Belfast - A Storm Adventure

On our last tour of Holbrook Harbor last night we found the seals. There was a whole colony on a small, rocky island on the western side of the harbor. There were as many as we were used to seeing in Seal Bay. We were rather surprised since we hadn't noticed them before.

In the morning the skies were clear but there was no wind. We watched a windjammer take about 30 minutes to sail the short distance out of the anchorage. We had a leisurely breakfast and waited to give time for wind to come up. Finally we got about 5 kts and we hoisted anchor and motored out of the anchorage. Alas, once clear of the entrance, the wind died and we motored on. I motored towards Searsport in the hope that an on-shore breeze might develop as I got close. The strategy seemed to work and we were able to sail for the next hour or so towards Belfast where we had a dock reserved for the night. However, the path was not to be without excitement. We had been watching dark clouds form in the west with some interest and as they grew darker, the wind picked up which tempted us with more sailing which we took advantage of for awhile. Once the winds toped 20 kts and the clouds seemed more threatening, we decided to drop sails and high tail it for Belfast. We were a little late on this strategy but we got the sails furled without a problem but then the winds really started to pick up. Whitecaps quickly formed and the wind piped up to a steady 25 to 30 kts with one gust measured at 36 kts! Leathem slid back the edge of the plastic window to see more clearly (gotta love those lobster pots!) and onward we trudged into the harbor.

With the current flowing 2 kts in the same direction as the 25 kt wind, we didn't want to risk trying to dock so we took a mooring to wait out the worst of the storm. Finally it abated and we came on in to a dock. We later learned that the marina had overbooked their slips by three too many boats but we got in before the rest. There were a few unhappy boaters for sure.

With a secure boat, we explored the town and had dinner at the Weathervane restaurant which turned out to be full with a 20 minute waiting list. I had made reservations earlier in the day so we didn't have to wait. The meal was good, well cooked and served attentively. We would go back in the future. On Saturday we're headed for Rockland to drop off the Mehaffeys and pick up Ann's cousin Richard. Hope the good weather holds.

Island Tour and Back to Holbrook Harbort

It was one of those rare, beautiful days in Maine. The sky was all blue and the air was warm – and without fog! The rising sun was shining into the cockpit and it was warm. Ann offered to make blueberry pancakes which were an instant hit with the crew. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much wind so we decided to motor down to Pond Island just off Eggemoggin Reach. It’s open to the public so we dropped anchor and explored. It’s a lovely island, great for exploring and dipping in the water which has warmed to 70 with the full sun.

After exploration of Pond Island, we weighed anchor and headed for Barred Islands in the hope of seeing the osprey nest while having lunch. We anchored okay but the osprey was not around. So we had a lunch of French cheeses and bread while enjoying the magnificent views, just perfect.
We had planned to overnight at Pickering Island but the wind came up and offered us a chance to sail! With the wind in the 15 to 20 kt range, we headed north again and wound up back at Holbrook Harbor. It was just a great sail with the wind, waves, blue sky, Maine scenery- just perfect Maine! Later we took Hoolie ashore and you can see our typical arrangement with Hoolie at the end of his leash tied to the painter of the dinghy. That gave him enough room to romp around and still do his business and has worked out well on Maine islands. The day was topped off with a beautiful sunset, hopefully the starts of many for our last month in Maine.

Holbrook Harbor

We awoke to no fog!! In addition to that, we had a 15 kt wind out of the southwest, a great direction for sailing. Given the wind and lack of fog, we decided to go up Eggemoggin Reach which would give us a broad reach with a southwest wind. So out we set around 9:00 and had a wonderful sail to Billings Diesel for diesel and water and ice. Onward to Eggemoggin Reach, the scene of the unfortunate situation where we picked up a lobster line previously. This time we managed to miss all the traps laid by the lobstermen and sailed right through. Unfortunately, about ½ way through the reach, the wind died and he had to motor the rest of the way.

We turned the corner out of the reach and found a thunderstorm ahead of us on the way to Holbrook Harbor. We raced on but lost out to the thunderstorm while entering the harbor. The winds peaked out at 31 kts and we couldn’t see anything. Leathem was stationed with part of the windshield unzipped so he at least could see something and we forged ahead. Once in the harbor, I turned into the wind and waited until the storm abated. After a bit, we anchored in our usual spot and the wind died completely, not a breath of wind, nothing. We had hoped for some to drive the mosquitoes away but there’s nothing even now. However, the sunset was gorgeous, one of the few we’ve seen this summer,. We grilled hamburgers and watched the colors in the western sky as it grew dark.

Seal Bay - A Fog Sail

We once again awoke to a world of fog. We could barely see the Coast Guard station a few hundred feet away. However, we had no trouble hearing the morning symphony of various and sundry sound makers as they were tested one by one. After all, how do you know the sound signals work unless you test them? They do so every morning.

