Awake at 5:00, but kind of half-sleep until 6:00. Winds swirling through the trees, yet calm water in the anchorage. The air is thick and damp. Moisture everywhere. Fog, rain come and goes.
The bivy kept the sleeping bag dry. I quickly put on the drysuit over thermals to stay warm and dry. Storm radar shows rain ending at 8:35. It stays foggy and raining until 9:15, then begins to clear.
I spread out gear to dry. 1:30 Jamie and Matt motor by to say they are headed into Jonesport for fuel, then going to Roque Island. I wish them well. I enjoyed their company. Now that they are gone, I enjoy the solitude.
Early afternoon skies clear. I peel back the boom tent to get some sunshine. Drying gear and charging batteries with the solar panel.
Everything is dried and packed at 530. Excellent forecast for tomorrow.
Thunder some time in the night. I look outside the boom tent, clear skies. I wake to light rain tapping on the tent. Then a steady drizzle.
Up at 6:00. Slip on the drysuit and zip up the bivy to keep all the bedding inside dry. There is going to be a lot of moisture in the air. Hot chocolate with breakfast and a good book for company.
8:45 I hear voices. Looking out the boom tent I see a small dinghy and the people on board are looking at the mooring balls.
They row through the mist to SPARTINA. It is Jamie and Matt, out of Belfast for a week-long sail. I tell them I was surprised to hear their voices and then see them, there isn't another boat in sight. They say they are equally surprised to see someone on the little green yawl. They are anchored just outside the Mud Hole and wanted to take a look at the anchorage before coming in. We exchange contacts, and they row off in the rain.
I get a text from Jamie. Very nice of them to reach out to me.
10:00 a few drops of water on the page as I read my book. Noisy wind and rain outside the boom tent. I shift a little bit in the boom tent, take a nap, catch up on the log book.
1:30 I hear the diesel of Matt and Jamie's boat at they come into the anchorage, a brief wave across the water as they set their anchor nearby.
And a note to check on me. I tell them I am doing fine.
Late afternoon weather radar says the rain is gone for now. More coming this evening and overnight.
Awake at up at 5:45. Hot tea with breakfast. Clear skies, light winds. An eagle flies along the beach as I listen to weather. Remnants of Hurricane Debbie arrive late evening. Heavy rains tomorrow and the following day. A beautiful forecast for the day after that.
7:35 under power to get out of the shallows, it is low tide and we are sitting over a bed of kelp and eel grass. 7:45 under sail in almost no wind. Two eagles take flight from a little point near the entrance to the Thorofare. Making less than a knot.
8:10 motorsailing through the Thorofare against the tide. A lobster boat coming from the opposite direction slows down to reduce wake, friendly waves from the man and woman on board.
8:35 out of the Thorofare, and windless. Under power to Jonesport. 9:20 on Moosabec Reach, a strong opposing tide. Docked Jonesport 10:05. Empty of the head. Walk up to the convenience store for lunch of a BLT, cup of chicken stew and bottled iced tea.
12:20 cat off, 12:30 sails up on the reach in a very light southwest breeze. Struggle with the wind, drifting in circles, dodging lobster pot floats and staying clear of the main channel. Better wind 1:50 near Pig Island.
2:05 tacking between Great Wass Island to the west and Harbor Island to the east. Lots of islets and sailing around them is a joy. Some have small houses on them, others just seals. Overcast moves in and the breeze is chilly, put on a sweater.
A great afternoon of sailing. I look at a couple spots for anchoring on future visits. With the weather coming no doubt I'll be anchoring in Mud Hole.
Late afternoon skies clear and the sunshine feels good. Anchor down in the Mud Hole 4:15.
Just a wonderful night anchored at Roque Island. I wake to the sounds of waves rolling up on the sand beach. Up at 6:15, cool and grey. Check weather radio, the remnants of Hurricane Debby coming up in a couple of days. Hot tea with breakfast.
8:40 sail off anchor in a light overcast and a nice little breeze. Cool enough that I wear the drysuit with sweater underneath.
2.9 across Roque Harbor. 9:30 sailing between Double Shot Island to starboard and Anguilla Island to port. 9:45 turn east to pass between Anguilla Island and Halifax Island. The island names make me smile.
Keep Lakeman Island to port as we head towards Englishman Bay, making 6.0 with a strong helping tide. Skies clear and crisp wind. It is getting warmer, strip off the drysuit and sweater. We've been out a week now and the sleeping gear is a little damp so spread it out to dry in the sun.
I have sailed a good part of the east coast but don't think I have even seen as island as pretty as Roque Island. Granite cliffs, thick pine forests, green pastures running down towards the shore and white sandy beaches. I can't help but think of Treasure Island and young Jim Hawkins.
10:35 less wind and tide, making 2.0, blue skies and beautiful. Silvery baitfish erupt from the water then disappear. A small dark shape rises above the surface, a seal taking a break from chasing fish to watch us pass by.
11:15 light wind and losing ground to the tide, dodging lobster floats. Motorsailing towards Shorey Cove and the white beach on the north side of Roque Island. The wind returns, 4.0 into the cove for a couple of nice tacks.
12:10 sail past Squire Point and out onto Englishman Bay. 12:30 tacking against the tide, 4.5.
1:35 sailing into the Southeast wind past Roque Island and Great Spruce Island. 1:55 near Wallace Ledge turn downwind, wing and wing. 2:15 jibe toward the east end of Double Shot Island, sailing between Double Shot and Anguilla Islands to complete the circumnavigation. Back on Roque Harbor making 4.5 to 5.0 with wind just forward of port beam.
3:15 anchor down in the little bight at the east end of the white sandy beach.
