Down
East (wind? NOT!) Maine, Summer 2013
Photos of the cruise can be found in
the sailonset
gallery.
Best new harbor: Mud Hole, Great Waas
Island
Best new storm hole: Cabot Cove, Pulpit Harbor, North Haven
Best new marina: Dolphin on Harpswell I., Casco Bay
Still best mooring and provisions: Rockland, Hamilton, Hanniford;
Beggars Wharf RIP
Best (only!) onshore meal: Rock Harbor Bar & Brewery (formerly
the Black Bull Tavern), Rockland
Best new tools: Lowrance 3G / MDS-7m radar, Shaft Shark line
cutter
Best bought tool: Standard HS280X VHF handheld
Overview...
This cruise was planned for the long
haul: to Roque Island if possible. As wind and current consipred
to make that less than practical, we decided on Mud Hole on Great
Waas Island. In fact we motored almost the entire trip. Our cruises
often involve more motoring than one might wish, but this was
perhaps over the limit. Mix this in with diesel problems that
showed up the last week, and the fun factor takes a hit. Is this
what happens when you sail to destinations, driven by schedules?
Short
version...
Sat 27 Onset
on board
snack dinner
acceptable 3G, sometimes LTE
Sun 28 Duxbury, Clarks Island
10:30 off into dreary drizzle
3:30 mooring at Clarks I.
all motoring
steak
good LTE
Mon 29 Isles of Shoals, Gosport Harbor
8:45 off
9:30 clear of Gurnet and 020 to Isles of Shoals
8:30 IofS mooring, rafted, and a new storm, mostly t&l to
south
basicall all motor
steak, cold veggies
weak 3G
Tue 30 Cliff Island, Casco Bay
8:45 off
10:30 genoa! wind opp forecast
decent LTE along coast
1:30 try sailing and it works!
6:30 on mooring
cold chicken
soso 4G cel
Wed 31 Harbor Island, Muscongus Bay
12:00 off from Dolphin with
15 gal plus H2O
perfect reach up the fingers
7:00 Harbor - ugly
Calypso arrives, anchors and dinghy tows us to raft
steak
EDGE cell
Thu 1 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka
Minister Creek, North Haven Island
11:00 off to catch MRC current
4:00 Rockland at Journey's End fuel dock
5:30 off
levely sail across W. Pen Bay.
this is Maine sailing!
7:30 Cabot Cove!
grab mooring (bad! - ignoring soverignty) and raft
steak
no at&t but Verizon service
Fri 2 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka
Minister Creek, North Haven Island
rain as predicted but warm
Verizon hot spot works
fresh scallops in pan
Sat 3 Lunt Harbor, Frenchboro, aka
Long Island
bright, crisp, calm
9:30 off
3G cell!
rain?
12:30 MerchRow, motoring, toggles
2:00 zig through Burnt Coat and out tickle
2:45 Lunt's harbor' pick up mooring, raft
jerry can refueling to avoid fuel dock
steak, last of MA Hannifords
cell all over until used, then quit
Sun 4 Mud Hole, Great Waas Island
hot! calm blue
9:15 off sunny no wind
3:00 sailing as the current turns
4:40 gybe into Mud Hole Channel
5:15 drop anchor in an empty Mud Hole
Calypso briefly stops in entrance
BBQ chix
zip cell
anchor windlass works! 120' w/kellet
Mon 5 Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert
Island
clang of halyards - wind's up!
10:30 weigh anchor
cloudy, cold, slog into W w/ current
'beke stalls twice south of MDI
sail carefully across Eastern Way to SW
H HINCKLEY mooring by Todd D
5 bars LTE!
steak
Tue 6 Buckle Harbor, Swans Island
sunny, calm
12:45 head out, no meaningful or useful wind
4:00 anchor 60' out in 7 feet
2 bars 4G
SantaFe chicken Backpaker's Pantry
Wed 7 Perry Creek, Vinalhaven
light wind
10:00 weigh anchor
12:30 Mark I and sail!
1:30 the FI Thoro, sailing 5+ in 4+ wind
2:30 down at the very end, boy toy mooring!
weak, occasional cell
lobster from Brown's
Thu 8 Rockland Harbor
warm, overcast,
8:30 rain!
10:30 off in above
some genoa sailing at 4 kts across
1:00 Rockland
1:30 all set on J's End JBW moorings $30
dine at Rock Harbor Bar & Brewery
cell unpredictable, can make but not answer Verizon calls
iMessage and texting works
Fri 8 Harbor Island, Musocngus Bay
6:00 overcast, storm on radar
10:15 off into rain
MRC all fog - get to play with 3G radar again - and current foul
3:30 moorings! Take both; no raft
steak - chix gone bad
Sat 10 Cliff Island, Casco Bay
blue skies! lingering fog
9:15 off
no wind angle, motor down the fingers
Paul got last free mooring, we raft
steak(s)
Sun 11 Gosport Harbor, Isles of Shoals
cool, clear
8:15 off to Dolphin for fuel and water, trash off
9:30 off again, outside and south
light wind on nose, of course
7:00 belated raft.cold steak
Mon 12 Onset!?
