Remote anchorages and maintenance projects

On August 3rd, a clear, sunny day, we pulled up the hook and headed out of idyllic Flanders Bay. Motoring  south along the East Coast of Mount Desert Island, we were close enough to see the line of cars on scenic Park Loop Road. We could also see a crowd standing in Thunder Hole at low tide, a viewing area among the crashing waves. Both popular places in Acadia National Park. 

Enjoying the beauty of the craggy, fir-lined coast, we turned the corner and skirted between the Cranberry Islands and MDI, passed Northeast Harbor and turned north into Somes Sound. This beautiful fjord-like sound is a safe haven for boaters. Surrounded on all sides with steep, high mountains, it offers stunning views and superb protection. We have been here before, and this time instead of poking all the way up into the furthest pond, we anchored in a small eastern bay, half a mile from Abel's Lobster and Boatyard. It turned out to be quiet and comfortable spot with only two other yachts nearby - both 80 footers!

The next morning, after the fog cleared, we headed to shore for a walk and the hope of a lobster roll lunch. Our first surprise was finding the Mount Desert Island Historical Society entrenched in the little one-room Sound School House. Built in 1892, the original schoolhouse has been turned into a museum filled with historical information. The staff were very informative folks, always eager to have visitors. The school continues to be used to teach young people and visitors about what life was like back then. In the early 1900's the boys would sit on one side of the room and the girls on the other. The teaching would also focus on different things. The boys would learn about farming, granite mining or boat building. The girls would learn about housekeeping, cooking, sewing or other domestic duties. One curiosity is a practice they currently use when school children come to visit as part of their present day curriculum, they ask each child to choose which gender they want to study. So, instead of making boys learn only about what boys were taught and girls learning only about what girls were taught, each kid chooses what to learn. Interesting! We're pretty sure this would be banned in Florida!

Thunder Hole with the Park Loop Road in background

Mark Island Light (just outside the entrance to Northeast Harbor

Those are Bald Eagles

After the fog lifted

Deploying a net to see what they can find

After our walk, we rewarded ourselves with a lunch of oysters, steamers and lobster rolls. Fabulous! 

The next day, in anticipation of high-winds overnight, we headed back down the Sound and into the security of Northeast Harbor. We enjoyed a couple of days plugged into power, used our AC to reduce the dampness, did laundry, and enjoyed  the fun offerings in town. Northeast Harbor has a lot to offer in a small, quaint, upscale town. It's got most everything you need, but isn't overrun or too crowded. We found a good bakery (of course!), a decent market, some cute shops and lots of friendly folks. It is also a fairly easy walk to Asticou Gardens on the other side of the harbor and some lovely neighborhoods along the edge of the peninsula. While the weather wasn't as nasty as predicted, we enjoyed being at a dock and drying the boat out.

After a couple days of pleasant walks we headed out early, navigating our way south of MDI, then west around Bass Harbor Head and finally turned north again. This time, our explorations took us up the Western coast of MDI and into Western Bay, a large, quiet bay, with no people and no lobster pots (a real rarity). We enjoyed two relaxing and delightful days there. 

The cables running from shore to the docks
at low tide in Northeast Harbor!

Scenes from Asticou Gardens

Fog rolling into the harbor

Finally got a photo - yay!

As misfortune would have it, we found that our holding tank was leaking and needed to be replaced. We had done this about fifteen years ago in Boothbay. At that time the yard had to cut apart a good bit of the bed and cabinet structure in the forward part of the hull to gain access to the tank, which is under the floor in the forward stateroom. The craftsmen are very good, and replaced everything with screwed panels allowing quick access to the tank this time. 

Greg worked tirelessly to source all the parts that were needed. One great benefit he found was from the Island Packet company, who built Dream Catcher. They sent a detailed set of drawings and dimensions of the space, the frames and tank so that the tank builder could recreate an exact replica. They even sent three recommendations of customer tank manufacturers that he then called for estimates of cost and timing.

We chose a company in British Columbia to build the new tank - this time in heavy duty plastic instead of aluminum. After placing that order, Greg lined up Lyman Morse in Camden to do the work. He also spec'd and sourced all the parts needed - hoses, macerator pump, connectors, valves and his favorite - a liquid level gauge that will tell us when the new tank is empty and full. So, so helpful!

So - after a few idyllic days at anchor, we had to head back south and west to get to Camden on time. We enjoyed one more evening at anchor at a favorite spot - McGlathery Island, just south of Stonington. So beautiful!

