day fourteen - Castine

Bright sunny morning.  Everything a little damp from the storm.  Windless.  Under power at 6:00.  Slip out the channel between Holbrook and Nautilus Islands.  Checking Navionics trying to figure out the location of the municipal pier on the waterfront.  It is easy enough to find.  Docked 6:30.  Low tide so a steep walk up the ramp to the fixed dock at parking lot level.

There's a group of guys gathered on the dock, old friends that gather in the morning.  They all welcome me, ask about the boat.  I ask about fuel and groceries.  Easy enough, one of them tells me.  Just a block away is a variety store with gas pumps.  How convenient.

I clean up SPARTINA, spread some gear out to dry in the sun.

No a block from the waterfront is The Breeze & Castine Variety with a breakfast menu out front.  I am the only customer and that is fine with me.  Iced tea, eggs, bacon and an English muffin.

Back to the dock where I find the dock master looking at the boat.  I ask about the time limit at the dock, he says he doesn't know when I got there and is not going to worry about it.  

I make a quick run to the variety store to pick up some supplies.  When I get back a boat called L'IL TOOT is tied up behind me.  It's a boat used for harbor tours and transportation for hikers to the local islands.  Zander, the owner, is getting her cleaned up for the day's business.   Zander mentions he saw me coming in with the storm yesterday.  

We get to talking and it turns out we have tall ship friends in common.  How nice.  I ask him about the town, telling him I was hoping to find a laundromat.  He tells me the nearest laundromat is iacross the water in Belfast, but at the same time tells me that he lives a block away and I am welcome to use his washing machine.  Again, how nice.  He walks me up to his house, introduces me to some friends staying there and shows me the laundry room.

I check with the dock master about space on his dock, he tells me I'm not taking up much space, I'm fine.  So, laundry, get some gas, take a walk through the pretty little town.  Try to buy a book at the local book shop/cafe but so many people in line ordering their custom frappe's and latte's - for each customer it is not so much placing an order but rather going through a negotiation of sweeteners, flavors and froths for each drink - that I give up on the book.  

Lunch is at a the trendy and popular Dennett's Wharf.  It is already booked with reservations so I set at the bar and order a lobster roll. Excellent.

Zander is out on his boat so I drop a six pack of beer at his house to thank him for the laundry.  I tell the dock master I appreciate his hospitality.  Cast off 12:40.  Lots of small boats with summer campers out on the water.  I sail along behind the schooner ALAMAR.  A couple of adults on board and several teenagers, they drop anchor and go for a swim.

I tack my way up into Smith Cove and drop anchor at Indian Bar at 2:35.  Set up the boom tent and relax in the afternoon.

5.47 NM

 

day thirteen - the reach, the lugger and the storm

Morning comes bright and clear, the boom tent glowing in the morning sun.  Dew covered boat, no wind.  Under power 6:15.

Lobster pot floats show a flood tide to carry us on our way up Eggemoggin Reach.  I try to pick out the Wooden Boat School on shore but too many docks and I can't figure out which one it might be.  The crew on a commercial fishing boat hauls in a net.  I wonder if they are catching baitfish for the lobster pots.  We motor inside the little islands, first between Northwest Cove and a little unnamed rock, then between the mainland and the Torrey Islands.

6:40 passing Center Harbor.  Cool morning.  Wind comes at 7:25 and full sail in a light northwest breeze, 1.9.  A little more wind just after 8:00, making 2.3 and pointing a little higher.

9:40 under the bridge and approaching the end of the flood tide.

Above the bridge lighter wind and struggling to make way.  10:35 a little wind and I can see wind on the water uphead.  I also see the tanbark sails of a Drascombe Lugger.

I motorsail in their direction and we cross paths.  It is Travis and Kim from Canada, they are out on a five day sailing trip.  They are all smiles and look like they are having a great time.  Travis tells me I'll find wind not too far ahead.  We wish each other well and head on our separate ways.

I take a few minutes to sail by Pumpkin Island.  It's a bit out of the way but so pretty I cannot help myself.  

11:45 making 1.8.  12:25 2.7, then 3.6 as the breeze fills in.  12:35 making 4.3 between Spectacle Island and Blake Point.  Round the point and the wind falls off, 2.9.  On a beam reach, doing 2.5 just 30 feet off the rocky shore on the stretch between Blake Point and Head of the Cape.  Beautiful sailing.

