Lulu woke us early for her sunrise snack and so we prepared for a day of exploration. Hard to know where to begin with so many possibilities. We hopped on the free Islander Explorer propane powered bus that stops right on the NE harbor dock and rode toward Jordan Pond House, Eagle Lake,and got off in Bar Harbor to have Look and talk to the rangers about a day of hiking and biking. We were really impressed with the village and it's sweet village green and waterfront hill park with shade trees where we had a picnic for lunch. We walked the short shore walk and enjoyed a juried art show. We met a young gal who knew all about gluten and she set us up with a pizza place an ice cream shop and another restaurant that serve great food and have gluten free options. Cindra scouted Bar Island for sea glass at low tide which is the only time the bar is high and dry so one can access the Bar Island on foot.
Lobster on the water at the Fish House Grill.
A few food items then a ride on the shuttle that circulates every 30 minutes. A great first day with plans for more fun; tomorrow we dinghy to a dock in view and take a hike thru Thuga gardens and on to Jordan Pond House where we have reservations for lunch after we attend an Episcopal service at St Marys by the Sea here in NE Harbor: a tiny white wooden church that looks like it came from a Christmas Village. Quiet harbor with fresh bed linens that mysteriously appeared on the bed means good sleeping!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
A Perfect Day for a trip to Mt Desert Island
After toast and locally ground sausage, we dropped the tether to the free mooring from Crnter Harbor Yacht Club and slowly motored out towards the channel. A clear crisp morning without a cloud in the sky at 0930.
The yacht club already had some 8-10 yr olds sailing small boats thru the mooring field. One kid turned his boat over and yes, "went turtle" as I say. He surfaced and in ainute was up standing on the bottom on the over turned boat. We motored slowly past him and D. Asked "How
Is the water ?" he smiled and said "Okay for Maine; ok for me!"
The water is freezing up here and since the air is cool you don't even have to consider taking a dip!
We started the day with 4.5 knots of wind from the west / northwest . Eventually we carried the jib. As we headed out the final stretch of Eggemoggin Reach, we encountered a sea of lobster pots. Thank goodness it wasn't rough or we would not have seen half of them. It cleared up when we got to Casco Passage but got thick as land mines as we headed thru Western Way which leads to SWest and NEast Harbors. Two regattas were in full swing which really made it a challenge! Picture this: the most beautiful mountains and evergreen trees lining rocky shores and you have piraña surrounding your boat! A bit distracting wouldn't you say? Nevertheless, we made it in safely and took a spot at an inner harbor floating dock at MEast Harbor!
It is hard to believe we have arrived at this our most desired destination! The gal who received our radio call for a spot was like a marketing dream! She made us feel so welcome and answered all our immediate questions. Nice to meet someone who takes pride in their work ! Hot showers, brochures and a walk thru town for a nice dinner! good night!
The yacht club already had some 8-10 yr olds sailing small boats thru the mooring field. One kid turned his boat over and yes, "went turtle" as I say. He surfaced and in ainute was up standing on the bottom on the over turned boat. We motored slowly past him and D. Asked "How
Is the water ?" he smiled and said "Okay for Maine; ok for me!"
The water is freezing up here and since the air is cool you don't even have to consider taking a dip!
We started the day with 4.5 knots of wind from the west / northwest . Eventually we carried the jib. As we headed out the final stretch of Eggemoggin Reach, we encountered a sea of lobster pots. Thank goodness it wasn't rough or we would not have seen half of them. It cleared up when we got to Casco Passage but got thick as land mines as we headed thru Western Way which leads to SWest and NEast Harbors. Two regattas were in full swing which really made it a challenge! Picture this: the most beautiful mountains and evergreen trees lining rocky shores and you have piraña surrounding your boat! A bit distracting wouldn't you say? Nevertheless, we made it in safely and took a spot at an inner harbor floating dock at MEast Harbor!
It is hard to believe we have arrived at this our most desired destination! The gal who received our radio call for a spot was like a marketing dream! She made us feel so welcome and answered all our immediate questions. Nice to meet someone who takes pride in their work ! Hot showers, brochures and a walk thru town for a nice dinner! good night!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Land trip to Blue Hill, Me.
My friend, Richard Holk whom I met at EFM at Christ Church a few years ago arranged to shoe us around Brooklin and the surrounding area which took us to the slightly larger town tho still a village of Blue Hill. Blue Hill is a remarkable part of the landscape and I could see it from atop Mt Battie in Camden. It gets it's blue look from the many wild blueberry bushes and pines that cover it.