8:30 off
2:45 Oak Rock and wind clearly on nose
motor across Mass Bay / Boston Harbor
7:00 under tow, Tim on Unity II
2:50 off tow, on mooring, at rest
MH chili mac w/cheese under tow
Tue 13 Onset
gray, calm, humid, warm
dinghy ashore in light rain
Long Version...
 
Sat 27 Onset
on board
snack for dinner
hoist and roll dinghy on deck
illumination night, flares and bands dixie on shore, r&r
on MV Viking
light rain overnight
acceptable 3G, sometimes LTE
Sun 28 Duxbury, Clarks Island
10:30 off into dreary drizzle
45 min CCC transit
wind on the nose
3:30 mooring at Clarks I.
all motoring
use 3G radar in light fog; makes sense
favorable current into Bug Light!
could do without red & black pots
showers
missing part on Magma stove!
steak
good LTE
Mon 29 Isles of Shoals, Gosport Harbor
foggy, quite; feels like could
be hot
still but for birds
8:45 off
9:30 clear of Gurnet and 020 to Isles of Shoals
2.0 kts wind
11:15 genoa
12:00 sail with 10 kts but too slow
1:00 watching clouds towards shore
2:00 motor w/ genoa and rain
3:00 blue skies
8:30 IofS mooring, rafted, and a new storm, mostly t&l to
south
basicall all motor
steak, cold veggies
weak 3G
Tue 30 Cliff Island, Casco Bay
dawn fog, birds
then sun, blue and still birds
foggy on coast
8:45 off
10:30 genoa! wind opp forecast
decent LTE along coast
1:30 try sailing and it works!
6:30 on mooring
cold chicken
wrong Magma part p/u by Sally at Hamilton?
soso 4G cell
ah-hah, need new regulator for Magma
to fit new venturi!
Wed 31 Harbor Island, Muscongus Bay
sunny, blue, wram
decide to fuel at Dolphin on Harpswell and skip Pt Clyde
Stop in Rockland to get Magma part and more fuel
12:00 off with 15 gal plus H2O
Calypso goes back for dinghy
nice return to path; this a good stop!
perfect reach up the fingers
Hanse 45 barely passes us
Hamilton Rockland has part!
7:00 Harbor - ugly
pass up only mooring - no more mr nice guy!
anchor drags
windlass slow in raising
drift into pot buoy, wrap prop
trap drags us into powerboat
can't saw line off
Calypso arrives, anchors and dinghy tows us to raft
steak
EDGE cell
Thu 1 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka
Minister Creek, North Haven Island
cold, fog, beautiful
get diver $100
11:00 off to catch MRC current
Go up past Otter I. and through Caldwell I. "tickle."
fewer pots?
4:00 Rockland at Journey's End fuel dock
Quick Hamilton stop
5:30 off
levely sail across W. Pen Bay.
this is Maine sailing!
7:30 Cabot Cove!
grab mooring (bad! - ignoring soverignty) and raft
steak
Magma grill works better than ever with new regulator
no at&t but Verizon service
Fri 2 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka
Minister Creek, North Haven Island
rain as predicted but warm
plan hike to store when clearing
Verizon hot spot works
plan (?) rest of trip
dinghy to town dock and walk - get rides both ways - to store
bring trash
one block ice
watch weather come and go as does fog on thorofare
great rainbow, double, hung there for long time!
fresh scallops in pan
middle of night, Globe sold
Sat 3 Lunt Harbor, Frenchboro, aka
Long Island
bright, crisp, calm
9:30 off
3G cell!
rain?
12:30 MerchRow, motoring, toggles
Jericho Bay full of pots; one thump but keep on going
2:00 zig through Burnt Coat and out tickle
not too full, given a music festival
2:45 Lunt's harbor' pick up mooring, raft
not a "deli" mooring so free
yes, the remnants of a pot buoy are on the prop - the Shark works!
nature trail walk
jerry can refueling to avoid fuel dock
steak, last of MA Hannifords
cell all over until used, then quit
Sun 4 Mud Hole, Great Waas Island
hot! calm blue
still planning trip; like ordering pizza!
9:15 off sunny no wind
foul current but not so bad; just the motoring
go anyway or stop, say at split?
cell off Schoodic
1:30 'tit Manan; land in distance, perhaps fog
3:00 sailing as the current turns
4:40 gybe into Mud Hole Channel
5:15 drop anchor in an empty Mud Hole
Calypso briefly stops in entrance
rain! colors of sky!
