DAY #46 - BERRY COVE TO HOG ISLAND

AUGUST 26, 2007



Despite countless interruptions of our mandatory Saturday evening "service" ("A Prairie Home Companion & Thistle and Shamrock"), by warnings of a severe thunderstorms with 70 knot winds and nickel size hail, we had a calm night without even a drop of rain.



Today we had a lazy day circumnavigating Frenchmans Bay. We finally ended up back at Hog Island just in time for low tide. Wondering if we would be able to get mussels we rowed ashore. As it turned out we landed on a beach literally made up of mussels.



Back at the boat we steamed half of our five gallon catch and watched the sunset.





13.4 NM

DAY #45 - HOG ISLAND TO BERRY COVE, MT DESERT NARROWS

AUGUST 25, 2007



The wind was variable today so we had a leisurely sail across Frenchmans Bay and finally anchored in Berry Cove for the night.



Frenchmans Bay is where Philip learned to sail when he was younger. He attended a French summer school/camp on the bay. The girls were housed in one mansion and the boys in another.

21.4 NM

DAY #44 - OPEECHEE TO HOG ISLAND, FLANDERS BAY

AUGUST 24, 2007

"Pea soup" fog today but the winds were S-SW 15 - 25 knots. So we went sailing.



With rare glimpses of land, we crossed Blue Hill Bay, rounded Mt. Desert Island, and passed into Frenchmans Bay.



32.1 NM

DAY #43 - TORREY ISLAND TO BLACK, SHEEP, & OPEECHEE ISLANDS

AUGUST 23, 2007



This morning we awoke (as is customary at Torrey Island) to the yodelling of an unknown fellow at Torrey Castle. Today he sounded a little under the weather yet it was still a very neat experience.



Later we sailed on down "The Reach", through Casco Passage, and into the seldom visited harbor formed by Black, Sheep, & Opeechee Islands.



We went ashore Opeechee to see the old "cooking" (tar) pot (which we believe was used in the maintenance of old sailing ships) and then explored the shore of Sheep Island.



15.2 NM

DAY #42 - PULPIT HARBOR TO TORREY ISLAND

AUGUST 22, 2007



A sunny day with light winds. We sailed up Pennobscott Bay and down Eggemoggin Reach to an anchorage behind Torrey Island.



As we approached Pumpkin Island Lighthouse we passed the "Grace Bailey".





Just across the anchorage from us was a private home labeled "Torrey Castle" in our cruising guide. It is a really neat looking place. More on that tomorrow.



We watched one of the best sunsets so far this trip as dinghy campers enjoyed a campfire on the shore of the island.



22.7 NM

DAY #41 - ROCKLAND TO PULPIT HARBOR

AUGUST 21, 2007

This morning we had an unexpected treat. "Mahalo", a 1990 Cape Dory 36, and her owners, Melissa & Rich Abato, came in to the marina and watered and refueled. It was nice to finally get to see some of the folks that we have read so much about on the Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association web site. We have seen several Cape Dorys while sailing but never up close.



Time to move on. We all agreed that we were getting a little stir crazy being tied up at the marina so we headed out despite the fact that there was no wind. It as time to get back to nature.



We motored back across West Penobscott Bay to Pulpit Harbor.



At the entrance to the harbor there is an huge osprey nest on a rock that reportedly has been there for greater than 150 years.



Later in the afternoon two of the windjammer regulars (the "Isaac H. Evans" & the "Heritage") sailed in and anchored right next to us. As the sun set over the bay they fired their cannons and struck their colors. The harbor was a hub of activity despite the fact that it was only Tuesday.



11 NM

DAY #40 - ROCKLAND

AUGUST 20, 2007

Peter flew out of the Rockland airport today. It was now time for him to return to the warmth of Florida. We will certainly miss his company!



We spent the rest of the day doing chores and shopping to replenish our stores.

A summertime "live aboard" at the marina (Capt. Jim Adams) was very kind and gave us a lift to the grocery store and back.

DAY #39 - SEAL BAY TO ROCKLAND

AUGUST 19, 2007

Winds were 15 - 25. Yippee. Another day of great wind.



After leaving Seal Bay we passed through Fox Island Thorofare and tacked across West Penobscott Bay to Rockland. It was a rather wet sail so no one had their camera out to catch any good photos of the great sail.



We actually tied up to a dock in a marina in Rockland. That sure is a strange feeling after being out a while.



23.1 NM

DAY # 38 - BOLD & DEVEL ISLANDS TO SEAL BAY

AUGUST 18, 2007



As the end of a cold front passed through in the morning we went ashore and gathered mussels at low tide.



With winds NW 20-30 knots we had a brisk day tacking between the islands South of Stonington and on across East Penobscott Bay to Seal Bay. Our Cape Dory 36 proved herself well in the heavier air with a single reefed mainsail and just her stay sail. We did over 7 knots regularly and the entire system was well balanced and handled the conditions with ease.



Seal Bay is considered a hurricane hole even though it is quite large. Unlike most people we always anchor right in the middle so that we have good views of the surroundings and the sunsets.



While watching the sunset we steamed our mussels, sipped wine, and listened to "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Thistle & Shamrock" radio shows which are a "must do" Saturday evening activity while in Maine.



14 NM

DAY # 37 - NORTHWEST HARBOR TO BOLD & DEVIL ISLANDS

AUGUST 16, 2007



We had a nice leisurely sail across East Penobscott Bay and on down towards the entrance to the Fox Island Thorofare before the winds died for their usual mid-day slump.



So then we motored back across the bay and past the town of Stonington to the cut between Bold & Devil Islands.




Despite being very close to Stonington one feels far from civilization in this little harbor.





18.2 NM

DAY #36 - VALLEY COVE TO NORTHWEST HARBOR

AUGUST 16, 2007




Today we left Valley Cove and started to head back West towards Rockland since Peter will be flying out of there in a few days.



The wind was 10 - 15+ so we had some good sailing across Blue Hill Bay, through Eggemoggin Reach, and into East Penobscott Bay.



We anchored in Northwest Harbor on Deer Isle. We like NW Harbor because it is a reasonably protected large harbor that is easy to sail in and out of and it has good sunset views. For some reason it seems to be rarely visited by cruisers.

39.6 NM

DAY #35 - VALLEY COVE

AUGUST 15,2007

The windjammer "Grace Kelly", with its "push boat", visited Somes Sound for the night.



Storms are predicted for later today so we are staying at Valley Cove and hiking to the top of Valley Peak in the morning.



From the top one has excellent views of Somes Sound, Mt Desert Island, its rocky shore and surrounding islands, as well as Southwest Harbor.





It is a short but rather steep climb that Peter and David have been unknowingly conditioning for.