Summer Cruising in Maine Part Two

It was still foggy when we arrived in Northeast Harbor where we pulled up to the Clifton Docks for fuel and water. After filling the tanks we called the harbormaster and were lucky enough to get the last available mooring for the night. Since it was so foggy we think that most everyone decided to stay put so very few moorings opened up. The next morning it was such a beautiful day that we decided to hike over to the Jordan Pond Teahouse for popovers and raspberry lemonade.  Popovers are a must when visiting the Teahouse.

Randy on the trail to Jordan Pond

 After a leisurely lunch we boarded the Island Explorer bus for a ride back to the landing in Northeast Harbor. The free bus service has a number of routes that provide transportation all over Mount Desert Island. After two nights we left for Somesville at the head of Somes Sound where we anchored and had a nice walk ashore. In 1761 Abraham Somes landed near the spot in the photo below and founded the first permanent settlement on the island. 

Somesville Harbor

View from the museum in Somesville

Window box on the museum

The next morning we thought it was time for another hike so we caught the bus to the trailhead of St. Sauveur and Acadia Mountains. We had a perfect day and brought a lunch with us as it takes a few hours to complete the hike. There are many beautiful vistas as one traverses the two mountains.

On Top Of Acadia Mountain looking out Somes Sound

We left Somesville and had a day of decent sailing to the next stop of Holbrook Harbor near Castine. As we pulled into the anchorage we saw a familiar boat in the harbor; our friends, Howard and Debbie were there on Salty Goose with their dog Brownie. We had a nice visit and made plans to meet up again for lunch in Castine the next day.  That evening we were treated to a wonderful sunset.

Holbrook Harbor Sunset

  After lunch with the Salty Goose crew the following day, we took a longer trek to the lighthouse and explored some of the historical sites and the Campus of Maine Maritime Academy where our nephew Alex went to school.

As it was nearing the time to get back to Freeport, we started to make our way south through Penobscot Bay.

Boats at anchor in Pulpit Harbor

We  were fortunate enough to meet up with fellow Rockland Yacht Club members when we anchored in Pulpit Harbor, North Haven. We had a tour of Snowy Owl, a Sabre 402 made here in Maine, that Don and Jody recently purchased and are outfitting for some extended cruising.  Later, we gathered on Altair for sundowners, hors d'oeuvres and visiting with friends.   Yet another sunny day greeted us in the morning so our folding bikes came out  for a tour of North Haven. We stopped  at the grocery store and the oyster farm for some of their deliciously briny oysters. When we arrived back in the harbor, the wind was up so  we set sail for Long Cove at Tenants Harbor, where we anchored for the night.

Birds abound on the water, and we were fortunate enough to see puffins,  gannets of all ages, herons, ospreys, eagles, guillemots, eider ducks, terns and the ubiquitous gull.  Not a single song bird made a landing on the boat on this trip.  The wind cooperated with us as we sailed Emme to Linekin Bay.  Of course, the closer you get to your destination, the stronger the wind becomes.  After settling into our anchorage, we decided to have dinner at the Linekin Bay Resort.  Our meal of mussels with fennel, scallops over greens and potatoes was delicious.  Our waiter was from Turkey and his assistant and sailing coach was from Ireland.  Apparently, the resort hires Europeans to help staff for the summer.  Thanks to Kaan, we have a list of places to visit when and if we make it to Istanbul.

Unbelievably the sun was shining and the wind was up from the north as we left Linekin Bay and made our run down to  Quahog Bay, where our friends Nancy and Otey live.  They were kind enough to invite us to dinner at their beautiful waterfront home, where the barbeque doesn't quit and the cookies have huge chunks of chocolate to satisfy the cravings of chocolate lovers.  We savored the ambience of the bay in the early morning and then made our way back to our home port of  South Freeport without much assist from the wind but with favorable current the whole way. 

Summer cruising in Maine

Sunset at Carvers Cove Fox Islands Thorofare 

We set sail on our summer cruise on August 3 and made our way to Linekin Bay.  Met up with friends on Aqua Mirus who we knew from Charleston, SC.  Helen and John hail from NH but have retired and now live aboard.  The following day, we sailed by Eastern Egg Rock and saw at least a dozen puffins flying and swimming in the water.  We were on our way to our next anchorage at Dix and High Islands along Mussel Ridge Channel.  We arrived just before the thunderstorms and in time to make our way over to Aqua Mirus.  As we were visiting, Riley of Mainestay.com, showed up in the rain offering here wares.  She had homemade everything to offer, so we bought freshly dug and steamed steamers, cheddar and chive biscuits, couscous Italian salad and strawberry rhubarb pie.  It was almost too good to be true.  After dinner we enjoyed a walk and colorful sunset on Birch Island.