Round Head of the Cape at 1:30.  2:00 light wind over the starboard quarter.  2:45 see clouds and rain to the west.  And then comes the thunder.

Motorsailing for shelter, hoping to get into the cut between Holbrook Island and Goose Falls before the storm hits.  In the cut at 3:15, begin to feel the outflow of the storm.

I leave the main and jib up too long.  A blast of wind comes with heavy rain, SPARTINA rounds up and we take a little water over the side.  Bring the main down but in the wind can't get the jib on the deck.  

Turn back downwind with the jib flapping.  Round up in the protection of Ram Island, put out the anchor and bring down the jib.  Start bailing water and the rain continues for about 30 minutes.  The storm moves on.  I set up the boom tent, then keep bailing.  Sponges and a chamois help dry the cockpit before I set out the sleeping gear.  

21.10 NM

 

day twelve - Eggemoggin Reach

Rain began about 8:00 last night, high winds arrived an hour later.  Gusts around 30.  Climbed out of the sleeping bag to look out the boom tent.  Still in line with the anchor lights on neighboring boats, anchor was holding well.

Wake at 5 a.m., windy, climb back in the sleeping bag.  Up at 6:30.  Clear skies and windy.  Decide to wait out the wind.  Friendly wave from the ketch leaving the anchorage.

Get a nice invite from BLUE STAR at 9:00.  I thank him for the offer but I'm busy catching up on the log and also hoping to be sailing soon.

10:00 sail off anchor with a double-reefed main.  10:10 slip out between Eagle and Black Islands, 4.2.  10:15 shake out second re f, 10:35 shake out first reef, full sail.  Wind against tide, choppy water south of Opechee Island.  Past Johns Island, open water.  

Steady tacks to the northwest, about 20 or 30 minutes between each tack, making 3.4 against the tide, 4.9 with the tide.  

Making better time than I expected.  Pass just north of Egg Rock.  Still trying to get a feel for distances between islands.

1:00 tuck in a reef near Harbor Island, soon shake it out.  Surprised to find myself entering Eggemoggin Reach so soon.  Also surprised by the strength of the opposing tide.  Wind and current on the bow.  

Making very little ground up the reach.  Hard sailing and have to give up some ground to the lobster pot markers.  Many of the pots have two floats, the main float and then a second, lighter float called a toggle.  With the running tide the line, maybe eight or ten feet long, that connects the two floats is stretched taut just a couple of fleet below the surface.  If I can't point up to make the main float then I have to fall off several feet to get down below the toggle.  I lose ground, sometimes make a quick, short tack.  Making 2.9 speed over ground but often just going tidewaters.   

With the wind shift we make more ground.  Slip in between Hog and Babson Islands.  Anchor down in a nice pool of water near Babson Island 3:30.

17.37 NM

 

day eleven - art for breakfast

Morning comes clear and calm, and with a bit of art.  I check my email to find a note with a beautiful image of SPARTINA attached.  It is from Larry.  I pause and wonder who Larry might be.  A sailing friend?  Someone I met at the small craft festival?  It is only when I look closer, see "Galley Point Cove, 7/28/23" that I realize it is Larry from BLUE STAR anchored nearby.  How very nice.

Sail off anchor 6:45 in catspaw winds that carry me around BLUE STAR.  I call out a thank you to Larry, he pokes his head out the companionway, laughs and he wishes me a good trip.  

Cool day with a north wind, 3.1 once outside of the cove.  7:45 off Black Island, 4.5 in a gust.  8:20 shifting winds on Western Bay.  Blue skies, some white puffy clouds.  9:10 I can see the eastern end of the Bay, turn back west.  

Making 3.6 at 9:30, wind aft of the starboard beam.  Near High Head at 10:20, light wind and the tide is against us.  Turn south.  Then no wind.  Drifting on a pretty morning.  11:00 can see a dark blue line on the water.  Wind arrives in minutes.  

