2011 Maine Cruising Calendar

If you need a 2011 Calendar, or would just like to see some more of my pictures of Maine,
download my "2011 Maine Cruising Calendar" as a 2MB PDF .  Best wishes for 2011.

Sunset at Merchant's Harbor, ME.

Tropicbird Set for the Winter

The boat is on the hard in Royal River Boatyard, Yarmouth, ME. We are back in Seabrook, TX. No more blog posts on Tropicbird Sailing until we head north again in May. Take a look at the older posts (see "Blog Archive" in the right hand sidebar), or try our birding blog.

Exploring the Archipelago

There is an archipelago of numerous small granitic islands, largely uninhabited, between Stonington, Deer Isle and Isle au Haut, ME. Most cruisers in a hurry to get to Mount Desert Island or back to Penobscot Bay, sail through the Deer Isle Thorofare, or the Merchant's Row channel (photo 1). In fact, we also did so in years past. This year we decided to explore some of the islands and anchorages in this archipelago.











Some of the Islands, like Crotch Island (photo 2 to left) were quarried for granite.












One of our favorites was McGlathery Island. Uninhabited and state-owned, cruisers are welcome to explore ashore on its sandy beach. (photo 3)...








... and shoreline of granite slabs.











Unfortunately, even such a seemingly unspoiled area shows signs of man-made pollution. Tar balls like these (photo 4) probably washed ashore years ago and are now baked hard as asphalt in the sun.











There are rough trail into the spruce forest of the interior (photo 5). We did not see much bird or other animal life there.
















There were, however, insects - many mosquitoes and a few butterflies like this Red Admiral (photo 6).













There was also a cattail marsh.

















Two Least Sandpipers, were the most interesting birds (photo 7). On their migration south, they were foraging for small invertebrates on an exposed bar. Intent on feeding they approached within about 10' while I stood still.









We even got a photo (8) of ourselves with TROPICBIRD in the background at McGlathery Island.













These islands are a favorite with sea kayakers. Several such as Harbor Island (photo 9) have primitive camping sites for kayakers. In the fog, I am sure they are hard to see and must have a very poor radar return. The lobstermen refer to them as "speed bumps".








As usual, there were some spectacular sunsets such as this from Merchant Harbor, looking toward the Camden Hills in the far distance (photo 10).










There were also foggy mornings (Photo 11).












The prevalence of fog amongst these rocky islets makes it imperative to know where you are quite precisely. This boat (photo 12) apparently had some difficulty with position. When we passed, it was high and nearly dry under the keel as it sat on the rocks adjacent to the (aptly named) Wreck Island anchorage.













There are some interesting names for some of the islands and coves. This sunrise photo was taken at "Hells-Half-Acre" (photo 12). Despite the name, it is a very pleasant anchorage.

Maine Boat Show

We returned to Rockland for the Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors Show. Our primary motivation was to meet friends we have known since graduate school at Berkeley (40 years ago).

We have become tired of most boat shows where one sees the same production boats and array of products. However, the Maine Boat show is unique in our experience. It has none of the mass market boats, instead names like Sabre, Hinkley, Morris, and other custom builders.

In some respects the photo to the left looks like any boat show, until you notice that the first boat on the right is a well kept wooden Concordia yawl. The boat ahead (hard to see) is a Morris sailing yacht, and the one to the left is a custom wood powerboat by a Maine builder.


The boat in the photo to the left is a small powerboat built by Richard Pulsifer. He cuts the wood from his own land, saws and mills it himself and turns out these great little inboard launches (Yanmar 4-cyl diesel). He is a friend of our friends, so later we got a ride around the harbor in this boat.









There are displays of historic boats such as this Downeast Peapod built around 1935.











The Aprenticeshop "a school for traditional boat building" put on a demonstration spiling and fitting a plank on a cedar lapstrake hull fastened with copper rivets.









The local passenger schooner fleet put on a "Parade of Sail". The photo is the AMERICAN EAGLE, Capt. John Foss.










Even the entertainment is unique. The Univ. of Maine at Machais, Ukelele Band played all afternoon from a book of several hundred songs covering virtually all genres.

Rockland to MDI and Back

This summer Rockland has become somewhat of a "base" for us. For several reasons we keep returning every week or ten days. There are prettier and better protected harbors, but Rockland stands out for having convenient stores and marine services as well as good connections to the big city (Portland) which we have needed. It also has some good restaurants and an excellent art museum.

In other harbors the sunsets are spectacular. In Rockland it is the sunrises over the breakwater and Penobscot bay to the east that are the most beautiful. Of course, one has to get up very early to see the sunrise at its best (before 5 AM).










Since the last post, we spent several days in Seal Bay on Vinalhaven Island with friends on their boats. (There really are a lot of seals there, see photo to left.)










S/V TROPICBIRD anchored in Seal Bay.













Goose Rocks Light (Photo to left) is in the Fox Island Thorofare, a narrow waterway between Vinalhaven and Northhaven Islands on the way to Seal Bay.










After Seal Bay and a brief return to Rockland, we went further east to Mt. Desert Island.

Bass Harbor Bar Light (photo to left) is the "landfall" on Mt. Desert Island coming from from the west.









We anchored in Cranberry Harbor (adjacent to MDI) the first night, and then spent several days on a mooring at Northeast Harbor.

(Photo to left, view of the mountains on MDI from Cranberry Harbor with our friends Block Island 40 sailing.)





