Wake to find the rain and wind gone. The fog lingers.
I've got to haul out in two days. I could easily be back at the boatyard on Herrick Bay by this evening. Instead I'll split the trip home into two shorter days. Today I hope to reach somewhere up around the Southeast Harbor area on the east side of Deer Isle.
Anchor up and under power 9:15. Time to spare so I head towards Stonington, might as well start off the day with a pastry. The fog is thick and I navigate through Merchants Row with Navionics on my phone. I take my time, motoring slowly through the islands and past the ledges.
10:15 docked in the very quiet Stonington Harbor. Not another boat at the town dock.
A cinnamon roll and a glass of iced tea, with an unrequited hope for a lifting fog.
12:10 sailing at 2.1 in thick fog. Navigating with the compass on the centerboard trunk, Navionics on my phone and GPS, and struggling to maintain a straight course. Find myself almost 90 degrees off course at the east end of Russ Island. Maybe too much information. Choose to go by just Navionics on the phone.
12:55 hear a load diesel coming up the channel. The Isle au Haut Ferry OTTER appears out of the fog, moving fast, throwing a big wake. I would think they would have seen me on the radar, they certainly see SPARTINA now.....and keep coming at full speed. The ferry goes by and I turn 45 degrees to bounce over the wake they leave behind.
1:15 Grog Island to port, sailing at 1.4. 1:45 here the engine on a lobster boat but don't see it. 2:00 thicker fog, making 0.5. Motor sailing.
2:45 Navionics tells me Eatons Point is ahead but I can't see it. I can hear a barking dog, so land it near. Light rain falling. Turn to port when I see rocks, then round the dark shape in the fog. I see a sailboat at a mooring, a hillside covered in trees to the east. A power boat at a second morning. I begin looking a place to anchor. See a third mooring, this one marked "guest." Maybe I'm the guest. Sails down, tie up to the mooring. Boom tent up. And now that I'm done sailing... the fog begins to lift.
Evening, clear skies and the sun feels good. I hear some noises from the floating dock, a man is launching his dinghy. He rows towards SPARTINA and I'm wondering if I'll be welcomed or asked to leave. Gary arrives with a smile, he tells me I am his guest and I am welcome at the mooring. How nice. He comes alongside and out of a cooler he produces two cans of beer, letting me choose one and he opens the other. We have a nice conversation about sailing, boats, Maine and travel. He is a really good guy and I am happy to meet him.
Gary tells me to give him a heads up when I am in the area next year, he'll have me up to his house for a visit. I look forward to that. Gary reaches in the cooler and hands me two more beers. I thank him for his hospitality.
8.24 NM
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