Wake up just after 5:00, courtesy of a lobster boat pulling a trap about twenty yards away. Next comes a seine boat to set the nets for catching the small fish that are used as bait in the lobster pots. A busy morning in the narrow cove.
Clear and crisp and blue skies. Sail off anchor 5:45. A welcome northeast wind carries us down Crockett Cove at a gentle 1.9. A pleasant start to the day. 6:05 out of the wind shadow of the hills that surround the cove, 3.4 past Dogfish Island. The wind comes and goes. 7:15 better wind in rolling waves that come down Penobscot Bay.
7:45 making 4.3 with wind over the starboard quarter and a helping ebb tide. Turn down Muscle Ridge Channel inside the islands that make up the Dix Island anchorage at 8:30, wing and wing making 3.6 with the new leather on the gaff jaws making a creaky noise rubbing against the mast. 8:50 fall off to port, 2.4.
9:00 rocks ahead, jibe to White Head light. Sailing at 2.6, wing and wing plus the helping tide.
10:00 off White Head light, less wind. Soon motor sailing.
11:25 the northeast wind returns under great blue skies, 2.5 towards Mosquito Island. Easy sailing and open water, so a good time to begin looking for anchors using Navionics on my phone. Pinning each possible anchorage, I use the orange anchor symbol to narrow down my choices. The nearest spot, Burnt Island, is just over a mile away. The farthest, Round Pond, 11 miles away.
Light wind, lunch and motor sailing. 12:15 wind fills in front of the southeast, Burnt Island just ahead. Too early to anchor and not a good anchorage with the wind. Slip to the north of the island, deciding that Harbor Island on Muscongus Bay will be a good spot for the night.
Between SPARTINA and Harbor Island, all I see is a string of islets, rock and ledges. I watch some local boats, a small sailboat and some lobster boats to see how they navigate the passage. 1:40 jibe through an opening towards Allen Island. More wind, 3.7. 1:10 fall off to the gap with Allen and Benner Islands to port and Davis Island to starboard. Come out of the cut with Harbor Island directly ahead.
Less wind but the flood tide carries us in the right direction. 1:30 more wind on the stern, 3.0. 2:40 anchor down in the cove between Harbor and Hall Islands. Hot chocolate in the shade of the boom tent.
27.20 NM
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