We sailed into Rockland for fuel and then made our way to Carver's Cove along the Fox Island Thorofare where we enjoyed yet another beautiful evening.  Here we heard taps played as the flag was lowered and the Star Spangled Banner as it was raised in the morning.

Swimming Quarry on Swans Island

Swans Island was our next destination as we had tickets for 2 nights of the Sweet Chariot Music and Art festival.  Our friends Susan and Stephen Leighton met us there after driving from the county and taking the ferry from Bass Harbor.  We were graced with yet another fine summer day so went ashore and found the swimming hole to refresh our bodies and souls.  The water in the quarry was so clear that you could see your feet while treading water.

The music was outstanding as usual. We always promise ourselves another year after hearing those great musicians.  The intense rain storm with wind kept us there an extra day.   

The view from the rocks above the quarry

We sailed under sunny warm skies to Somes Sound via the outside route around Great Duck Island.  The view was as clear as glass as we sailed up the sound among the mansions and valley cove.  We had dinner at Abel's Restaurant as we were all in the mood for lobster.  They serve it up in several different dishes without the shell.  

Come morning, the weather gods were still with us as we sailed over to Frenchman's Bay around Bar Harbor and past Sorrento to Hancock Point.  It was there that Kevin picked us up and had us over to their home in Hancock for the afternoon.  Kevin and Mary are friends that we know from the county and have lived in this area for a number of years.

Sailing from Hancock through the bay among the Porcupine islands with the Acadia mountains in the background may be one of the most beautiful sails around.  Frenchboro on Long Island was calling to us as we headed back out to sea.  We arrived just in time to pick up one of the last moorings available for the night. After a refreshing hike around some of the Maine Heritage trails, that are so beautifully maintained, we walked the hill up to Lunt's lobster dock.  It was the Leightons last night on board so we had a feast of lobster with the usual trimmings.  

The morning brought fog and plenty of it. Emme crept her way over to Swans Island where we dropped the Leightons off and we spent another night due to the weather. 

  

Lighthouse entering Burnt Coat Harbor

Looking in the Western Way Mount Desert Island

Big Beach on Long Island

Frenchboro Harbor Long Island

We are now in Northeast Harbor after a foggy sail from Burnt Coat Harbor.  Emme was filled with fuel and water and we got the last mooring available here.  By about 5 PM the fog lifted and the starry skies became visible again after sunset. We will spend a couple of days here to do some hiking.

Home Again!

We stayed a night in Dowry Creek, did laundry, grocery shopping and got caught up with Mary and the gang. The next day we anchored in the Little Alligator River and then traveled to Great Bridge and tied up at the free dock, just before the bridge and the locks that lead into Norfolk. There we met three boats that had sailed from Australia and one on them is headed for Maine later in the season! They had some stories to tell and one boat, Jack Tar, had met some friends of ours from the Rockland Yacht Club in their travels.

Emme in the ICW

In the morning of the 23rd we went through the bridge and transited the locks and headed towards The Top Rack Marina where there is a free slip if you eat at the Marina's restaurant, the Amber Lantern. It is one of the best restaurants that we have found on the waterway so a stop there was welcome. As it turned out it was also a convenient place for Lloyd to join us; it is close to his friend's house and the airport. He flew in from Maine to crew since Mary was leaving for home a couple of days.
Mary left on the 25th for Freeport to get some gardening  and other chores done before starting work so Lloyd and I were on our own. We left Little Creek Va. around 1:00 PM and sailed non stop to Block Island a 353 mile trip in 50 hours. We were able to sail most of the time and had some fantastic sailing off  the coast of the Delmarva Peninsula. On the 28th we sailed to Newport RI to pick up another crewmember, Dave, who had done the trip with me last year. Onset Ma. was the next stopover where we anchored to await favorable current in the Cape Cod Canal. After passing through the Canal, we decided to stop in Provincetown as Lloyd had never been there and Dave and I enjoyed our last visit. We visited the museum, visited the Pilgrim's Tower, enjoyed fresh oysters and dined ashore. We left Provincetown around 10:00AM and headed straight for Freeport as the forecast was for bad weather later in the day on Sunday. By 7:00 AM Sunday morning Emme was back on her mooring and we were packing our bags.
We had a great journey, met many wonderful people and explored the beautiful waters of the Abacos, and the east coast travelling 3181 nautical miles in the process. Emme is safe and sound in Freeport Harbor awaiting summer cruising in Maine and perhaps another adventure next winter.