I clicked pictures the whole way even tho it was quite a cloudy morning: sheep in a field, coves, the rapid current running under the bridge to B. H. Where kids attach a line to the bridge and stand atop their surf boards and surf so to speak while the tide runs! forests, wild flowers, a great sun lit view from Naskeag Point of Mt Cadillac across the Blue Hill Bay on Mt Desert and the yacht club at BH.
The funny thing is the town dock is high and dry every 6 hours at high tide so you have to tie your dink up at the Yacht Club and walk about a mile into town if the tide is not "with you" so to speak.
We stopped at a health food store and the Brooklin Farmers Mkt held just once a week and visited the Wooden Boat School which is called "a cult for men" by Molly the wife of the president of the school whom we met at Islesboro then met again by chance on the dock at the Boat School!
Richard educated us to the names of the different classic small wooden yachts : pea pod, the dory with a tombstone end, the beetle and many others. Richard was a Fine guide, and we hope to meet him in Pensacola in the winter when he is home in Magnolia Springs, Al.
The sun is out and after some maple sausage from the farmers Mkt, we drop off the mooring for Northeast at Acadia Natn'l Park!!!
I clicked pictures the whole way even tho it was quite a cloudy morning: sheep in a field, coves, the rapid current running under the bridge to B. H. Where kids attach a line to the bridge and stand atop their surf boards and surf so to speak while the tide runs! forests, wild flowers, a great sun lit view from Naskeag Point of Mt Cadillac across the Blue Hill Bay on Mt Desert and the yacht club at BH.
The funny thing is the town dock is high and dry every 6 hours at high tide so you have to tie your dink up at the Yacht Club and walk about a mile into town if the tide is not "with you" so to speak.
We stopped at a health food store and the Brooklin Farmers Mkt held just once a week and visited the Wooden Boat School which is called "a cult for men" by Molly the wife of the president of the school whom we met at Islesboro then met again by chance on the dock at the Boat School!
Richard educated us to the names of the different classic small wooden yachts : pea pod, the dory with a tombstone end, the beetle and many others. Richard was a Fine guide, and we hope to meet him in Pensacola in the winter when he is home in Magnolia Springs, Al.
The sun is out and after some maple sausage from the farmers Mkt, we drop off the mooring for Northeast at Acadia Natn'l Park!!!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Center Harbor, Me.
The wind was light in the morning , but filled on as the day went on. We sailed several hours thru west Penobscot Bay to the entrance to Eggemoggin Reach which runs slowly from the northwest to southeast ( that is, from the end where we have chosen to enter) Afterall, direction depends on from where you start. True in most things. Not sure where this stroke of genius came from?!
Eggemoggin Reach is a about 10 miles long and it is generous on size tho narrow as in a pass through. We carried the sails most of the way to Center Harbor which dies not have A town on it's waters edge rather a simply sweet cedar house painted barn red with s gray roof, large weathered porch strewn with old wooden rockers and 2 bikes leaning against the rail out front. Yellow daisies grow waist high on each side of the straight dock leading ashore.
All that is here is the folksy yacht club and moored boats of all sizes.
A college age fellow had told us on the phone earlier that they did not reserve their guest mooring : first come, first serve and no charge.
We arrived first so we picked up the tether to the mooring ball and wrapped it onto our cleat: "all set" as they say up here.
We went ashore and found the clubhouse empty but 8 cars parked on the grass. The drivers were daysailors and they were out enjoying the 13 knots that was blowing. We walked down the lane past gray cedar cottages and even a mother and 2 toddlers playing in a sand box. We soon met the main road and after almost a mile came to the crossroads where Brooklyn, Me. Stands.
D. Got a newspaper and settled in on a bench while I went into the little perfectly tended white Friends Library to see the 2 original plates of illustrations from EB White's"Stuart Little". E B is from these parts and he donated them to the library. E B 's son was a master boat designer and his son runs the boarders here at Center Harbor now.
I met a lady working with clay who was the artist that produced a huge painting of a zebra hanging on the gallery wall. It is a 3 person show as the local artists take turns showing in the space.
After talking to Betsy at Betsy's Kitchen and things, I realized she had owned 3 stores in Appalachicola for 10 years before moving to Maine tho they kept a lot there for later. We love Appalach.
Bought another quart of lil blueberries and milk from the lil general store and hiked home.
