day seven - running from the fog

Sail off anchor 6:10, clear morning with a light southeast breeze.  1.6 past Leland Point.  6:40 hook a lobster pot and free it.  6:55 slow drift down Eastern Bay.  I find I am using my Navionics on the phone more than expected, keep the solar panel out to charge the phone continuously.

A little more wind at 7:30, 2.6.  Sail out to find better wind on Frenchman Bay, 3.2.  Light winds at Hancock Point, 1.1, can see a fog bank to the southeast.

Wind returns 8:45, passing green marker "1" on Mt. Desert Narrows with Bean Island to starboard.  9:00 on the north side of the bean-shaped island, making 4.4.  A large grey seal surfaces and watches us sail by.  

10:20 back out on Frenchman Bay, no wind.  Then a little wind and then more, making 4.6 at 11:50.  Very choppy all of a sudden.  Ahead are the Porcupine Islands, from port to starboard Long Porcupine, Burnt Porcupine, Bald Porcupine and Porcupine Islands.

There's a strong flood tide and the water bunches up around the islands and creates a strong opposing current.  I struggle to make headway in the rough water.  Lobster pot floats seemingly everywhere don't make tacking into the wind any easier.  Finally through the islands at 12:35 but see a fog bank headed our way.

The fog comes with strong winds and it quickly becomes cold and damp.  I drop the main and sail east along Long Porcupine Island.

And the island disappears in the fog.  I use Navionics and the gps to track the shoreline, it is closer than I like being on the windward side.

At the east end of Long Porcupine Island I can pick out Stave Island, not yet covered in fog, to the northeast.  2:00 approaching Stave Island and slip in between Stave and Little Calf Islands.  I can still see fog coming up from the south but it is clear as I sail northwest behind Calf Island.  

3:25 tacking between Calf and Preble Islands, the fog holding down south and it is a pleasant sail.  Once outside of Preble Island it is choppy but there is good wind.

We round Dram Island and Bean Point, anchor down behind Bean Island 4:30.

24.36 NM