhaven Island and North Haven Island, past many gorgeous properties with huge homes (summer homes?) all in splendid condition and many with elaborate piers with ramps and floating docks, which is an engineering challenge with 10’ tides. 

North Haven home

Pulpit Harbour is reportedly a huge favourite among the boating community and we found it littered with mooring buoys. Fran and I remembered it from a one week schooner cruise we had aboard The Heritage in 1997. We had anchored in Pulpit Harbour and sailed one of their lovely wooden tenders about the harbour. 

Upon arrival, we approached a sailboat with a New York registration, to ask for guidance about the mooring balls and we were encouraged to pick up any of the mooring balls as most owners had not launched their boats yet. Come July, it would be a different story and the sparsely populated anchorage would likely be packed. So, we happily picked up a mooring and settled in. Shortly after, our new sailing friends Nick and Jennifer came by to tell us about a public floating dock we were allowed to use and a recommended shore walk to take. Nick and Jennifer are retired from the hectic New York advertising business and in retirement, Nick is an artist and Jennifer writes and publishes children’s books. Jennifer Berne has published four books: Manfish; Calvin Can’t Fly; Nighty-Night, Sleep Tight; and On a Beam of Light. We completed a lovely walk with Nick and Jennifer to the North Haven Grocery Store and Fran and I split a dish of ice cream - mmmmm. I think this is our first day where the temperature was warm enough to truly desire an ice cream.Afterwards, we did a few chores, enjoyed a game of Five Crowns over Happy Hour and then barbecued a pork tenderloin for dinner as the wind died and the sun set behind the Camden Hills off in the distance. Perfect.

Tug'n & Wings on mooring balls in Pulpit Harbour

Sunday June 11, 2017: It’s another beautiful, sunny morning. We were up by 0530, woken by the very early sunrise. Waking so early also goes together conveniently with falling asleep shortly after 2100 hours (9pm). Strong winds are forecast for later this morning, so we are on our way by 0740 for a short, 9 nautical mile run to an anchorage at Warren Island by Seven Hundred Acre Island. Warren Island is described as a wild, remote State Park. The State maintains 9 mooring balls that are rented on the honour system for $20 per night. 

Shortly after lunch, Wings launched their dinghy and ferried the four of us to the dinghy dock. We met the Park Warden who gave us a map of the island in exchange for our fee and warned us about protecting ourselves from ticks and lime disease, which we’d prepared for. Warren Island used to belong to the William Folwell family, wool manufacturers from Philadelphia. Their dream home was completed over 10 years at a cost of $75,000 and was completed in 1901. It was built from spruce logs cut on the island and it included a large dining room, kitchen, ball room and 27 bedrooms all connected by a balcony. Summer days were filled with sailing, fishing, clambakes and visits to the mainland, but the highlight of every summer was their masquerade ball. All this activity came to an end in 1919 when the summer home was destroyed by fire. The property was donated to the state for a park. Remnants of the summer home’s foundation are still evident on the property. A walk around the well maintained property perimeter shows off its wonderful views of Penobscot Bay.

Today reached a high of 25 degrees - how perfect is that.

Some lovely summer homes we saw

Our walk on Warren Island

Sunset at Warren Island