McGlathery Island, south of Stonington

Also unfortunately, we learned that the mom of one of our daughters' closest childhood friends lost her fight with cancer. Because we were able to be within driving distance, we decided we would go to say our last goodbyes. So we headed to Rockland and grabbed a mooring and a rental car to drive to Massachusetts. Fortunately, friends Nancy and Ted, who live near the ceremonies, offered us comfortable and enjoyable accommodations with very short notice. While it was a sad event, we were happy to be able to see our kids (and their kids!), their friends (and their kids!) while there. Bittersweet for sure. Rest in Peace Linda. You will be missed by many!

After returning to Rockland we prepared for a 6am departure the next morning in order to be in Camden by 8am for our work project per our agreement with Lyman Morse. Arriving prior to  8am (as we were asked to do) we had to grab a mooring until another boat on the dock we were assigned to left  - 11am checkout. So, having already emptied our berth to allow the techs to work, Greg proceeded to dismantle the structure that holds the bed platform, and do as much as he could to ready the area for the tech. Finally getting our dock space and continuing to do what we could, the tech arrived around 1pm. He did a few things, disconnected some hoses and then got pulled away to another boat just an hour later. He told us he would see us in the morning. So, we cleaned up as much as we could and headed into town for a bit. 

The next four days went about the same. The tech - who was excellent at his work - came and went as he split himself between two or three projects going each day. As many of you have most likely also heard, it is just really hard to find help. As low as the unemployment rate is, it still is hard to find anyone who either is trained and needs work or wants to learn a new trade. So, boatyards are working short-handed all the time. 

As the project slowly moved along, we discovered that the tank (which we thought we emptied) was still three quarters full. So, we needed to move the boat over to the pumpout dock. While preparing to do this, Greg took a wrong step (on a connector piece of dock that was half as wide as the regular dock) backing up and went into the water. The hardest part was when he tried to get out - there was a portable ladder for that purpose, but it was a fabric one made for a boat and very unstable.  It was difficult for him to pull himself up onto a dock two feet above the water in wet clothing. If Sharon hadn't been there, he doesn't think he could have done it. Oh and did we mention that his phone and wallet were in his pockets - the phone he's been carrying around for years with the entire back splintered and cracked - obviously not going to survive a drenching. Now we can say we both went swimming in Maine water - neither by choice!!

So, after a quick shower, off we went to the pumpout dock only to find that the pumpout machine was not pumping! We then had to wait for the harbormaster to show up with his pumpout boat. Sheesh!

Finally, tank empty and back in our assigned dock space, the tech and Greg manhandled the old tank and finally got it out of its space and onto the dock. A tough job for sure! 

This small crack around the valve port is where the tank was compromised

The berth before dismantling

Behind the storage drawers under the berth - gray tank under

The old tank is out, standing on its side

The two tanks side by side - they're exactly the same dimensions,  
only the picture makes the new black one look smaller

The new tank in place - yay!

The new tank finally arrived (two days later than promised) and Greg and Billy wedged it into place. The last of the hose and pump connections finally came together by early Saturday morning, when we could finally pull away from the dock at 10:30am. And yes, the new tank monitor works great!

We headed across the bay for our last night at anchor in Penobscot Bay. We motored through Fox Island Thoroughfare between North Haven and Vinalhaven, and around the bend into Carver Cove on the east side of Vinalhaven. Carver Cove is another very quiet rustic little place that afforded us a clear evening to view the full Milky Way. So very special.

Carver Cove looking Northeast

We headed back West next morning, this time into Rockland, where we were scheduled for yet another repair project. This project was a result of damage from winter storage from shrink wrap applied without proper slope to allow snow to slide off the boat. The weight of several feet of snow overwhelmed the steel. As a result, six stainless steel lifeline stanchions had been bent inward from two to four inches. When a mast is left in the boat for the winter, the boom creates a natural high point for a sloped "tent-like" structure. In Maine the custom is for sailboats to have their masts removed for the winter, also removing this slope unless the techs build another out of wood. They did a poor job and this turned out to be a significant problem leading to expensive damage (which the yard picked up, thankfully).

Early Monday morning, the stainless guy showed up with a compressor and his tools. First the lifelines were removed. Then he heated each metal bar and slowly pulled it upright to straight again. Then he polished each piece with an orbital air tool and pumice, then moved on to the next one. When he initially estimated the time for this project he told us he'd need a week. So, the yard and we prepared for a week at the dock set aside for this purpose. It took him only a day! That was good news. It turned out great.