Ann made blueberry pancakes, a great way to start the day! With the Mehaffeys here, we have a car so Ann and Leathem went to a local Hannafords for restocking. Meanwhile, I was putting away the new crate we had bought for Hoolie for when we leave him in the boat alone and when I turned around, he was gone! After a quick search of the boat, it was clear he had jumped ship! Off I went with leash in hand and back tracked on the usual walking path we used with Hoolie. Sure enough, I shortly found him near one of his daily stops and he came quickly when I called. This brings up a dilemma: how do you discipline a dog for jumping ship when you still want him to come willingly when called? So I just decided to welcome him joyfully for coming when called and we walked back to the ship. This time I tied his leash to the cockpit table so he couldn’t leave the boat and everything was fine.

The fog thickened and thinned all morning so we decided to set out around 11:00 anyway. We had a good wind but visibility remained less than 1/8 of a mile until we reached the Fox Island Thorofare when the fog lifted. We were able to once again sail all the way but we didn’t see much. I offered to describe the various features of the landscape they were missing but nobody took me up on that!
We dropped anchor around 4:00 with plenty of swinging room in Seal Bay and settled in for the night after a tour of the harbor in our dinghy for picture taking of the seals. On our last trip in for Hoolie relief, he fell in the water when he mistook some seaweed for solid land, what a mess. After much rinsing and drying, he’s now resting peacefully next to Ann. Off to Pickering Cove tomorrow.

Rockland to pick up the Mehaffeys

The fog in Carvers Cove lingered until 10:00 or so when we weighed anchor and headed for Rockland where the Mehaffeys would join us. The winds were light so we motored through the Thorofare but when we cleared the western end the fog lifted and he winds filled in. We had a great sail the rest of the way. We were even in shirtsleeves, a first this year. By the time the Mehaffeys arrived, it was positively hot and we opened everything up and took off all the side curtains in the cockpit, another first!

Dinner was at Peter Ott's, an excellent restaurant in Camden. The place was empty, only four or five tables had customers. However, the night was warm and we wandered around town. The first warm night of the season. We'll probably stay in Penobscot Bay, less fog than elsewhere.

Carver Cove and More Fog

It was a warm and sunny day yesterday but not today! When I looked out over the cockpit I couldn’t see the Coast Guard station! However, it gradually warmed up, the high today was 65. The fog cleared out of the harbor at least so we set across the bay. Very soon we ran into fog. With the radar and chartplotter it was no problem navigating but you’d like to see the scenery along the way. As we enter Fox Island Thorofare, the fog cleared as it usually does close to large land masses and we were able to sail all the way through the thorofare.

Watching the radar, we saw many boats coming our way and we sounded the fog horn at least every two minutes. It sometimes strange to see boats on the radar, hear their fog horns but never see them as they pass by. We did have enough visibility to avoid lobster buoys at least. Rumor has it that Monday is supposed to be better but I’m not holding my breath. We averaged one good day followed by three days of fog so far this summer in Maine, ugh. Maybe having the Mehaffeys on board this week will change our luck, it did last year. One can hope. The photo is of the North Haven ferry in a brief moment of visibility before it disappeared into a fog bank.

Rockland - We Tour the Coast Guard Station

As part of Lobster Fest weekend at Rockland, the Coast Guard station offered tours of their buildings and boats. Since we had been docked so close to the station over the years, we were anxious to see the inside. The first stop was the headquarters by town which had a view of the surrounding area through remote cameras. We saw Fleetwing being scanned, "That's our boat!" There was a lot of elaborate knot work on paddles hanging on the walls, a traditional gift from new recruits.

The station has four main ships. The smallest one looks like an inflatable but really isn't. The orange sides used to be inflated but due to difficulty of repairs, they've changed over to foam filled construction. The next one has a photo of Matthew at the wheel and a photo of Matthew with his father and the tour host in front of the boat. We've always thought it looked like something our of Mad Max. It's constructed out of welded aluminum and is self righting if capsized, an important safety feature. It doesn't look pretty but it's very functional. It would look beautiful if you were in trouble and it came to your rescue!

We had planned to reprovision that morning but Rockland decided to hold a parade that morning, blocking off all of main street and our access to the supermarket! Finally, the last straggler passed by around noon and went to a Hannafords nearby. In Maine they sell wine in supermarkets so we reprovisioned all our needs in one stop. Getting everything on the boat was interesting since it was low tide (naturally!) which resulted in a very steep ramp. We got everything on board safely and said our goodbyes. We started cleaning house for our next visitors coming on Monday, the Mehaffeys. All day today was glorious, full sun and temps in the high 70's, hope Sunday is as good!