Florida to North Carolina

Left the mooring field in Fernandina, FL at 5:55 AM on Tuesday morning May 14 and set our sails for Beaufort, NC.  Had a great 5 hour sail and then had to motor, which we did all night. The seas had calmed down so it was not too lumpy until morning.  The wind kicked up to 25 kts. with 35 kt gusts and the seas were running about 6-7 feet.  It was just getting started so we decided to divert to  Georgetown, SC.  As soon as we set our waypoint and headed due North, spotted, bottlenose dolphins were jumping out of the waves and swimming along side and riding the waves.  They at times would swim 5 abreast as they came alongside.  At one point I counted 30 of them playing in the waves with Emme.  It was a wonderful beam reach sail but very lumpy and they provided a delightful distraction.  We pulled into Winyaw Bay and anchored after a 207 mile sail.   

The following morning we followed the ICW up the Wacamaw River to Myrtle Beach.
the waters were lined with beautiful cypress trees, many turtles, osprey, and an occasional eagle. There were songbirds that we could hear but never saw.  That evening we pulled into the dock at Barefoot Marina and tied up just in front of another Baba.  This boat hailed from Omaha, NE.  John and Cheryl have been out sailing for 2 years but are now heading to Annapolis to sell their boat and head back to land.

After cleaning all the salt of of Emme, we headed to Flying Fish for fresh oysters on the half shell, tuna and crab sushi and a ceasar salad.  Love those oysters!

Awakened the following morning to an ebbing tide which was down to 6.8 ft.  We draw 6 feet so we made quick work of getting the water tanks filled and getting off the dock.  We had sail assist all day as we headed along the Holden Beach area and then into Southport and up Cape Fear River, through Snow Cut and into an anchorage in Carolina Beach, NC.  We are now in Oriental, NC after 2 days of motor sailing.  This place is called the sailing capital of NC.  It is located on beautiful Neuse River and indeed there are a lot of sailboats out and about.  Bird sightings along the way included the American oyster catcher, a Black Skimmer and I think a Dunlin.  There were also many Great Blue Herons, White Herons and Ibis.

From Oriental we will sail to Dowry Creek Marina which is where we spent time waiting for hurricane Sandy to pass last fall. It sure will be nice to see those wonderful folks again.

Crossing the Stream

We hauled anchor at 7:30 AM on Wednesday May 8 and set sail from Great Sale Cay for the USA. The Little Bahama Bank was beautiful as the water was so clear and turquoise that you could see the bottom 30 feet down.  As we moved off the bank into the Atlantic, the water quickly turned indigo blue and the depth changed dramatically to 2000 feet.  The seas were calm as we entered the Gulf Stream around 8PM and our speed started to increase as we caught the northerly current.  We were travelling 9.2 kts. for about 6 or 7 hours.  The north wind kicked in unexpectedly and the waves started to give us an uncomfortable ride so we changed course to head to the west boundary of the stream.  We continued on toward Cape Canaveral where we said goodbye to our buddy boats the next morning and we continued on to Fernandina Beach. We had smooth sailing and calm seas all that day and arrived the following morning in beautiful weather.  Now we are tending to communications, restocking, refueling and resting for a day or two until the wind is favorable for us to now head northeast.  Looks like that will happen on Tuesday afternoon.  Hopefully we will make it as far as Southport or Beaufort, NC, if the weather allows.  Otherwise, Charleston will get another visit from us.
Fernandina is the northern most city in FL and is a very inviting town to stop in.  They hosted a shrimp festival last weekend and reportedly the city was filled with 100,000 guests, craftsmen and food vendors.  Live music on the porch of Green Turtle attracted our attention as we were heading back to the boat after dinner at 29 South.  Mother's day was celebrated by a delicious locally grown meal and locally harvested fish.

Cinnamon Girl anchored at Great Sale

Sunset with Patty Jean at Great Sale

Green Turtle Awaiting Window

It looks like we will get a window to head back to the states soon so we are preparing to head back to sea. While we have been awaiting weather there has been plenty of excitement on this usually quiet island. We have met up with lots of other boats holding here and gotten to know many of the other cruisers much better over shared sundowners and dinners.

On Friday and Saturday the Island Roots Heritage Festival was held with local artisans displaying their wares, music, tug of war, food stands and of course dignitaries from the islands kicking off the event. The Loyalists settled in New Plymouth from 1784 to 1800 and the folks here have created a memorial park in their honor.

