a plan for Maine

 Everybody has a plan

till they get punched in the mouth.*

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I've been thinking about my plan for sailing Maine in August.  As usual, I will put in at Atlantic Boat Company in Brooklin.  Last year I headed east to Rocque Island, one of the prettiest islands I have ever visited in a small boat.  This year I think I will head west to Casco Bay.

From the charts and google earth, there is basically a series of fingers of land separated by rivers and bays.  There are several towns along the way such as BoothBay, Bristol and Harpswell (where I have some friends), plus countless small fishing communities, islands and anchorages.  Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it?

The long granite fingers of Harpswell lead right to the islands spread out over Casco Bay.  The Pilgrim and I did some hiking on these islands last year.  This year I would like to visit them in SPARTINA.  How about an lobster roll on Peaks Island just off of Portland?

From there I will turn back east towards Penobscot Bay, Deer Isle, Merchants Row and all those great little islands.  Time permitting, I might go as far east as Rocque Island.  There's my track below from circumnavigating the island last year, and I would enjoy doing it again this year.  Just have to see how the time goes.

Looking at my log from last year, it was about 12 days from Brooklin to Rocque Island and back.  That included three weather days,  a morning of thunderstorms and then a wall of fog that kept me tracked in Birch Harbor, then two days at Great Wass Island waiting out the remnants of a hurricane coming up the coast.  And then a day circumnavigating Rocque Island.  

So will definitely head towards Casco, and then see how the weather treats us.  

*words of wisdom from philosopher / pugilist Mike Tyson