Meandering Through Maine – Southern Penobscot Bay

Penobscot Bay contains a number of islands and communities, each with its own distinct personality.  We begin our exploration heading east from Rockland to North Haven on Deer Island.  We have a gusty downwind sail into the Fox Island Thorofare, anchoring in nearby Seal Cove.  It is peaceful in our anchorage, and we take our dinghy into adjacent Perry Creek to explore this waterway that is almost totally under a conservancy designation.  Birds soar overhead as the rocky treed and mossy shoreline passes by. 

The interesting shoreline of Perry Creek

Looking into Pery Creek at sunset as the fog begins to roll in

 When the wind settles we dinghy across the Thorofare to take a walk through North Haven, a small community shared by lobstermen and summer residents. 

Looking over the docks at North Haven

Stone wall with flower boarder in North Haven

Looking west towards North Haven.  A dramatic sunset with the outline of the Camden Hills in the background.

 
 

Our next destination, further east, is Stonington on Deer Island.  

Hoses dot the hilly shore of Stonington

This is definitely a lobstering town although once its thriving stone quarries were the source of granite used in many well-known buildings and bridges.  Now, the stone quarries are quiet, but remains can still be seen from the water.  A walk through Stonington gives good evidence to the origins of the community’s name.  

Rocks are everywhere

 

A pretty street works its way down to the harbor

 Lobstering is a prosperous industry here; the harbor is packed with boats and the lobster pounds are busy places at the end of the day.  

Lobster boats occupy this working harbor.

Stonington has the benefit of having a bridge from the island to the mainland, thus simplifying the transport of the lobsters.

While we enjoy exploring Stonington, we decide to anchor about a mile away in a cove formed by several islands including Devil’s Island and the ever favorite Hell’s Half Acre. These are mainly unoccupied islands with rounded granite rock shores and dense pine woods.  At low tide (we have 12 foot tides during our visit) the shoreline invites exploration. 

A playground of rocks to explore

Our cove and many other islands just to our south form Merchants Row, a veritable trove of small rocky islets that invite exploration by dinghy and kayak.  It is not unusual to see kayakers camping out on the unoccupied islands.  

Looking over Merchants Row

One evening, while enjoying a glass of wine in the cockpit, we watch as a sailboat turns to enter our cove. Minutes later we notice it has stopped moving and is now tilting.  It takes a moment for the situation to sink in, then we realize the boat has gone aground on a hidden ledge.  We jump in the dinghy and simultaneously so does a neighboring boater. Both of us race out to the stranded sailboat that, with the rapidly falling tide, is perilously tilted.  We run their halyard to our dinghy to further tip the boat in order to free the keel while the other dinghy takes a tow line.  In a matter of seconds the boat is free and bobbing properly on her lines.  The couple on board is in a state of shock as they realize they almost lost their boat, but fortunately after checking the bilge, no damage is found. 

Evening fog rolls into our anchorage

From Stonington and the Deer Island Thorofare, we head through Merchants Row to Isle au Haut, a new destination for us.  Meaning “high island”, this sparsely populated and remote island is home to a small fishing community, including noted author Linda Greenlaw.  Half the island is under the auspices of Acadia National Park and includes hiking trails to the island peaks.  Few people visit Isle au Haut, and we find only two rental moorings in the entire harbor. 

A church and shoreside general store, along with a nearby tiny post office - that's about it for Isle au Haut infrastructure.

To the south of the harbor is an interesting lighthouse, 

Robinson Point Light

so we take a long walk on the empty island roads to see it up close.  The keeper’s house has been turned into a bed and breakfast that exudes charm.  

All along the road are wild blueberry bushes – if only we had brought a container for picking.

Our final stop in this area is at Carver’s Harbor on the south end of Vinalhaven Island.  This is the most active lobstering port we have ever visited.  Boats come and go at all hours of the day.  

Lobster boats everywhere packed into the harbor

Lobster pounds line the shore and also operated at several floats within the harbor.  It is a high energy place as fishermen rush to get their catch accounted and loaded on the next ferry heading to Rockland.  

Pounds like this line the shore of the harbor

Boats are unloaded at a frantic pace as there is always another waiting in line.  It is not unusual to see women working alongside the men.

And it is not a place frequented by cruisers. Packed among the many moored lobster boats are two hard to find rental moorings – you really have to know where to look.  But despite the intensity of the community, we have always found the locals to be friendly and welcoming. And it is home to one of our favorite restaurants, The Haven.  Its popularity with residents of Vinalhaven Island is so great that reservations are necessary several days in advance for their locally grown, gourmet dinners.

At this point we head back to Rockland for a brief visit before heading out to explore the northern end of Penobscot Bay.  

Meandering Through Maine: Boothbay to Rockland

After twenty four hours offshore, we enter Maine coastal waters on a gloomy morning.  

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.  

Buildings along the shore of Boothbay Harbor

 

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. 

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.   

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.  

Sculpture enhancing the entrance garden

But what is most interesting is how the landscape design incorporates gardens into the natural Maine topography.  

View across the rhododendron garden with one azalea still in bloom - it must be spectacular in June.

A waterfall descending over granite ledges through the rhododendron garden.

 

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.  

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.  

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. 

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.

The proof is in the picture - there are puffins on Eastern Egg Rock!

We have come to Rockland for several reasons.  

Our neighbor in the anchorage at Rockland

 

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. 

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. 

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.