After twenty four hours offshore, we enter Maine coastal
waters on a gloomy morning.
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| Stormy skies as we pass the lighthouse at the outer entrance to Boothbay |
In fact, it
is so gloomy that it begins to pour rain sufficiently hard that we have
difficulty seeing any moorings in Boothbay Harbor, eventually stumbling across
one in the blinding rain that is actually a rental mooring. Engine goes off, boat is tidied, and naps are
taken to the sound of beating rain. By the time we awaken, the sun is out, and
we take the opportunity to stretch our legs on shore with a walk through
Boothbay, a cute town but a tad touristy for our tastes.
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| Buildings along the shore of Boothbay Harbor |
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| Looking across Boothbay Harbor |
We come across an interesting project at the
Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, a facility known for restorations of Maine’s wooden
schooners. In this case, a wooden hull
has been cut in half and appears to be getting all new ribs and planking.
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| Restoration underway |
It is
an interesting process but unfortunately no one is around to provide more
information. While we are away from the
boat, sailing friends who have a house up the nearby Sheepscot River decide to
surprise us by stopping by in their runabout – they have been watching our
progress northwards via the internet. As
it turns out, they are the ones to be surprised as no one is home. We make plans to meet up again later in our
stay.
Our primary reason for visiting Boothbay is to explore the
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, several miles outside of Boothbay. We take a taxi there rather than attempting a
long dinghy ride up the Sheepscot River.
The gardens live up to their rave reviews and cover such an extensive
area that they even provide golf carts to transport you between attractions. There
are gardens based on the five senses, gardens based on famous Maine children’s
books, a meditation garden along the river front, and a rhododendron garden
deep in the woods.
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| Strolling through the color garden (sight) |
It is obviously a well-endowed facility with
plenty of room for expansion. The plantings are colorful and varied with
winding paths and an abundance of sculpture on display.
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| Sculpture enhancing the entrance garden |
But what is most interesting is how the
landscape design incorporates gardens into the natural Maine topography.
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| View across the rhododendron garden with one azalea still in bloom - it must be spectacular in June. |
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| A waterfall descending over granite ledges through the rhododendron garden. |
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| On closer examination, the sculpted ledges are designed to produce fascinating effects in the sheets of water. |
Rock outcroppings and ledges provide a
backdrop for the plantings .Native plants are intermingled with hybrid species.
We explore until our legs give out.
Shortly after returning to the boat, Dave and Suzy show up
again in their runabout and take us for a long cruise up the Sheepscot.
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| Greeting our hosts, Dave and Suzy, with their trusty "tour boat". |
We wind between islands and into coves getting
an idea of the scope of this area along with some suggestions for anchorages on
a return visit.
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| At one point we come upon a rock covered with seals sunning themselves. Eventually the sound of the motor scared them all into the water where they curiously examined us. |
It is a beautiful but
confusing area to transverse. We end up
stopping at a lobster pound at the north end of Southport Island for dinner
with a view.
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| Full moon rise over Boothbay Harbor |
It is time to move on, and we head towards Rockland with a
brief detour to Eastern Egg Rock. Why
Eastern Egg Rock? It is the site of an Audubon Society project to establish a
puffin colony. We have never seen a puffin so a trip over seems appropriate. When we get there we are battling an ocean
swell, a gazillion lobster pots, and boats of other gawkers. With Burt on the camera, I attempt to
navigate as close to the rock as possible without hitting any underwater ledges
or the multitude of lobster pots. Burt
clicks away while my eyes are only focused on navigating safely. From that distance all the birds look like
sea gulls, but once we get the pictures on the computer and enlarged, it is
apparent (however grainy) we saw puffins, we just didn’t know it at the time.
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| The proof is in the picture - there are puffins on Eastern Egg Rock! |
We have come to Rockland for several reasons.
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| Our neighbor in the anchorage at Rockland |
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| The fog rolls in and out many times during our stay in Rockland. |
It is time to renew Burt’s US Coast Guard
Captain’s License, and we have had a very difficult time finding an accessible
facility on the East Coast for the required drug screening. Rockland has just what he needs so off we go
on the bikes to do the deed. We take
time to also explore the town a bit and enjoy walking the public docks where
there is a rendezvous of historic Friendship sloops. These are the quintessential Maine fishing
boats from the past, and they have been lovingly restored and rebuilt by their
owners. A few are over 100 years old. The next day they have scheduled races,
and we awake to find the windward mark set no more than one hundred feet off
our bow. It is too late to up anchor and
move, so we sit back and enjoy all the action. The wind pipes up and the boats
speed by just missing us but sharing a few words of pleasant conversation in
passing.
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| Close encounters with all sizes of Friendship Sloops - breathtaking to see this historic boats under sail. |
We leave Rockland the next morning before that day’s racing
commences, assuming the racing boats are cheering our departure which provides
a clearer approach to the windward mark. We take a week to explore the
surrounding islands in Penobscot Bay before returning to Rockland for a long
weekend. The drug test results are back and submitted to the Coast Guard prior
to attending the Seven Seas Cruising Association’s Downeast Gam. Approximately forty attending boats are
anchored or moored in the harbor while many other members drive in for the
event. Friday night dinghies congregate off the transom of one of the boats,
and we play musical hors d’ouvres and boat cards between all the attendees in
what is an SSCA tradition. The next day
features a pot luck lunch, presentation on cruising Nova Scotia, plenty of
fellowship, and an opportunity to tour the hosting Steam, Sail and Power Museum
with the founder, an elderly gentleman steeped in the history and activities of
the Maine Schooner fleets. The museum is packed with historical paraphernalia
including artifacts from Admiral Bird’s explorations and Bowditch’s sextant and
a first edition copy of his book on navigation. A day later, another organization, Women Who
Sail, has a brunch for its membership which I attend. Meanwhile Burt mounts his
bike to head to a nearby town to visit the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum
where a large assortment of restored cars and planes are on display. It is a first rate exhibit funded by
corporate leaders whose names one would recognize.
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| One of the many items on display in this professionally curated museum. |
But, after a weekend of
gatherings and socializing, it is time to head out to explore more of Penobscot
Bay.