Rain came thru the night and joined with fog all day on Wed. Stayed on the boat all day reading, plotting a course on the chart, reading about Acadia Ntnl park and Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor where people say is where you want to be for exploring. Can hardly believe we ate almost to out downeast
Eggemoggin Reach is a about 10 miles long and it is generous on size tho narrow as in a pass through. We carried the sails most of the way to Center Harbor which dies not have A town on it's waters edge rather a simply sweet cedar house painted barn red with s gray roof, large weathered porch strewn with old wooden rockers and 2 bikes leaning against the rail out front. Yellow daisies grow waist high on each side of the straight dock leading ashore.
All that is here is the folksy yacht club and moored boats of all sizes.
A college age fellow had told us on the phone earlier that they did not reserve their guest mooring : first come, first serve and no charge.
We arrived first so we picked up the tether to the mooring ball and wrapped it onto our cleat: "all set" as they say up here.
We went ashore and found the clubhouse empty but 8 cars parked on the grass. The drivers were daysailors and they were out enjoying the 13 knots that was blowing. We walked down the lane past gray cedar cottages and even a mother and 2 toddlers playing in a sand box. We soon met the main road and after almost a mile came to the crossroads where Brooklyn, Me. Stands.
D. Got a newspaper and settled in on a bench while I went into the little perfectly tended white Friends Library to see the 2 original plates of illustrations from EB White's"Stuart Little". E B is from these parts and he donated them to the library. E B 's son was a master boat designer and his son runs the boarders here at Center Harbor now.
I met a lady working with clay who was the artist that produced a huge painting of a zebra hanging on the gallery wall. It is a 3 person show as the local artists take turns showing in the space.
After talking to Betsy at Betsy's Kitchen and things, I realized she had owned 3 stores in Appalachicola for 10 years before moving to Maine tho they kept a lot there for later. We love Appalach.
Bought another quart of lil blueberries and milk from the lil general store and hiked home.
Rain came thru the night and joined with fog all day on Wed. Stayed on the boat all day reading, plotting a course on the chart, reading about Acadia Ntnl park and Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor where people say is where you want to be for exploring. Can hardly believe we ate almost to out downeast
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
On to Bucks Harbor or further Center Harbor
Sunny, beautiful crisp morning.
After spending much time reminiscing about dear Louis, we decide to plot waypoints for Eggemoggin Reach where we will stop at Bucks H. Or go onto to Center Harbor where in the summer classes are taught at the wooden boat school. Many owners of classic yachts keep their boat there and since rain is predicted for tomorrow, it might be a good time to visit the friendly school and hopefully meet up with Richard Holk from Magnolia Springs, Ala. Cindra met him at EFM at Christ Church Pcola a few years ago. He keeps his 32 Westsail in the Benjamin River and May hang out at the wooden boat school alot.
If a posting doesn't come again for a few days, it will be because of poor Internet reception due to low clouds also known as fog! And the lack of an ATT presence in these parts!
After spending much time reminiscing about dear Louis, we decide to plot waypoints for Eggemoggin Reach where we will stop at Bucks H. Or go onto to Center Harbor where in the summer classes are taught at the wooden boat school. Many owners of classic yachts keep their boat there and since rain is predicted for tomorrow, it might be a good time to visit the friendly school and hopefully meet up with Richard Holk from Magnolia Springs, Ala. Cindra met him at EFM at Christ Church Pcola a few years ago. He keeps his 32 Westsail in the Benjamin River and May hang out at the wooden boat school alot.
If a posting doesn't come again for a few days, it will be because of poor Internet reception due to low clouds also known as fog! And the lack of an ATT presence in these parts!
Gathering of The Cruising-kind then to Castine,Me.
We sailed the short distance from Camden to the southern entrance into Gilkey Harbor at Islesboro. Partly cloudy skies with winds from the SW.
Anchored in Cradle Cove and took our covered dish and dinghied on to the dock at where the ferry lands and walked the wtf of a mile to the De Grasse's home where the seven Seas Cruising Assoc was having it's "GAM". The big surprise was running into Mike Beard and Carol Simpson members of PYC who had taken the ferry over to Islesboro following a wedding they attended in NY.!!! Heard the author James L Nelson talk about his new book "Washington's Greatest Gamble". Very interesting. D. Bought his book about lady pirates and is amused with it!
We had a great breezy supper that night.
The next day was Sunday and we awoke to fog and drizzle which continuedost of the day and night. We had hoped to dinghy a mile into Dark Harbor on Islesboro to attend Christ Church to hear an Aussie preacher: Rev .Shakespeare but the weather changed those plans. We read and did boat chores. The day seemed to go on forever. The fog and rain come every couple days so you are forced to slow down.
