Guess I’m Going

October 1, 2022

I spent the night onboard on the home mooring last night to get ready for the first leg of the trip today. I hope to get as far as Rockland which would be a significant jump to Georgetown, Maine by Monday night where I’ll pick up a crew member for the trip down to Annapolis. I had a sense of this trip actually happening yesterday afternoon as I brought the Zodiac aboard, deflated it and stowed it on the sea hood. No getting ashore now unless I swim….and at these temperatures, both air and water,  that’s not going to happen. Guess I’m going to actually do this thing. I was back-and-forth with Patty by phone and text last night and I could see our house light ashore through the porthole. Our emotions were certainly mixed, but in the main positive and supportive. At 0630 Patty was on the beach and we were sharing emotional waves goodby and, just like that, I was off our mooring. A great friend of mine paddle-boarded partway over from Surry to see me off and get a picture of me on my way. I spotted her on the horizon and with a push of the throttle, made up some of the distance to save her some effort paddling. Hours later when I was on my way I realized that I didn’t think to take one of her and post it here as a thank you. So instead, here are her pictures. Thank you Zoe!

Routing  today took me down Union River Bay, across Blue Hill Bay around Fly Point and into Jericho Bay. I sailed south  to Merchant’s Row, a passageway between the archipelago of  islands south of Deer Island that connects Jericho Bay to Penobscot Bay. It is a magical passage and each island you pass along the way is as unique as its name and with its own personality. As I cut between Scraggy and Mark Islands just entering Penobscot Bay, I could see Stonington over my right shoulder and where the Deer Island Thorofare, another passageway that connects those bays, joined my route west. The most direct way to Rockland from eastern Penobscot Bay is to transit between two large islands right in the middle of bay separated north and south by just a few hundred yards in places,  North Haven and  Vinalhaven, collectively known as The Fox islands. The way through is the Fox Island Thorofare and the town of North Haven is just about in the middle. “A Cruising Guide of the Maine Coast” written by Hank and Jan Taft has a wonderful description of these islands and the passageway, named in 1603 by a voyaging explorer who saw foxes on the island. I’ve done this transit dozens of times and have just loved it every time. Today was no exception.

I passed a schooner named J&E Riggin at the western end of the Thorofare and recognized the name. It was the vessel my sister and brother-in-law sailed on about this time last year and had a great week-long windjammer cruise. I gave the skipper a shout on VHF to say high and pass along  my sister’s glowing reports of the meals she had aboard. I was cold and hungry and said I could use one of those if they could shoot one right over! I got a laugh, but never saw the punt bringing the hot fish chowder, rendered salt pork, and freshly baked bread heading my way.  Oh well, it was nice to make the connection anyway. Crossing western Penobscot Bay I passed port to port with another magnificent schooner with everything flying. Windjammer season must still have a few weeks left!

Eight hours after departing the home mooring I picked up a large vacant mooring near the Coast Guard Station in Rockland Harbor. Good thing too, by midnight a powerful cold front came through and the winds veered from the WNW at 15 kts to ENE at 30. As I write this Sunday morning it’s still blowing 20-25 sustained and gusting higher. I don’t have that far to go today, so I think I’ll give it a bit to settle down. If it doesn’t, I’ll go tomorrow. This is cruising and like small airplane flying, one of the easiest ways to get into trouble is to  allow yourself to be forced into something dumb by a schedule. We’ll get there when we get there! 

Well, so much for my blather. When there was a momentary dip in the wind speed  I suited-up and went anyway! I’m writing this after some soup and a beer in a cozy corner of the anchorage in Port Clyde. Glad I’m here!