Bronze sculptures in Loyalist Park

Mary and the Loyalists at the Festival

 While attending the Festival on Friday the excitement continued when we spotted a waterspout heading toward the anchorage where we were moored. We left and raced the dingy back to Emme to batten things down if possible. Fortunately there was a strip of land between us and the twister and it absorbed its energy before it could harm boats in the harbor. It turned into a tornado as it came on land damaging some homes and causing a power outage for much of the island. We saw one home with the shingles stripped from the roof and others with tree and wind damage. We heard that no one was injured and yesterday people were working to clean up and make repairs.

A friend sent us this picture as we were racing by to get to our boat. It was still over water then. We were too preoccupied at the time to take photos as we arrived at the boat just as the freight train noise was starting. The storm was less than a quarter mile away when it began to break up.

This chair had a ride in the tornado. 

Yesterday things calmed down and we enjoyed the company of friends at Sundowner's Grill watching the Kentucky Derby and some women even wearing fancy hats and drinking Mint Juleps.

We hope to leave this afternoon at high tide and start working our way across the banks towards the Gulf Stream. More when we get back to the states and get connected again.

Man O War Cay and Back to Green Turtle

After a delightful visit to Hope Town if was off to Man O War Cay. This cay has a long history of boat building dating from when the Loyalists settled on the island years ago. There is still a boatyard there that makes the Albury line of boats. The Albury name is widespread on this island and neighboring ones as well. There is the Albury Ferry Service,  a real estate agency, grocery store, an artist and probably more that bear the Albury name.

We hiked some on the island and found some interesting sights.

 A Bronze Sculpture near a driveway on the Queens Highway

Another driveway on the Queens Highway with a British mailbox, gas lamp and phone booth probably indicates a loyalist family still lives here!

Dunes along the beach

Now it was time to head back north again and think about crossing back to the states. We sailed back over to Great Guana Cay where we had enjoyed Nippers and the anchorage at Fishers Bay. There we met up with Patty Jean, Running Free, Meltemi and Vesely', other boats we had seen in other places.We all went ashore for sundowners at Grabbers on Sunset Beach and enjoyed the beautiful sunset.

The next morning we started our sail north and through "the whale".  That is a short ocean passage that at times can be formidable and dangerous but this time of year it was fine.  We were able to safely pick up a mooring at Donny's boat rentals to ride out the unsettled weather.  Now we wait for the "weather window" for smooth passage across the Little Bahama bank and then across the Gulf stream back to the states.

HopeTown

On the way to Hope Town we stopped and anchored at Mermaid Reef for a swim. The sea was calm and we enjoyed snorkeling and viewing the colorful fish. We had lunch on the hook and left for Hope Town planning to arrive as the tide was rising as it is a shallow entrance.

Hope Town with Elbow Cay Light

A little "street"

One of many beautiful gardens

 A colorful yard

one of the unusual flowers

The lighthouse entrance, built in 1864

At the top of the lighthouse

Viewfrom the mooring

From the lighthouse looking out on the Sea of Abaco

From the top of the lighthouse towards the harbor with Emme on her mooring

Marsh Harbor

 Marsh Harbor is a very protected harbor on Great Abaco Island. Mangoe's Marina is a fine destination as we wanted to do laundry and get fresh water. It is a small Marina with only one main dock but the people are great and the facilities are clean and well kept.

We also saw another boat we knew, Patty Jean, from Canada. We traveled from Brunswick, Georgia to Vero Beach, Florida with them last year on the trip south. They have been hosting family for most of their time here and have been cruising the islands for about a month. It was nice getting caught up with them and glean some local knowledge as they have cruised here for the past few years.

The Mangoe's Marina dock

Next door to the marina is the Moorings and Sunsail Charter base for the Abacos, it is a popular gathering place for sailors. The onsite restaurant and bar is called Curly Tails after the curly tailed gecko which seem to be a very common here in the Bahamas.

Sailors at Curly Tails

Marsh Harbor is the largest town in the Abacos and the third largest in the Bahamas after Nassau and Freeport. We stopped for groceries here too and fixed a short in the running lights. There is a good selection of stores and marine supplies are more available here than anyplace we have visited so far.
Now that the chores are done we will depart for Hopetown on Elbow Cay and spend a few days exploring there.

Green Turtle to Great Guana Cay

We left our new friends and Green Turtle Cay and set sail for Great Guana Cay.  The winds were favorable and we had a nice sail to the anchorage in Fishers Bay.

Mary and Randy on beach at Green Turtle Cay

We spent an afternoon swimming and cooling off here.  The water is sooooo clear.  We rented a golf cart and explored the cay along its windy bumpy roads.  

