day eleven - headed back west

Awake and up just after 5:00.  Chilly clear morning.  Under power motoring out of the Mud Hole.  Almost high tide so easy to dodge the couple big rocks that line the channel into the anchorage.  5:50 Hole Point.  Windless and cool.

Use Pig Island Gut to get to Jonesport.  Tie up at the town dock to top off water, gas, and - why not - a hot breakfast sandwich and a couple bottles of iced tea to go.  7:30 cast off from Jonesport.  No wind and headed west into an opposing tide.  Motoring down Moosabec Reach.  8:35 a hint of wind at the west end of the reach.  

8:55 near Tibbett Island and out of the reach, sails up in a light wind.  With the Ladle off the starboard bow, making 2.4. 10:20 tack at Flat Island, sailing against the tide.  10:45 tack on the east side of Big Nash Island, more wind, 3.0 to 3.8.  Coast Guard C-130 flies overhead.

11:00 tack at an unnamed rock with waves breaking over ledges nearby.  12:15 tack again.  12:55 making 4.2 in the southwest wind.  1:10 tack at Jordan's Delight.

After a couple of days under the boom tent with rain and fog, the wind and blue skies feel fantastic.  1:25 making 5.0 over swells rolling in from the ocean.  1:30 tack.  2:00 tack.  3:00 tack, less wind and making 3.0.  

3:15 slip inside of Egg Rock.  Afternoon gusts kicking in, SPARTINA heels and a little water slips over the coaming.  Thinking about trying to make it over the bar near Petit Manan Point but the wind is building and I'm feeling tired.  Fall off to the north on Pigeon Hill Bay, GPS shows 5.0 to 6.0 across smooth water.

Four seagulls are fighting over a fish.  Seagulls chase the bird with the fish until that seagull drops it, then another picks it up and is chased by the other birds.  Suddenly the bird with the fish drops it, and all four seagulls fly away.  I wonder why until an eagle swoops in unchallenged and grabs the fish in huge talons. 

The lobster boat Terrie J slows down as they pass, a friendly wave from the captain.  Sails down 4:20, anchor down 4:30 surrounded by shallows between the north end of Bois Bubert Island and tiny Currant Island.

34.88 NM