Torrential rains overnight, lightning and thunder. Rain seemed to go on forever. Tucked away in Mud Hole I did not feel any wind. Slept a little later than usual. Pleased to find the boat dry under the boom tent after all that rain. Hot tea with breakfast on the cool, overcast morning.
Under power at 7:50 out of the Mud Hole. Catch some seaweed or maybe a rock on the rudder as it kicks up. Reset and keep going.
8:05 out of the Mud Hole and turn north, keeping Great Wass Island to port.
8:50 pick out the markers for Pig Island Gut. It is low tide and the cut is lined port and starboard with rocks. 8:35 Alley Island to port, with docks standing tall alongshore at the low tide.
Leaving the gut, we pass through the fleet of moored lobster boats then cross Moosabec Reach into Jonesport.
Tied up Jonesport at 9:05, the dock being marked as a three-hour dock. Plenty of time for what I need to do. I walk the couple of blocks to the convenience store, get bottled water, some bottled tea and cookies. I ask if I can leave a small battery there to charge for a while and they kindly plug it into a power bar behind the cash register. Back to SPARTINA to get rid of trash, spread some gear out to dry. Al, a friend of Chesapeake Bay friends Fred and MaryLou, comes by to say hello. He asks about what I need, maybe a ride to the grocery. I tell him I am fine, the dock and convenience store are all I need. We talk about sailing Maine and small boats. He is a nice guy and I enjoy meeting him.
Back to the convenience store for lunch, a BLT, chips and a drink. Grab the charge battery, thank the store owner for his hospitality and head back to the boat.
Cast off at noon, motoring east on the reach, and struggle with light winds across Chandler Bay to the Thorofare between Roque and Great Spruce Islands.
I follow the deep water path between pine trees, a lobster boat just behind me working a string of pots on the Thorofate.
2:45 out of the Thorofare into Roque Harbor, the wind filling in nicely for some nice afternoon tacks across the harbor.
Anchor down just off the white sandy beach at 3:45.
Wake to early morning fog. Plus an extremely low tides. There is the muddy smell of the exposed harbor banks. SPARTINA is settled in a nice pool of water with about a foot to spare. 6:50 under power, 7:20 out of the harbor. A distant fog bank, no wind. Under power on gentle swells rolling in from the ocean. 7:35 sail up at Marker "2CP" off of Cranberry Point (not to be confused with the Cranberry Islands). Making just over a knot. 8:00 motorsailing with the harbor at Corea to port. A sleep black-hulled lobster boat slows down nearby, the crew waves. Then they speed up and move on.
9:05 crossing the Outer Bar between Petit Manan Point and Green Island. Water goes from smooth rolling waves on the west side to very choppy waters on the east side. 9:45 wind on the port quarter. Making 2.7.
10:30 motorsailing, waves breaking on the rocks to port at the island called Jordan's Delight. 10:45 wind fills in, 3.2. 11:30 slip behind Shipstern and Flint Islands. 12:25 choppy water. Look east to a series of islands, not sure which is the best path to follow.
To port is the harbor at South Addison. Navionics shows two town docks there, maybe the chance to offload some trash and pick up some fresh water. Heading into the harbor I watch a man and a woman, maybe husband and wife, hauling in lobster pots on a boat called TRIPLE TROUBLE. Seems like there might be a good story behind that name.
Head into what is marked as a town dock on my chart, tie up and carry up a couple gallon bags of trash to a large green bin. A lobsterman comes up in a dinghy and points out it is a private dock, the public dock is closer to the harbor entrance. I wave to the guys unloading lobsters at the pier, apologize. They wave and say no problem. After moving out to the right dock I find there is no nearby store, so no water to be had. Walking back to SPARTINA I see the woman from TRIPLE TROUBLE. I ask her about the name, what's the story that goes with it. She shrugs, says "I don't know, that was the name on the boat when they bought it."
It is too early to stop for the day, and the wind is good to ignore. I decide to go out for a little day sailing around the islands outside the harbor, including The Ladle, which looks like a giant ladle laid on its side. 2:00 out of the harbor and sails up. 2:30 wind after of starboard beam and doing 4.7. Great wind and plenty of daylight left. Looking at the charts I decide to sail outside the islands to Great Wass Island.
Heading southeast I pass a series of islands, Inner and Outer Sand Islands and Toms Island to port, Flat Island to starboard. Beyond that there is nothing but blue, blue sky and the rich color of the sky reflected in the water. Navionics shows a red marker out there somewhere, and I sometime see a flash of white - maybe a lobster boat. I smile as I zoom back out on the chart to see the next piece of land directly ahead is Nova Scotia.
SPARTINA suddenly slows down. I look around, sails full of wind but the boat is hardly moving. Looking over the stern I see the problem, I've hooked a lobster pot float. Raise the rudder, let it slip off and then continue on the way.
3:00 making 5.3 over the ocean swells. Wonderful sailing. 3:15 I see red marker "2SR", realizing that bit of white I thought was a lobster boat is really waves breaking over rocky ledges just below the water's surface. Turn downwind between the ledges and the red marker, keeping Egg and Seal Rocks and Crumple Island to port.
Approaching Great Wass Island we pass Pond Point, Red Head and Little Pond Head, rounding the last point and threading the needle at 4.6 kts between the rocks on the way to Mud Hole Channel.
5:25 reach Hole Point, bring down the sails and motor into Mud Hole. Anchor down 5:45 in the beautiful anchorage lined by granite walls and a forest of pine trees.
Checking the weather I get reports of a handful of thunderstorms passing by overnight. No worries at all in the protected waters of Mud Hole.
