Up at 6:00 with big plans to leave Penobscot Bay and begin working my way to Portland. Sleeping gear tucked away quickly, I begin to strike the boom tent. As I do so, I see a wall of fog coming up the cove. Thick, thick fog. I put the boom tent back in place, get out the Jetboil and make a cup of tea. I'm not going anywhere for a while.
I look at the charts. If the fog clears quickly (doubtful) maybe I can make it around Whitehead Island to Port Clyde. I check the weather. Fog, then thunderstorms.
8:00 thunder mixed with fog horns. 8:45 heavy rain, very glad not to be sailing. Drift off to sleep. Wake at 10:30, the storms have moved on. Gustly east wind rolls through the cove. Break down the boom tent, tuck away the gear. Put two reefs in the main. Sail off anchor 11:40 under mizzen and jib.
12:00 outside of Long Cove, raise the double-reefed main. Wind dropping quickly. 12:10 round up to shake out both reefs. Full sail. Sailing 2.8 west through the ledges on the far side of Dogfish Island.
1:00 doing 3.0 to the southwest, wind over the port quarter, crossing Penobscot Bay. 1:40 pick out Fisherman and Marblehead Islands. Lighter wind, sailing at 2.6.
2:50 light winds sailing south into Dix Island Harbor. Begin a series of tacks just above tiny Spectacle Island. Another tack just west of Little Pond Island.
Another one between Great Pond Island and High Island. It is approaching low tide and the rocks on either side of the channel show themselves well.
Tacks become shorter. I suspect the tide has turned and we are working against the start of the flood tide.
Last few tacks are rock to rock, a favorite kind of sailing. Looking west I see the masts of boats anchored on the far side of Birch Island. I wonder about heading that way but this close to low tide the channel between Birch and High Islands is too shallow. I settle for the quiet harbor surrounded by islands. Anchor down 3:40 as the fog rolls in.
9.96 NM
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