Working my way back to the north end of Long Island.  Wind falters and can't get over the top.  12:30 1.1, no wind, moving with the tide.  Humid and overcast. 12:35 under power, thinking about anchoring in Sawyer Cove.  1:15 wind fills in, 4.4.  Turn to sail south of Tinker Island.  Looking at the charts I see the south end of Tinker Island is connected by shallows to Bar Island.  2:00 making 4.7 approaching Bar Island.  Shallows extend out the south end of Bar Island, it is approaching low tide and I can see the exposed beach and rocks.  Make several tacks to round the shallows.  

3:00 round the shallows in light winds, 2.2.  3:30 making 3.6 and decide on the anchorage behind Opechee Island for the night.  Forecast calls for gusts into the 30s.  The anchorage is surrounded by Opechee, Pond, Sheep and Black Islands with heavy mud for good holding according to the reviews on Navionics.  

Lower the sails off of tiny Eagle Island and motor into the anchorage.  Four larger sailboats already anchored there, a ketch, a yawl and two sloops including Larry on BLUE STAR.

Anchor down at 4:10.

27.23 NM

 

day ten - around the corner and north

Dawn comes thick with fog.  The sun begins to break through.  6:15 under power.

Motoring at idle speed.  Clark Point at 6:30 the fog sets in again.  Drop anchor to wait it out.  7:00 can see the western shore of Great Cranberry Island.  Under power.  7:35 can see nothing but fog.  Tracking on Navionics and the gps, we turn southwest at 7:40 to the channel that separates Mount Desert Island and Great Cranberry Island.  I can see the rocky shoreline to the west.  7:55 I can hear a bell.  Soon I see green marker "1" and know that I am off Long Ledge.  8:10 nothing but fog, water, lobster pot markers.  8:25 crossing Bass Harbor Bar, must be slack tide as the crossing is calm.  

A red and white marker emerges from the fog, telling me we have crossed over the bar.  Two lobster boats cross ahead of SPARTINA coming from the south, headed to Bass Harbor.  

Wind comes at 8:55, full sail and glad to no longer listen to the outboard.  9:10 I hear a horn in the fog bank ahead.  A ferry comes out of the fog 200 yards ahead.  Making 1.9 against the ebb tide.  9:30 making 0.0 against the ebb, not gaining ground but not losing any.  9:50 the fog disappears, blue skies and doing 2.1.  

10:20 getting warm and slip off the drysuit.  11:00 1.2 off of Goose Cove.

Very pleasant sailing, glassy water and working against the tide.

Easy, relaxing sailing as a loon swims ahead of SPARTINA.

11:45 at Dodge Point turn into Seal Cove.  Thinking I might anchor and dry things out, I look around for a good spot to drop the hook.   I see a figure on a Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 getting ready to raise sail.  Sailing closer I see it is a woman wearing a bandanna with long grey ponytails.  The boat is named CHRISTINA and they are about to sail off of a mooring ball.  She glances at me and says "Nice boat!"  I thank her, then ask if she minds me tying to her mooring while she is gone.  "Not at all," she says.  As she is sailing away she looks back over her shoulder and says "no more than two hours."  I tell her I'll be gone in one.

I spread out the sleeping gear and drysuit in the sun.  Nothing is really wet, just kind of damp.  There is a nice breeze and with the sun the gear is dry in minutes.  1:30 sail off the mooring.  

2:05 off Moose Island, headed to the east side of Hardwood Island, 3.0.  2:45 sailing east of tiny Folly Island.  Pass to the west of John Island at 3:20, leave the Narrows and sail out on to Western Bay.

A glance at Navionics shows a beautiful little anchorage at Galley Point on the northeast side of Barrett Island.  I turn to the west and have a direct tack to the anchorage.  I look aft and see a sloop following me.  I sail into the cove and round up, dropping the anchor in about 12 feet of water.

The sloop BLUE STAR is close behind.  The man on board shouts "What are you doing here?"  I tell him I am anchoring.  "For a few hours?  Or for overnight?"  "Overnight" I tell him.  There are two moorings in the cove.  "Why don't you take a mooring and I'll anchor out?"  I tell him I am already anchored.  So he takes the mooring.

Soon he rows over in a dinghy.  His name is Larry and he is from Florida.  He keeps BLUE STAR up in Maine, comes up for two months every summer to sail.  We visit for a while and then he rows off.  I sit in the shade of the boom tent and enjoy the afternoon.

20.89 NM