BBQ chix
zip cell
anchor windlass works! 120' w/kellet
Mon 5 Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert
Island
weak dawn, no pic
clang of halyards - wind's up!
brief hike on southern shore
10:30 weigh anchor
head out with wind on nose of course
cloudy, cold, slog into W w/ current
'beke stalls twice south of MDI
sail carefully across Eastern Way to SW
power slowly to H HINCKLEY mooring by Todd D
5 bars LTE!
steak
visit in cockpit w/ Todd Dunn
hand off trash
cold night
Tue 6 Buckle Harbor, Swans Island
sunny, calm
visit T&L on Tortuga
walk to Sawyers
12:45 head out, no meaningful or useful wind
2:15 Calypso potted (toggled?) across from Bass Harbor!
continue to Buckle
4:00 anchor 60' out in 7 feet
2 bars 4G
showers! (us)
SantaFe chicken Backpaker's Pantry
sound of surf and bell other side of island
towel on companionway for heat and mosquitos
Wed 7 Perry Creek, Vinalhaven
bright, no dew!
light wind
boats leaving slowly, perhaps due to shorter sails in Pen Bay?
10:00 weigh anchor
Jericho Bay all pots, all time
take middle passage betweeo DI Thoro and Merch Row
12:30 Mark I and sail!
1:30 the FI Thoro, sailing 5+ in 4+ wind
2:30 down at the very end, boy toy mooring!
many stop by, amazed at use of this mooring
weak, occasional cell
if better might have not stepped in scallop/sand/muck
nice trails on north side; well walked
lobster from Brown's
Thu 8 Rockland Harbor
warm, overcast,
8:30 rain!
10:30 off in above
some genoa sailing at 4 kts across
1:00 Rockland
1:30 all set on J's End JBW moorings $30
bit rolly and not as close in as Beggars RIP Wharf
boom spouts water like fire hose
but showers, laundry, Wifi
dinghy launched
Hamiltons, of course, and new S-H HH VHF $110
BofA all gone from Maine!
Hannifords
dine at Rock Harbor Bar & Brewery
four trips with Joe's Cab; three same young driver
cell unpredictable
can make but not answer Verizon calls
iMessage and texting works
iPad says Extended Network - turns out this means nothing
Fri 8 Harbor Island, Musocngus Bay
6:00 overcast, storm on radar
haul dinghy
6:30 good t-storm
9:30 skip fuel, Paul gets us one ice, takes trash
10:15 off into rain
MRC all fog - get to play with 3G radar again - and current foul
work from dodger steering station most of day
"watching the pots go by...." Crissie Hynde?
30 kts crossing Musc Bay and 'beke stall couple of times
3:30 moorings! Take both; no raft
Merries drop back on line to our boat for dinner
steak - chix gone bad
rain finally ends, followed by mosquito bloodbath
Sat 10 Cliff Island, Casco Bay
blue skies! lingering fog
lobster boat wandering about
still otherwise, birds
9:15 off
no wind angle, motor down the fingers
big boat regatta at Boothbay jumble
motor stalls so try to tack offshore around
windy uneven; lighter once out!
slow way in raft on mooring
powerboats, only one sail
got last free one
change Racor -yuk! This it?
steak(s)
Sun 11 Gosport Harbor, Isles of Shoals
cool, clear
Honda on stern of powerboat - they can't hear it!
8:15 off to Dolphin for fuel and water, trash off
9:00 there asked if milk sold in pints' kid brings a cup of milk!
marina convenient for n/s trips, good hours, open dock, good
help
9:30 off again, outside and south
'beke seems okay, up to 6+ knots
light wind on nose, of course
2:!5 Zzzzzzzzz
4:15 stall? Drop speed
7:00 belated raft.cold steak
Mon 12 Onset!?
Up at 7:30
Racor looks clean but change
8:30 off
motor at 5 knots today
sail to P-town? Not enough wind
2:45 Oak Rock and wind clearly on nose
motor across Mass Bay / Boston Harbor
4:30 have to drop revs
not going to make it anywhere useful
5:00 call TowBoatUS
7:00 under tow, Tim on Unity II
11:30 canal opp current
1:30 out of canal
2:50 off tow, on mooring, at rest
MH chili mac w/cheese under tow
Tue 13 Onset
gray, calm, humid, warm
dinghy ashore in light rain
The Way Up,
North (or Down East if you prefer)...
What Worked
and What Didn't...
Worked
iPhone 5 great for Internet access: forecasts; weather radar,
social networks (see not, below)
Maxwell windlass, after problems at Harbor Island
Not worked
at&t cell coverage
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