Monday, September 3 – Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Labor Day dawned overcast with temps in the 60’s. We were awakened by the haunting cry of a loon. After that wonderful pie-fecta breakfast, we headed down to Stonigton for fuel at Billings Marine. We were treated to the sight of lots of porpoises, including a mama and her baby, as well as the windjammer ANGELIQUE sailing through the Deer Isle Thorofare. We didn’t see many windjammers in Southwest Harbor this year, but they were out in force on East Penobscot Bay. We were delighted to watch LADONNA come out of the fog, and then as we neared the entrance to the Fox Islands Thorofare, we spied HERITAGE. Finally, my all-time favorite VICTORY CHIMES passed by under full sail in all her glory. VICTORY CHIMES is the three-masted schooner depicted on the back of the Maine quarter.
We were lucky to find space to tie up at the town dock in Rockport’s tiny harbor, where there were four more Concordia yawls. One was at the dock, so I was able to take some close-up photos.
Rockport is the site of a number of 19th century lime kilns preserved in the Rockport Marine Park next to the wharf. The local lime industry was based on a narrow three-mile band of limestone running from Thomaston to Camden. When the quarried limestone was dumped into the kilns from above and burned, lime was the product. The industry depended on wood from Maine’s interior and from as far away as Nova Scotia to fire the kilns and to build casks for the finished lime, which was used in plaster and mortar. Lime was a dangerous cargo: if it got wet, a chemical reaction created heat and sometimes caused the schooner carrying it to catch fire. The only way to put out the fire was to smother it. Though the use of lime kilns slowly died out by the 1950’s in Maine, nearby Dragon Cement in Thomaston still sells its lime for paper-making, agriculture, and cement. It is the largest cement plant in New England and ships its products by barge from nearby Rockland.
This was the first night we were pestered by tiny biting flies. The tennis racquet-like “Jolt” is more effective than a fly swatter at eliminating the problem.
The next morning we dropped the lines and continued our journey south, past Rockland and Owl’s Head, through the Mussel Ridge Channel, around whitehead and Mosquito islands into Port Clyde where we picked up a PC General Store mooring. After a leisurely lunch and nap, we were off again, winding our way around numerous islands and ledges of Muscongus Bay, until we tucked into the Audubon’s tiny mooring field at Hog Island. Given our Maine Island Trails membership, the fee was only $5.00 for the night.
Audubon has an Ecology Camp on Hog Island, which is one of the larger islands in Muscongus Bay. According to our cruising guide, many famous naturalists have taught there, including Roger Tory Peterson, whose bird book we have aboard, and Steven Kress, who founded the Eastern Egg Rock Puffin Project. Visitors are welcome to explore the island, but dogs are not allowed, except in the little camp for their morning/evening constitutional.
Another early start found us checking out nearby Round Pond, which Tad and Liz so highly recommend as a waypoint. It’s a full harbor and a tight fit, though Padebco does have moorings available — good to know for future reference, which is why we like to tuck into harbors along the way.
After we rounded Pemaquid Point, we made our way across glassy seas to Damariscove Harbor, where we picked up a mooring and enjoyed lunch and a short nap. This is an extremely narrow, well-protected island harbor with a decommissioned lighthouse and a few fish shacks on its low, rocky shore. We agreed that the next time we come this way in such calm seas we will stop at Seguin Island. It can be pretty choppy when the wind goes against the current coming out of the Kennebec River, so timing is everything with a cooperating wind.
Around Cape Small and up towards Bailey Island, into Broad Sound, where we stopped for the night at Dolphin Marina in Pott’s Harbor. This was by far the rolliest anchorage so far, but good wifi and a delicious dinner at the Dolphin Restaurant made it more tolerable.
The next morning, it was a quick hop across Casco Bay and up the Royal River to Yankee Marina, where we tied up at Six River Marine’s pony dock. Wow, was it hot!! 85 degrees before the thunderstorm cooled things down a bit. We picked up our car at Ginny’s and went over to Six River Marine to check out their current project, a West Point Skiff of their own design modifications. We also drove over to Men’s Wearhouse so Hugh could get fitted for his tuxedo. As the officiant at our son’s upcoming October wedding in Louisville, KY, being fitted in Maine and being able to pick up the suit in Louisville made things so much easier!
Sun, clouds, and slightly lower temps marked the next morning, when we cruised down to the Saltwater Grille in South Portland to meet Lorn (a boyhood and college friend of Hugh’s) and his wife, Lynn, for lunch out on the deck overlooking Portland Harbor. Next we took them on a two-hour tour of the harbor. What a pleasure to catch up with friends from afar, in this case Kansas! They were staying with Lorn’s sister at Goose Rocks, as they do this time every year, so we are hoping for more reunions with them in the future. After saying goodbye to Lorn and Lynn, we made our way back to Yarmouth, up the Royal River at dead low tide — our specialty! Ahhh, but the beauty is we watched a bald eagle swoop down and catch a fish right in front of us. After a quick nap, we stopped in for tea with our friend Ginny.
Having lived in this part of Maine for over 30 years, we really enjoy catching up with longtime friends and sharing KATIE MACK with them. Sunday the 9th dawned 1/2 sunny and 1/2 cloudy. Last night was down in the 40’s, but the temp rose into the 60’s by afternoon. Hurricane Florence, with two others brewing behind her, was on her way to. . . where? No one is sure. We met our friend, Amelia, at Falmouth’s Town Landing and headed over to Chandler’s Cove off Chebeague Island. We picked up a mooring and enjoyed lunch on the aft deck. Back in Falmouth to drop off Amelia and fill up with fuel and water before we headed to Yarmouth for a pad thai take out and Netflix with Ginny. A few more days of visits with friends, dinner with Karen at Royal River Grille House, my annual haircut, vet and dentist appointments, car inspection, L L Bean for a fishing rod, the kitchen store for more cloths, and Hannafords and Rosemont for provisions before we continued our journey south.