North Haven

Talaria on a mooring in the Fox Thoroughfare

On the days that I am not working and the weather is cooperative we sail to some nearby islands.  North Haven and Vinalhaven together make up the Fox Islands.  The islands are narrowly separated by a body of water called the Fox Thoroughfare. 

Notice how this structure is up on rock pilings!

 The Fox Islands are only 12 miles from Rockland.  So we sailed over there and grabbed a mooring ball in the Fox Thoroughfare.  

North Haven

 We took the dinghy and visited North Haven.  There are families there that have been on 
the island for generations.  North Haven has both year round residents and summer only residents.  Summer residents are mostly the Boston elite. 

And those Boston elite send their children out to learn to sail on their small Optimus sailboats.  This day they were sailing a little regatta.

In contrast to the small sailboats are the large Windjammers that sail thru the thoroughfare.  The windjammers are iconic Maine.  They were once used as merchant ships and fishing vessels.  Now they carry tourists but they are still a sight to behold!

Notice again how the buildings are resting on rock pilings!

 

North Haven

 Vinalhaven - the other Fox Island is a working man's island.  The island is home to primarily lobstermen who hold the fishing rights to most of Penboscot Bay.  Vinalhaven is larger and more populous.

There is apparently no shortage of lobster here - as evidenced by the vast number of lobster traps everywhere.  There is barely enough room for a boat on the water with all the lobster traps.  It is a constant battle to bob and weave through the traps without wrapping the lines around your propeller.  I have heard that the reason for the great number of lobsters is due to the extreme over fishing for other species.  Lobsters were left with no predators as the other fish populations are now gone.  Not sure if that is true but what is true is that lobsters are big, big business here. 

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park - 47,000 acres of breathtaking beauty.  A visit in the summer is great but I am told by Mainers that fall is when Acadia really shines.

 All these little islands dotting the ocean.

The view from the top of Cadillac Mountain - the highest point on the east coast.

I can't say why I am so fascinated with surf on rocks - I could sit and watch all day.

We decided to hike one of the trails - this rock cairn is pointing you in the right direction.  They are unique little trail markers.  

Hiking over granite!  This is along our trail.

 

Pretty nice place to sail.  Doesn't get much better - sunshine, the wind always blows, the weather is perfect and the scenery is phenomenal. Bliss!

Fog and Tide

So this is Rockland Harbor - if you got out of the Harbor and make a right you are right out in the North Atlantic Ocean. I may have mentioned the fog that envelopes Rockland from time to time.  Well this is one of those days - although not nearly as dense as we have seen it.  I may also have mentioned that the fog always wants to settle in on the day that I am off and able to go sailing!  Pretty sure Mother Nature is conspiring against me.  That is the downside of sailing to great places and then working while you are there - the work then interferes with sailing once you get to that great place. 

There are several seals that live in the Harbor - one in particular that is quite large.  They hang out by the working pier where the lobster boats come in and unload.  Always looking for something that might end up in the water - leftover bait, fish pieces.  We have taken the dinghy to see if we can catch them out of the water sunning themselves but have had no luck yet.  

 The working pier is right behind our boat - its very entertaining watching the lobster boats come in and unload.  Or load their boats with bait as they are getting ready to go out.  Quite colorful!  Occasionally, they will get into shouting matches with the seagulls.  They yell and cuss at the birds as though they are really going to listen.  The birds just swarm and squawk - oblivious to the frustration of the lobstermen.

Here we are - the second sailboat (the one with the red sail cover).  If you look at the posts you can see the water mark from the tide.  The tide is going out but will drop further still.  They have 12 foot tides here!  The ebb and flood of the tide will rock the boat, sometimes vigorously.  Add some wind out of the east or a large ocean swell to that and it can get pretty bouncy.  So much so that my vase went flying off the table in the middle of the night.  Flowers and water everywhere.  