Monday brought sunny skies after early morning fog. We pulled up anchor and motored into a N breeze up West Penobscot Bay and sailed around Turtle Head to Castine where we found a quiet yet very cultured town! Brass Quartet was to play later at 7:30 at the Congreational Church which incidentally has a bell made by Paul Revere and a steeple designed by Bullfinch the designer of our country's capital!
The Wilson Museum right on the waterfront looked like a Smithsonian extension- very well curated and a speaker set up and about to speak to 15 women about the influence of food on art and movies! Enjoyed a first class dinner at Stellas!
Received some sad news about our dear friend Louis De Sonier who died yesterday. He was a special person whom we will greatly miss.
Anchored in Cradle Cove and took our covered dish and dinghied on to the dock at where the ferry lands and walked the wtf of a mile to the De Grasse's home where the seven Seas Cruising Assoc was having it's "GAM". The big surprise was running into Mike Beard and Carol Simpson members of PYC who had taken the ferry over to Islesboro following a wedding they attended in NY.!!! Heard the author James L Nelson talk about his new book "Washington's Greatest Gamble". Very interesting. D. Bought his book about lady pirates and is amused with it!
We had a great breezy supper that night.
The next day was Sunday and we awoke to fog and drizzle which continuedost of the day and night. We had hoped to dinghy a mile into Dark Harbor on Islesboro to attend Christ Church to hear an Aussie preacher: Rev .Shakespeare but the weather changed those plans. We read and did boat chores. The day seemed to go on forever. The fog and rain come every couple days so you are forced to slow down.
Monday brought sunny skies after early morning fog. We pulled up anchor and motored into a N breeze up West Penobscot Bay and sailed around Turtle Head to Castine where we found a quiet yet very cultured town! Brass Quartet was to play later at 7:30 at the Congreational Church which incidentally has a bell made by Paul Revere and a steeple designed by Bullfinch the designer of our country's capital!
The Wilson Museum right on the waterfront looked like a Smithsonian extension- very well curated and a speaker set up and about to speak to 15 women about the influence of food on art and movies! Enjoyed a first class dinner at Stellas!
Received some sad news about our dear friend Louis De Sonier who died yesterday. He was a special person whom we will greatly miss.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Ghosting into Camden
 |
| Camden ----boats preparing for race |
Sunny skies and clouds that look like the ones you see in movies of the English countryside.
We sailed off course to carry the sails the short 14 miles. It was nice to sail without concerns of arriving before dark.
We had lunch and eyed the beautiful Camden hills ahead.
We passed by the"graves" just before turning to the red number 2 mark leafing past Curtis Island and it's lighthouse. Words like the "graves" tends to get the severe attention of a couple of southerners!! But I am starting to relax even tho the chart continues to speak of "ledges" and "rocks".
We arrived at our inner harbor float which I'd a small floating piece of a dock anchored to the harbor floor for which to come alongside to tie up and stay for the night. They provide a better "ride" thru the night of unfavorable conditions come up.
The harbor and town is one of Maine's loveliest, and the shopping is a step above the other cities thus far. Gloria Oehlert drove over to meet us for lunch and she took I'd ip to the top of Mt. Battie where FDR stayed in the hotel that once stood on the spot but was later burned to the ground. Fabulous views of most all the islands in Penobscot Bay! All the way to Mt Desert and Acadia Natnl.Park!! Gloria showed Cindra a sweet chapel on the Wood's built and given to the people by a generous woman. Very peaceful and such a secret.
You know your husband is married to the right woman when he leaves his fleece pullover on a park post and his wife happens to come along and pick it up and ID it!!
We had another animal encounter this time with a loon. It flew and landed on our davits which hoist the dinghy up out of the water. Our cat Lulu sprang to her feet and jumped up for a closer look. I carefully spoke to Lulu to discourage her ,and David blew a fog horn to scare it- but nothing. So I then waved my arms, still nothing! Then I picked up a towel and swung it around and with that he finally took off!
Leaving in the am for Islesboro and Gilkey Harbor the location for a "gam" or gathering of members of the 7 seas cruising assoc. We only travel one sea and a few gulfs, but if you pay your dues they take anyone!There should be some 60 cruising boats there for a pot luck lunch and a noted author historian to speak. Looking forward to it as we may reunite with some sailors we have met in Annapolis in past years.
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