Arrived in Belfast this afternoon. Will sta here two nights. Time for resupply, laundry, etc. Good trip with some good weather and interesting sailing Also some storms and fog that have cost me some time. Delayed enough that I can’t sail to Portland and explore the rivers on the way back. Instead I will explore Penobscot Bay and Merchants Row. That sounds pretty good to me. I hear there are a couple other Pathfinders around, hope to cross paths with them
Excellent sailing so far. Launched Monday evening (after finding a trailer tire flat at 4 am leaving a hotel outside of Boston) and spent the night at a mooring at the boatyard. Sailed Mt. Desert Narrows the next day, then over to Swans Island. A weather day there, wind rain and fog, in tiny Toothachers Cove. Yesterday sailed to Southwest Harbor (tacking along the way at Sunken Money Ledge…the story of my life). Having iced tea and a bagel this morning before heading to Frenchmen Bay.
I believe I have a decent weather window for the drive to Maine. I don't like trailering and rigging in the rain, so will head up a day or two earlier than expected. Here is the link for the SPOT track, or copy and paste the link below.
I made up this little cheat sheet this morning to tuck into my logbook for Maine cruise. I've done the same in the past, particularly with the sounds South Carolina and Georgia, sjust o that I can wrap my head around the local geography.
These are the larger rivers between Casco Bay to the west and Penobscot Bay to the east. On last year's cruise I did sail on the Sheepscot River. I anchored one night just around the corner from the Kennebec River, and I also spent a night just below the mouth of the New Meadows River. On this trip I hope to spend a little more time exploring the rivers. It will be interesting to see what the tides are like. The scenery, I suspect, will be beautiful.
Very hot and humid here these days so spent yesterday inside packing for the Maine cruise. Above, the sleeping gear.
Those are breakfast and lunches. In the grey tubs are 16 gallon bags, each with breakfast/lunches for one day. Below that are two one gallons bags, each with canned tuna, RxBars, meat sticks and bags to build six daily breakfast/lunch kits. So all together, 28 days worth of breakfast and lunch.
Above are 30 freeze dried dinners. I won't take all of those, will leave a few behind. I'll end of with breakfast, lunch and dinners for 28 days. I won't consume all of those as there will be some meals on shore along the way.
The all-knowing internet confirmed that the crab and the jellyfish I saw on Cedar Creek have a symbiotic relationship. More precisely, they are demonstrating commensalism. This is where one organism receives a benefit and the other organism receives neither benefit nor harm. The crab gets a free ride at no cost to the jellyfish. Seems like a good deal.
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While tied up in Beaufort on this past trip, a man passing by on the boardwalk said "That is a handsome boat!" Handsome, yes, I like that.
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I ended the Spring trip a few days early. Weather apps showed there was a lot of moisture over the mid-Atlantic coast which means humidity, rain and thunderstorms. Coming back to the dock at Potters Marine was the right thing to do, there were a lot of storms the next five days. I don't mind sailling in rain, but thunderstorms can be dangerous.
Even though the cruise was a bit shorter than planned, I look back now and realize that I enjoyed five days of almost perfect sailing. Here they are...
Rigging SPARTINA at Potters Marine I was protected from the wind and had no idea how much it was blowing out on the Pamlico River. Good solid south wind on the beam. 11:25 tucked in a reef and spent the rest of the day sailing east, first across the mouth of the Pungo River and then skirting the marshes and islands near Swan Quarter. A lot of sailing at 5+ kts and the gps touching 7 kts in a gust. Turned downwind into Juniper Bay and was greeted by a flock of ibis.
It was unusual north wind sail to Ocracoke. I believe I have almost always done it with a southwest wind. But this was fine. Making between 4.5 and 5.5 knots, a bit rolly in the cool wind and waves coming down the Sound. Just as the tree-line to the stern disappears the first towers on Ocracoke become visible off the bow. Made the crossing easily, had to work around a ferry into Big Foot Slough and then a couple tacks into Silver Lake. Ideal small boat sailing.
A lovely sail from the Beaufort waterfront past Pivers and Radio Islands to Beaufort Inlet. An unusual west-northwest wind on the stern once out of the inlet, tacking downwind to the Bight. White sand and blue water, Cape Lookout Bight is a special place.
The shortest sail of the cruise and the lightest wind. And I loved every minute of it. Sailing at less than a knot, against the tide into the wind, and the sails with the orange morning tint. (I suspect I enjoy light wind sailing more than anyone I know.) Then through the shoals back into Beaufort, a favorite town.
A day with much better wind than I expected. A south wind, blue skies, sailing north from Oriental past Piney Point, the Bay River, Jones Bay, Middle Bay, Big and Little Porpoise Bays and then into Mouse Harbor. I've been sailing that stretch of water for almost 20 years, and each point, bay and river along the way brought back memories.
So it was an excellent cruise. Starting to pack now for Maine.
Dawn comes grey and thick with humidity. I check the weather forecast on my apps. A lot of moisture over the mid-Atlantic for the next five days. That means days and days of thunderstorms and showers. I decide to head back to the dock.
Sail off anchor past the unmanned ketch KISMET at 6:50. My goal is to get back to the ramp and haul out before any rain. Several tacks to work my way out of Durham Creek. On the Pamlico River at 7:45 with a nice long tack east. Making 4.2 under the low overcast.
8:45 Indian Island to the southeast, 3.3 kts and a haze covers the river. 9:50 tacking towards North Creek. The wind shifts and falls off, motor sail the last stretch towards the creek. 10:25 in North Creek. 10:55 docked at the marina. The trip is done.
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