Repairs in Rockland

We hit up Rockland for a fun working port! Hamilton Marine for parts, Hannaford’s for groceries, CGEX to refill the liquor locker, and a cheap mooring with easy trash, laundry, fuel, and water at the Landings Marina—let’s do it! (And of course, yummy food options galore!)

So...the freshwater pump. It’s sounded like it wants to die for some time, running well past when we shut off the faucet. A few interim fixes kept it going, but it was time. Like any good boat project, almost the entire salon was emptied to access the pump. Fortunately we had all the right connectors for the new pump and it went in pretty easily. The result? WHY DID WE WAIT? Holy smokes, this new pump is so quiet! She purrs instead of thundering along the port side. I. Love. It. Frank will rebuild the old one and keep it as a spare.

The pump wasn’t the only awesome boat project! While in town we went ahead and completed the replacement of our genoa. Yes, yes, the new sail has been up for a bit, but yesterday we took the old sail to Sea Bags Maine for recycling. How did that go? We had pre-coordinated via email so we just walked the two blocks up from the marina and dropped it off. They weighed it and offered us a trade—a new bag! We got to pick from a wide variety and went with this cute, functional souvenir to mark our trip to Maine. We love it so much, and already put it to work on the grocery run!

🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞

Lazy days in Penobscot Bay—Islesboro and Vinalhaven

The days on the water and the nights are getting cool, so we are pointing the bow somewhat south. We made a slow pass through Islesboro, visiting Warren Island State Park and hunkering down for two days of strong winds. The park looks awesome for camping, and while the trails were nice, we had to do them twice just to get a good bit of exercise in.

Brrrr!

And we finally made it to Vinalhaven! Perry Creek was an absolute delight with its serene atmosphere, abundant hiking trails, and the sweet man that provides moorings to visiting yachts. All he asks is that we consider a donation to the Vinalhaven Land Trust (considered and done!). The hiking was so good that the dinghy was high and dry when we came back, even though we pushed it way out when we left.

Exploring Perry Creek from the “Roddy” mooring.

Next we spent a few days in Seal Bay. We didn’t see a ton of seals, but the birding, hiking, and dinghy beaching was just as fun here! We also had a brush with famous YouTube sailors (said hello, but continued on our way—I didn’t want to interrupt their enjoyment of this place) and a birthday celebration complete with Maine blueberry pancakes, fresh lobster alfredo (thanks, Lady J!), and Maine chocolate (Bixby) brownies. Such a great day and another awesome stop!

Seal Bay

As we rounded the south side of Vinalhaven we made a quick, rolly stop at Brimstone Island—the smooth, black cobble beach is unlike anything we’ve seen! From there, we headed to Hurricane Island for an afternoon stroll along the many trails there—its a cool, old granite quarry.

Brimstone Island

Hurricane Island

Alas, a failing water pump and empty cupboards are pushing us back to Rockland. But Vinalhaven is solidly on our “must return to” list! School also started this week so we have to play a little less and work a little more going forward, but the kids seem to have jumped right back into it!

Belfast—A Cruising “A”

We were on a mission. We needed to meet up with friends to get our mail (and hugs!) and needed a place to hang out for some strong NW winds in the forecast. Hello, Belfast! 

The path to and from college passed through Belfast (Why did I always love passing the quirky Perry’s Nut House?), but this was our first visit via water. For $35 you get a mooring convenient to town with WiFi and trash. Showers were closed (COVID) and restrooms are public, but the town has water, pump-out, gas and diesel. And propane fills are cheap and easy! There is also a large, clean laundromat two blocks up from the water.

With a 3-night stay we didn’t even come close to eating through all the delicious options in town! We did hit up Young’s Lobster Pound and instantly put it in our top two lobster rolls (so far!). The town has seafood, American, Thai, Italian, pizza, hot dogs, vegan food...you name it! There is also an awesome food co-op, a large Hannaford grocery up on route 1, and farmer’s markets! We ate well! The town also has a really nice harbor walk and is, in general, a nice place to stroll around. We even met a fellow cruising family while out walking one day (we recognized each other from Instagram)! 

The highlight for us was getting to meet up with old friends for dinner, but we can definitely see a return to Belfast in our future cruising seasons!

Cruising Penobscot Bay? Here’s why Castine should be on your itinerary!

Let me start off with a disclaimer—I am biased! I went to college in this quaint coastal town and fell in love with it within a week of arriving from the Midwest. But this year we came to Castine as cruisers and with that in mind, here is why YOU should stop there!

- Mooring/dockage/anchoring. All options are available, whether you pay at the town dock to stay tied up overnight or go to Eaton’s Boatyard, dockage can be found. Eaton’s also has rental moorings. Anchorages with good holding can be found throughout Smith Cove, though that’s a little longer dinghy ride to town. Just want to stay for breakfast at Markel’s or lunch? You can tie up at the town dock for two hours free of charge! It’s even a decent hurricane hole—almost 40 boats were here for the passage of TS Isaias.