There is a free bus service that provides good connections around Acadia National Park and other locations Mt. Desert Island. We took one day to go to Jordan Pond and hike the trail there. (Photo to left, Jordan Pond and the "Bubbles")

Another day we took the bus to Bar Harbor.















After a few days at Northeast we moved a couple of miles to a Hinkley mooring in Southwest Harbor where we met friends who stay there for the season. Hinkley has very nice facilities and surprisingly is not particularly expensive.

(Photo to left, view up Southwest Harbor from Hinkley Moorings.)





We stopped in Buckle Harbor and Pupit Harbor on the return to Rockland. A line of heavy thunderstorms came across Penobscot bay and over Pulpit Harbor just before sunset. Just as the storm passed, the sky to the northwest over the Camden Hills cleared for another spectacular sunset.

Boothbay, Tenants Harbor, & Rockland

This is the fourth summer we have spent in Maine. Each seems to have a unique character. This year we have generally had rather warm weather with fast moving weather systems giving us some great sailing days as well as some impressive storms.

One of the best days sailing has been from Snow Island past Cape Small to Boothbay Harbor. We had a broad reach all the way with about 10-15 kits of wind and bright sunny skies. Those of you who are cruisers will recognize how unusual it was since we had the engine turned off almost all the way and still made the 25 miles in 5 hours.

Boothbay Harbor (Photo 1, to left) is a classic Maine "tourist attraction" and many local sailors avoid it. But, it does have a certain charm, as well as a nice marina with reasonably priced moorings, laundry and shower facilities. We also have two amateur radio friends who live there that make the visits especially enjoyable.





We made a short run to East Boothbay on the Damariscotta River, and then another very pleasant long run past Pemaquid Point, across Muscongus Bay, past Port Clyde to Tenants Harbor.

(Photo 2, Fisherman's Island Light on passage between Boothbay and East Boothbay.)








(Photo 3, Marshall Point Light at Port Clyde.)












A highlight of this trip was a visit to Eastern Egg Rock (a small rocky island). This is a preserve in Muscongus Bay where many seabirds nest especially the Atlantic Puffins. These were extirpated in the US many years ago, but have been reintroduced at Eastern Egg Rock. We found large numbers of them. The closest were swimming only a 20-30 feet from the boat.
(Photo 4, Puffins at Eastern Egg Rock.)






I think Tenants is one of the prettier harbors in Maine. The South island Light at the entrance is especially picturesque (Photo 5). It is the subject of paintings by Jamie Wyeth and is now owned by him.









The harbor is small with many lobster boats as well as yachts. White clapboard houses and inns overlook the harbor (Photo 6).
The second night we were there a very strong storm system came through, probably the most intense we have seen in Maine. Over 6" of rain were reported, winds were over 30kts and the thunder and lightning were virtually continuous from about 6:30 to 9:30 pm. We were glad to be on a good mooring in a well protected harbor.


But, the next day was mostly sunny with a NW breeze as we sailed up the Muscle Ridge Channel and around Owls Head into Rockland Harbor (Photo 7, Owls Head Light).









As we approached Rockland we found ourselves among a fleet of Friendship sloops racing to a rendezvous in Rockland (Photo 8). These are classic gaff rigged sloops originally developed around Friendship, ME. The wind was 20-25 kits so they were not carrying topsails but were still beautiful to see sailing.












Photo 9, Racing a squall into the harbor past the Rockland Breakwater Light.













Later in the afternoon the Friendship sloops were all moored at the Rockland Public Landing, for the 50th annual "Friendship Sloop Days" (Photo 10).

(Tropicbird is out on one of the moorings in the harbor beyond, but there is also a dinghy dock here where we come in.)

To Snow Island, Quahog Bay, ME

Monday the 12th was a beautiful clear day with the wind south at 10kts. With the near perfect conditions we left the Royal River and decided to pass up our usual first stop and push on around the Harpswell Peninsula and Bailey's Island on into Quahog Bay and the anchorage east of Snow Island.

(Photo 1 to left -Tropicbird at anchor near Snow Island.)





This is a beautiful and well protected spot. Snow Island is perhaps most noted because it is the home of Dodge Morgan who sailed his 60' cutter "American Promise" non-stop around the world in record time in the mid 1980's. He is now a columnist for the New England sailing magazine Points East. (Photo 2 to left - Dodge Morgan's schooner "Eagle" at its mooring off Snow Island- photo to left.)


Although it is not a "wilderness", there is also a remarkable amount of wildlife. There are Ospreys (Photo 3 to left) and Bald Eagles nesting in the area (we had a great look at the eagle as it came by the boat about 50' away, but of course, my camera was not at hand). Lots of Common Eiders (diving ducks) and Double-crested Cormorants are around as well as the ever present Herring Gulls and Greater Black-backed Gulls. We have also seen from the boat, Snowy Egrets, Common Terns, and a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers drumming on a large dead pine.


We have spent a number of days here, some because of fog (Photo 4 to left) and rain. But, even in poor weather it is a great place to be.









(Photo 5 - Sunset over Snow Island.)

Finally Afloat

Yesterday the day of launching finally arrived. We had accomplished all the projects we really needed to complete.

At about 9:30am the truck with hydraulic trailer arrived to load the boat.

Being hauled away from our "home on the hard".

Going down the hill to the launch slip.

Loading on the Travelift.

Stepping the mast.

Almost complete.

Sunset from the boat now afloat in the marina. We plan a few more days here calibrating, testing, and provisioning.