Diesel engines and roosters crowing before dawn. Up at 6:00. Fog. Under power 7:05 with fog beginning to clear.
8:10 a ferry slips up from behind, I hadn't seen her. Must have come from the fog bank sitting on the open water. Sun finally trying to break through. Following the path marked as The Reach on the charts, the waterway between a string of islands with the coast of Vinalhaven to port.
Turn to port at Norton Point and follow the water into crowded Carvers Harbor. It is a working harbor filled left and right with lobster boats. Business along the shoreline are all about lobsters.
9:00 tied up at the town dock in the northeast corner of the harbor. I look at the signs with the rules for the dock. One says "two hour limit." I ask a local about where I'm tied up. He says I should be good, but reminds me of the two hour limit.
A short walk across the parking lots take me to the coffee shop for a strawberry-rhubarb muffin and glass of iced tea, and the always welcome access to high-speed wifi. Then a walk through town and a visit to the well stocked grocery store.
Back down at SPARTINA I'm pouring peanuts into a storage jar when I hear a voice asking when I am going to leave. I look up to see a man leaving over the railing, tell him I can leave right now if he wants me to. "No, no, no," he says, "that is not what I asked you." He says he just wants to know "when" I'll be leaving. He explains that he is the harbor master and I'm tied up where lobster boats offload their catch. "How about in twenty minutes?" I ask. He tells me that is fine. "I am just trying to help you, " he says. I tell him I understand that, and thank him.
Soon I cast off and wave goodbye to the harbormaster. Just down the way I tie up at a lobster co-op. They top off my gas can, I walk up to the office with the receipt and pay the less-than $2.00 bill.
From the co-op I motor my way out of the harbor, turn to starboard and drop anchor in Sandy Cove, a nice spot to enjoy the submarine sandwich, chips and iced tea I picked up at the grocery.
11:45 under sail in a light following wind. Making a steady 2.0. Soon an opposing tide and 1.6 as I wait for the afternoon wind. It is a relaxing sail along the islands of the reach.
Afternoon wind at 3:50, 2.4 wing and wing.
We round Stand-In Point and follow along the shore of North Haven. 4:00 see the entrance to Pulpit Creek just as stronger winds fill in.
Making 4+ kts as we turn into the entrance, wind on the starboard beam. Pulpit Hrbor is filled with boats but just to starboard is smaller and narrower Minister Creek with plenty of room and protection. Anchor down 5:15. A nice woman named Hope, anchored on a boat nearby, sends me a photograph.
18.43 NM
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