- Dinghy Dock. It’s huge! While it can look crowded, we never had a problem “pahkin the cah” here.

- Water/Pump-Out/Trash. Free water is available at both the Town Dock and Acadia Dock, free pump-out is at the Acadia Dock, and trash can be dropped off with the Harbormaster for $2/bag. The Acadia Dock is a “pick-up/drop-off only” dock, so it’s not too hard to get in there for a pump and fill.

- Gas/Diesel. Both are available at Eaton’s Boatyard.

- Food. Provisions are available super close at T&C Market, or further up the hill at the Windmill Hill specialty grocer. Good eats are available at the Captain’s Catch (great fish tacos!), Danny Murphy’s, Markel’s Bakehouse (try one of everything and thank me later), Windmill Hill Grocery, T&C Market deli counter, and Castine Variety. There is currently a pop-up pizza place three nights a week called The Watermark (below Markel’s, call them for info)—it’s amazing! In the time of COVID, everywhere we ate was doing takeout or well-spaced outdoor seating. Bottom line—you won’t go hungry here.

- Shopping. Even now, some shops and art galleries are open. Our family’s favorite is Compass Rose books. They have a great selection of books, international candies (yes, Icelandic chocolate!!!), coffee and snacks, and some seriously nice owners. This place wasn’t here when I was in school, but I sure wish it had been! We also scored a huge bag of books for $5 from a community sale at the local library while we were there!

- Exercise. This is a beautiful, historic town to walk around! From the town waterfront you can easily visit Dyce Head Light, Witherle Woods, and Fort George. Fun fact: the Penobscot Expedition of 1779 was the worst defeat in U.S. Navy history until the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941! Kayak rentals are available at Castine Kayaks. Landing a dinghy at Indian Bar in Smith Cove puts you in reach of several hiking trails in the Holbrook Island Sanctuary. Smith Cove is well-protected from prevailing summer winds so I was out paddle boarding every morning. A nice long walk will get you to Wadsworth Cove (“the backshore” to locals)  where you can swim in not-so-frigid water in the pond.

So what’s not in Castine? A laundromat and ethanol-free gasoline. That’s the only shortcomings I could find! Whether just swinging in for a pump and fill or lunch, or staying for days, Castine is worth your consideration.

Lehe Paine tied up at the Acadia Dock for a pump-out and water fill. The Town Dock is just in front of us, with dinghy docking on the back side of both docks.

Clockwise from top left: Dyce Head Light, Watermark pizza, Fort George, hiking in Holbrook Sound Sanctuary, dinghy dock, hiking in Witherle Woods to Blockhouse Point.

A different kind of MMA homecoming

Our arrival in Penobscot Bay was made via peaceful, secluded anchorages. We started off in Long Cove, just outside of Tenants Harbor. This spot had tons of pot-free anchoring and short hikes available on High Island. From there, we hit Pulpit Harbor in mid-bay, north of Vinalhaven. The reviews on this spot were mixed, but we gave it a try and enjoyed it! It did fill in a bit, even mid-week, but there was plenty of room for all and we were able to stretch our legs ashore for a bit.

Long Cove

Pulpit Harbor

And yesterday we made the trip I’ve dreamed about for years! Since we got this boat I’ve imagined how awesome it would be to return to Penobscot Bay and the Bagaduce River, home to my marine-focused college, in our boat. With a sweet southerly breeze pushing us up the bay, past Dyce Head light, and into Castine Harbor, I returned to Maine Maritime Academy! I was almost spewing tears of joy as we tied off to one of the Academy’s mooring balls. We ran ashore and walked out to the lighthouse, then jogged back to the waterfront ahead of some storms.

Sweet wing-and-wing sailing, Swab trimming the main, the best mooring evah, and racing the storms to Dyce Head Light. 

Today we started with some jogs, some paddle boarding, and a walk up to campus to meet a classmate’s wife. But then it was time for the main event—welcoming the T/S State of Maine back to her home port! In non-pandemic years, the ship is out for the summer to give future merchant mariners critical training. This year it’s different (isn’t everything?), but the students still have training requirements that have to be met to earn their Coast Guard licenses. The school tried to run a fast cruise (simulating underway, but tied to a pier), but some residents complained about the noise so the ship moved across the bay to another town. Today, the ship returned to her home with fire trucks, boat horns, and music blasting! I never had to go on the training cruise because my major didn’t require it, but I did work in the galley for one cruise and I fully appreciate the critical training that happens on cruise. I am glad our family could be part of this!

We will stay a few more days to visit with friends and monitor the track of tropical storm Isaias. It’s great to be home!