day nineteen - out of the fog

The day starts with a diner, Traci's Diner.  Wall to wall crowd yesterday with a waiting list, this morning only one other customer.  Eggs over easy, bacon, home fries, and whole wheat toast.  

Back to the boat to stow the gear, top off the water and pay Kathy for the slip.  Fog on the harbor.  She tells me to watch for traffic in the shipping channels.  I check AIS on my phone and done' see any traffic.  I thank Kathy for her hospitality.

Cast off 9:05, motor past the mooring field and get out past the channel markers.  Thick fog, slip on the drysuit.  Wearing sunglasses but the white fog still hurts my eyes.  Sails up but struggling with light and shifting winds.  

Get a more consistent wind and finally get moving in the right direction.   11:15 Turtle Head off the starboard bow.  Navionics shows that I'm crossing the shipping lane.  Fog lifts a bit and I can see there is no traffic.  11:30 out of the shipping channel. 

Better wind and sailing at 3.2.  Distant thunder.  Turtle Head and the north end of Islesboro is visible, but only for a short while.  Watch the fog move up from the south and land disappears.  12:00 more wind, but cold wind.  More fog, 3.5, and watching a mega yacht coming up from the south.  Sprinkling rain.

12:20 nothing but fog.  Hear a boat, maybe two.  Give a blast of the fog horn.  Get two blasts in return.

Wait a couple minutes, sound the horn.  Get a response.  Then see a dark vertical shape ahead.  First thought - a crane on a barge.  Then the shape of sails.. dark tanbark sails.  A tall ship.  

I can hear a voice on the bow telling the captain they see me.

It is one of the windjammer fleet, the ANGELIQUE out of Camden.

Coming within shouting distance, we greet each other, waves from the crew.  The captain shouts across the water "You are completely invisible on radar, we don't see you at all."  I thank him for the information, and wonder about the type-style radar reflector mounted at the top of my mizzen.

And then the ANGELIQUE disappears into the fog.

12:30 still hear motors in the fog, lobster boats.  And then a bell.  12:50 Dice Head emerges from the fog 1.2 NM away.  We are making 2.4 and fall off to the south when we see the red channel marker leading into Castine Harbor.  Fog lifting now, Nautilus Island to the north and Holbrook Island to the south.  Slip in between the two.  Look at the anchorages around tiny Ram Island but continue east.  Maybe a storm tonight and I want better protection from the north.  Anchor down 2:10.

Boom tent up and a glass of hot tea.

 13.0 NM