You can get the idea about the color of the water on this beach.  It's so inviting and so private.

Orchid Bay Resort 

View from the legendary "Nippers"  restaurant and bar on the beach at Great Guana Cay.

Mary enjoying the world class view from Nippers deck.

More Nippers.

View of the beach and the reef.

It is tough to leave each Cay as they all have their own charm and beauty.  The people are very friendly and welcoming allowing you to feel right at home.  Apparently high season starts here in May when the Floridians start heading this way for the summer.

We pulled anchor and set sail for Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco after a couple of days and arrived at Mangoes Marina yesterday afternoon.  We can take care of some business here such as groceries and blog writing.  We also ran into Cinnamon Girl belonging to some friends from South Freeport Harbor in Maine.  It is a small world indeed.

In The Bahamas

We left North Lake Worth at 10 AM on the 8th to take advantage of the favorable conditions that the weather router had predicted for crossing the Gulf Stream. We were a pair of boats crossing as the third one that was hoping to go decided not to go at the last minute. Leaving at such a late hour would have us arriving at Memory Rock at dusk or slightly after but the folks on the other boat had done that a number of times and were comfortable with a late arrival. The crossing was relatively smooth with a wind blown chop for the last few miles which slowed us down some so the we did arrive just after dark as we thought we might. We decided to continue on to Mangrove Cay to anchor for some rest and were safely at anchor by 2AM. The next day it was off to Great Sale Cay, another uninhabited island on the Little BAhama Banks. 

It is OK to anchor out without clearing customs as long as one does not go ashore so we could not land to do any exploring. We had planned to go to Green turtle Cay the next day to check in, about 50 miles, but the other boat had some mechanical issues and had sail power only so we stuck with them and anchored short of our goal at Foxtown where they had cell service and were able to call for assistance. We made Green Turtle Cay on the 11th but Customs was closing when we anchored so we waited until today and checked in first thing. The customs officer was very pleasant and after about 20 minutes of filling out forms we were all set. We now moved from the anchorage out by the Government dock into Black Sound a very protected harbor that can only be entered by deep draft boats like ours at high tide. There is only about 3-4 feet of water in the channel at low tide and it only rises bout 4 feet so you have to be careful. We motored in slowly following the narrow channel and are now on  mooring in plenty of water for a few days.

Just before lunch we walked into town in what felt like sweltering heat and little shade to be found. A Bahamian asked us why walk when you can rent a golf cart and get around?  Sounds reasonable, so tomorrow we will rent a cart and find the swimming hole so to speak. 

New Plymouth is an early town that was formed around 1742.  The streets are clean and white.  The colors are soft and the flowers are brilliant.  There is more traffic than I had imagined but very manageable.  We had lunch at Harveys Grill that had fans running inside but you could also sit on the beach at tables with umbrellas.  We opted for indoors and the gentle moving air.  Randy ordered one of their specialities called  conch in a bag.   It reminded me of a deep fried basket dinner that you might find on the coast of Maine but served in foil.  I ordered a blue cheese, cranberry walnut salad with grilled grouper that was delicious.  I also saw a conch salad at the local grocery that I must return and buy.  It is made locally along with a counter full of homemade baked goods.  We were told not to miss the bakery so will find it soon.  

North Palm Beach and holding

We arrived in North Palm Beach on April 1 and checked into Old Port Cove Marina to await a window for the passage to the Bahamas. This marina has exceeded our expectations with great facilities and many stores nearby. They have a shuttle for trips to the grocery store and it is in a gated community so it is very safe and secure.

Hibiscus flowers along the sidewalks

The marina has a few sailboats but most are powerboats ranging from 20 feet to one that is at least 150 feet long. There are many fishing boats here of all types as the inlet is just a few miles away.

One fishing boat with four 300 horsepower motors, he must be able to get out to his favorite spot in no time!

We have been sitting in this marina while the severe thunderstorms and tornado warning weather  moved through.  Thursday there was torrential rain in the early evening with wind gusts to 60 mph, so we were pleased to be holed up here.  There are several other boats that are awaiting the opening so we are in good company.  It looks like Sunday night or Monday is the upcoming recommendation so we will see.  It will either be east to the Bahamas or south to the Keys.

Meanwhile, our neighbor is a fisherman who was planning on going to a tournament in
Grand Bahama but couldn't go due to the weather.  He has been kind enough to give us some fishing advice and a couple of lures so that we can troll along the way.

Today is beautiful and quiet so things are looking up.  We will keep you posted when we know more.