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.

Destination Reached - Rockland, Maine

The trip to Rockland from Boothbay was just stunning.  We had to travel through this channel called the Muscle Ridge Channel that was a little unnerving due to all the rocks and ledges.  But it was well marked so we had no problems.

What sometimes looks to me to be just a very large rock they call an island.  Island? Rock?  No matter - they are all marked on the chart.

Barely a ripple on the water as this lobsterman checks his traps.  It is the calm before the storm.  We were trying to reach Rockland ahead of some weather that we knew was heading that way.

Island

We thought that this rock looked like a whale. 

It is so odd to see these islands with only one house on them.  There is not even a lighthouse on this one.

 And this was the view as we started to round the corner into Rockland Harbor.  We had no idea there were mountains!  We just couldn't believe how beautiful it was.  You can see the storm clouds starting to gather.

 Here we are Rockland Harbor - this lighthouse lights the way into the harbor.  As it turned out we made it just in time - the rain started to fall just as we were entering our slip.  A prelude of things to come.  That night we experienced a real "Nor'Easter".  The wind blew 35 to 40 knots and the entire dock was moving several feet.  We have never had that much movement while at the dock!  But we couldn't get off the boat - the dock was a very unsafe place to be.  There was nothing to do but ride it out.  Needless to say there was no sleep that night!

Boothbay Harbor

Ferry heading into Boothbay Harbor

From Harpswell we continued "down east" to Boothbay Harbor.  Being from the midwest about all I knew of Maine was that it bordered Canada and was very cold in the winter.  I also knew that it was comfortable in the summer.  After so many hot and extremely humid summers I was ready for a summer where we would enjoy being outside.  

We have learned that you really don't want to head to Maine until around July.  Spring in Maine is pretty darn chilly.  Or at least that was the case this year.  Mainers assured us that this spring was "unusual".  

Boothbay Harbor

This is the mooring field in Boothbay Harbor.  A "mooring" is basically an anchor that is already set and attached to a float.  You grab the "penant" or line attached to the float and attach it to your boat.  That's it - pretty simple really.  

Boothbay Harbor

Yes - it really is this pretty!!  We had our first taste of lobster here.  Boothbay is in Casco Bay - a prime sailing area in the summer.  Maine has over 4,600 Islands!!!!  Many of them are here in Casco Bay.  But we are headed to Penobscot Bay which is where Acadia National Park is located.  Another prime sailing area.

Our next stop after Boothbay will be our final destination for the summer - Rockland, Maine.  We have a slip there for the season and will explore as much of Maine as we can from there. Even if you came back year after year you would not see everything there is to see - nonetheless we will do our best.
 

Harpswell, Maine

Pony docks with lobster traps

Our destination after Kittery was Portland but we were making good time and decided to go a bit further.  So... we went on to a little place in Casco Bay called Harpswell, Maine.  The further we go the prettier it becomes.  We are seeing more and more big rocks in the water.  And Islands - lots and lots of Islands!

Boats on mooring balls at Dolphin Marina

 It is becoming very important to be diligent with our navigation.  Not only are there many rocks but there are also many ledges.  A ledge is like a shelf in the water where the water depth changes very suddenly.  

A pony dock

 A couple of the places we have been to have wanted us to tie up to a "pony" dock.  This photo is of a "pony" dock.  I had never heard of or seen a pony dock before reaching Maine.  You will often see them piled high with lobster traps.

A small seal

 As we were sailing along I looked over and saw this small seal swimming along beside the boat.   And of course, before too long we saw a shark swimming by as well!

 All along there are Islands with lighthouses.  At one point all the lighthouses were automated.  The lighthouse keepers houses were auctioned.  Some lucky souls bought some pretty neat places.

 And as I mentioned there are now more and more rocks - many of them are quite large.  Careful navigation is a must!!

Maine!!!

May 31st and we have reached Maine!  Kittery, Maine, the first port in Maine is right across the river from Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  We arrived around 3:30 in the afternoon and found our mooring ball at the Kittery Point Yacht Yard.  

Our neighbor sitting on his mooring ball!

 

Kittery Point Yacht Yard on arrival

It was a beautiful, sunny day when we pulled in but within 30 minutes the fog started rolling in.

Kittery Point Yacht Yard 30 minutes after arrival

 What a difference an hour makes!  We were thanking our lucky stars that we were safely in port.  But we kept thinking what if we had been delayed by an hour?  

 As the fog rolled in it started out light but within 45 minutes you could barely see the boats moored right next to you!

45 minutes we can barely see the neighboring boat

 We knew there would be fog in Maine - we did not know we would be greeted by fog within in the first hour of being in Maine!  What a greeting!