While the stainless steel was being done, Greg started stripping and sanding the toe rail, the six inch wood accent strip along the perimeter of the boat where you step on and off. The old varnish was so bad you could actually peel off pieces by hand. We've been embarrassed by the wood condition for the last two years. But when we asked how much for the yard to redo it, they quoted $16,000! (oh for crying out loud!) We made short work of it in Rockland and got three coats of varnish on by Thursday. While this effort didn't look as beautiful as previous efforts, it looks far better than before. Good work, good result. 

Friday morning we start our voyage south towards Newport.

'Til next time - 

Castine to Mount Desert Island

On the morning of July 19th we left Castine's Smith Cove and motored out of the inlet into East Penobscot Bay. It was a lovely morning; sunny, a light breeze, calm water. Wind predictions were 15 - 20 knots out of the Northwest in the afternoon, building from 10-15 in the morning. Our plan was to motor into the wind for 20 minutes then turn south, fill the genoa (large forward sail) and enjoy a downwind sail to Islesboro - a long narrow group of islands in the middle of Penobscot bay. 

Once out of the inlet the winds were blowing 20-25 knots with gusts to 30 on our nose, running seas of 3-4 feet. We were bashing into them. At one point the speedometer read 1.4 (that is pretty much standing still). Not fun! After about 30 minutes, we decided to head to the northern shore of the bay, then run west along it (helping to reduce the wind a bit) and head into Belfast Harbor where we could grab a mooring in the protected lee shore. A few hours later, we were happy to be hanging on that mooring and taking a breath. We had a very salty boat, but once again we were settled in a calm harbor. 

The next morning the wind was what we had expected the prior day, so we enjoyed that delightful downwind ride we had planned to do the day before. 

Our neighbors on the last morning in Castine

Heritage anchoring near us in the rain in Castine

Islesboro is in the middle of Penobscot Bay and served by a ferry from Lincolnville on the bay's western shore.  After sailing past Isleboro's ferry dock and turning south, we tucked into Cradle Cove and dropped the hook. A dingy ride to shore and a walk up and down the hills allowed us to do a bit of exploring. 

We stopped into a very nice little gift shop and chatted with the shop keeper. She is a year round resident on Islesboro, one of about 500. She said she pretty much knows all of those 500 people. The population swells to 3000 in summer. But as we have noted so far this season, things are quiet, and it seems there are fewer people about than past years. It was warm! While it hasn't reached 90 in these parts locals are still complaining about the heat which has been in the mid-80's many days. Fortunately, it cools to mid-60's most nights.

Map of Penobscot Bay

The next day, we weighed anchor and headed south and east toward Camden. What we found this time after leaving the harbor was very dense fog! It was only a five mile trip and we had decided not to raise the sails. Activating radar and fog horn we picked our way through the numerous lobster pots and across the bay. Fortunately, visibility improved once we entered the harbor. 

Ducklings in Camden Harbor

Walking Camden

We have spent a lot of time in Camden this summer due to hosting guests onboard or meeting friends. We were excited to catch up with Jim and Cynthia onboard Neverland there. We had time on land for long walks, a bit of shopping, a night out at a new restaurant Salt Wharf, several loads of laundry, and accomplished a few large maintenance projects. After a few days it was time to move on. We said goodbye to Jim and Cynthia and headed East. 

In light winds, we motored out of the harbor and around the southern tip of Isleboro, turned north and then east again past the iconic lobstermen's town of Stonington - picking our way through islands and, of course, lobster pots all morning.

Our destination a favorite anchorage, Pickering Cove. It's always so quiet and peaceful there. When entering these remote anchorages we are often greeted by the sweet faces of seals checking to see who has arrived. Sharon keeps saying she is going to sit in the cockpit with her camera at the ready so she can get a shot of these shy mammals. Her patience and timing haven't worked out yet, but she'll keep trying!

Pickering Cove

Continuing our journey east the next day, we headed across Jericho Bay, again through islands and the morass of lobster pots that is northeast Maine, around Bass Harbor Head and north into Southwest Harbor on Mount Desert Island. We grabbed a mooring at Hinckley Marine, dropped the dingy and headed ashore. Our goal was lobster! 

We walked over two miles along the beautiful harbor shore completely to the other side where we found Beal's Lobster pound. Two 2lb lobsters, a pound of steamers and two Allagash Whites (our beer of preference up here) later, we headed back around to the mooring. A good five miles for the day and a fabulous lunch! 

The remains 

Bear Island Light just outside Northeast Harbor

Our next hop was to Bar Harbor. Greg hadn't been there in 30 years, so he was looking forward to exploring.  We checked out a few of the many shops in town and had a really excellent meal at Havana on our first night.  Trekking is a big deal on Mt Desert Island due to the natural beauty the terrain and ocean provide. We took advantage the next day walking over 7 miles on marked paths through woods and shore. All beautiful.