 This is the ramp up to the marina office at low tide.  The base of the ramp is on wheels so it can move with the tide.  It is a steep climb up at low tide but good exercise.  Pretty early on Michael decided to only use the portable pumpout station at high tide.  Once the machine is full its pretty darn heavy.  Needless to say pushing it up that ramp is something you would only want to do once.  One day he told the marina owner he was waiting for high tide to come get the pumpout machine and he replied "It took me three years to figure that out".  Hmmm.....Funny guy!

Monhegan Island, Maine

Approach to Monhegan Island

Monhegan Island is one of the more remote islands.  There are about 65 full time residents on the island but they have a school, a post office and a library.  I suppose if you are unruly they really can vote you off the island.  

 They do have a lighthouse and lightkeepers house.  A good thing as they are relatively far out to sea.

Lobster Cove

Jamie Wyeth's "Cottage"

Jamie Wyeth, Andrew and Betsy Wyeth's son, lives part of the year on Monhegan.  He is also a famous painter and has painted most of the folks that live on the island.  He purchased Lobster Cove (part of Monhegan Island) and built his cottage there.

Tugboat Wreck

It is also on Lobster Cove where this tugboat was dashed onto the rocks.  

 

 How is this for a view from your house.  Jamie Wyeth is a pretty lucky guy - one who appreciates beauty.

As we were sitting on the rocks basking in the beauty of the place we saw a dorsal fin of a shark.  If you look closely you can see it in the center of this picture.

And when you are done walking the trails you can stop and have a cold, crafted beer at this brewery conveniently located just off the trail.  How clever was that!

Hmmm...

The library

Some of these properties on the island are "vacation" rentals.  But be prepared you have to literally bring everything with you!  Great day - we really loved the island and were so glad that we visited.

Lobster Fest

The trouble with traveling and working is that sometimes the weather just does not cooperate and gift you with nice days when you are NOT working.  The other obvious problem is that there is just too darn much "work"!  We have been trying for weeks now to sail to Isle au Haut - it still hasn't happened.  This weekend was no different.  It was Lobster Fest in Rockland  but no matter Mother Nature still decided to provide fog and rain.  I can tell you it did not slow the festival down one little bit!  But we try not to go out in fog if we can help it.  So... we stayed in Rockland one day and went to Monhegan the next by ferry boat.  In the back of this photo you can see one ship that is not like the others - the one turning their string of lights on.  That is an Arleigh Burke Class Naval Warship.  They are anchored in the Harbor.  Apparently the midshipmen like lobster too!  The naval warship arrived in time for Lobster Fest and stayed till the end.  There was a beauty pageant and the midshipmen were sent out to escort the "beauties".  Several people with boats in the harbor thought they would get a bit closer to the ship to "check it out".  They were met with a stern warning to not approach within 500 feet of the vessel and midshipmen in smaller boats with guns were dispatched.  Word got out - stay away from the Navy ship.  We did however feel well protected having them anchored right at the harbor entrance.  Its not every day that you have such direct protection from the Navy.  

Cormorants sunning themselves on the rocks

 Monhegan is a remote island about 12 miles off the mainland.  Our original thought was to go there on Talaria as we were heading back to North Carolina.  But... several folks have told us that you can't drop your anchor in the harbor and there are only a couple of guest moorings which are impossible to get.  The harbormaster stays at the pub and ignores both the VHF and his phone.  Best you can do is pick up a mooring and then trek around the island trying to locate the harbormaster (who is usually on his barstool)!  Couple that with other folks who do listen to the radio or see you come in and then scam you - they take your money when they have no authority to do so.  You are then in a tight spot when it turns out it wasn't their mooring to rent and the owner returns!!  Not joking that has happened.  Armed with that information we decided the best way to visit the island is via ferry - like the tourists.  

Allen's Island - privately owned by the Wyeths

On the way to Monhegan Island the ferry went through a cut between the Wyeth families privately owned islands - Allen's Island and Benner Island.  Allen's Island is the largest at 450 acres of spruce forest.  The family maintains a small mooring field between the islands and allows sailors to stay for the night.  But you may not come on the islands without permission.

Wyeth Family Summer Home

Allen's Island 

They are beautiful islands - their own little piece of paradise.