Unlike Isleboro and some other smaller towns along Maine's coast, Bar Harbor this summer is VERY busy. Two cruise ships were anchored in the harbor when we arrived. Their little people transport pods ran constantly to and from shore off our stern.

There are several large harbor tour boats ("pay-for-boats"as Greg calls them) and of course the requisite lobster boats, all filling the busy harbor. It was fun to check out the town, but it was a bit of culture shock - even Camden hasn't been this busy. 

The Margaret Todd and Dream Catcher

Sunset

Scenes along our walk

Dream Catcher

Acadia National Park covers most of Mount Desert Island, includes most of the Schoodic Peninsula across Frenchman Bay from Mount Desert Island, and all of Isle au Haut. We've explored much of it over the years and are looking forward to more.

Leaving the hustle and bustle behind once again, we headed further down-east. 

One great benefit of sailing down-east is that you have a prevailing Southwest wind. We used this wind today deploying the main and Genoa and headed through Frenchman Bay. After rounding Schoodic Point we turned north and headed toward Prospect Harbor, our chosen destination. But, once the harbor was within sight we could see only lobster boats and they filled the small harbor. No room for a cruising sailboat! 

We needed an anchorage to get out of the sea swells if we wanted a reasonably pleasant night. So, turning around, we poked our way down the eastern shore of the peninsula until we found a place we liked. Slowly making our way around the ledges and shallows we crept into Birch Harbor, a small crescent bay. Finding a spot that assured enough depth for safety in an eleven foot tide, we dropped the hook. Our anchoring maneuvers include Greg at the bow handling the anchor while Sharon drives the boat. Greg can pretty much tell within short order whether the anchor is going to set properly. This time, he could see the chain skittering on the roller as Sharon backed the boat up to set the anchor. Sharon could also feel it skipping over what was obviously a large, sheer rock bottom. After backing down over a hundred yards into the middle of the small bay it finally bit enough for us to feel safe. But, to be careful we set anchor alarms on Greg's cell phone app and our instruments so that, if we did move during the night, we'd be notified and could respond before trouble occurred.

We chose Birch Harbor for its lee shore - wind was off the land keeping the velocity such that we had a quiet night with no incidents. But, once we settled we were inundated with hundreds of flies! This forced us to head below sooner than usual and screen every port and companionway for the rest of the evening. Not the best anchorage, but safe and pleasant enough.

Egg Rock Light, Frenchman Bay

Views from the boat

Petite Manan Ledge Light

We headed out early the next morning in bright sunshine. This made it very tricky to see the thousands of lobster pots on the water as we traveled east into the rising sun. While this area of Maine is simply stunning in its beauty, the joy of sailing is sometimes moderated greatly by the constant vigilance needed to assure you don't wind 200 feet of lobster pot line around your propeller. This is a serious issue. Imagine losing power several miles offshore, tethered to a lobster pot dragging behind, as the wind and waves push you along with no easy remedy short of climbing into the 55 degree water with knife in hand!! Our friend on Neverland, Cynthia, told us that the further east you go the more pots you'll find. She was right! After an hour or so it just wasn't fun, so we turned west and headed for Winter Harbor, which has been on our list for this summer. 

We've heard a lot about Winter Harbor and often see boats with this hailing port on their stern. We found a mooring with Winter Harbor Yacht Club. So nice, what a beautiful place and what welcoming people. The young lady who drove the launch came to get us with our bicycles and brought us to the club house. We cycled to Schoodic Peninsula, then headed out to the point. It was a beautiful ride filled with lots of ups and downs we don't experience in flat Florida or Delaware. The road lead us to the Schoodic Institute - a science and educational organization in Acadia National Park. After a fifteen mile ride and a full day we welcomed the quiet mooring in this quaint, protected harbor at day's end.

Schoodic Institute

Eiders

In the morning, after waiting for the fog to lift, we headed into the club's dock to fill the water tanks. While there, we chatted it up with the team at the yacht club, watched the kids learning to handle their Optimists (training boats for young sailors) and got a couple of recommendations for anchorages in the adjoining bays. With light winds, we motored out of the harbor, up Frenchman Bay into Flanders Bay off the town of Sorrento. This is a very large bay that is enclosed by islands, allowing relief from sea swells and winds from all directions. We found a beautiful anchorage empty of pots and any other other boats at the northeast end behind Treasure Island (Thank you Jim at Winter Harbor). 

To our surprise we saw three cell towers in the distance! With unusually good cell signal we decided to finally get this blog entry written, so here we sit - writing and doing boat maintenance projects - you decide who is doing which!

'Til next time -