A cruise of new and old harbors but either no wind or wind on the nose. We were treated to several days\u2019 worth of rainbows, here in Cabot Cove, rafted with fellow cruisers, Paul & Sally Merry.<\/p>\n

The Mud Hole, Frenchboro, Pulpit Harbor, Perry Creek, Rockland<\/p>\n

\n
• Overview…<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
• Photos…<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
• The Short version…<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
• The Long version…<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
• What worked…<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  <\/a>Overview…<\/em><\/strong>
  \nThis 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?
  \n
  \nBest new harbor: Mud Hole, Great Waas Island
  \nBest new storm hole: Cabot Cove, Pulpit Harbor, North Haven
  \nBest new marina: Dolphin on Harpswell I., Casco Bay
  \nStill best mooring and provisions: Rockland, Hamilton, Hanniford; Beggars Wharf RIP
  \nBest (only!) onshore meal: Rock Harbor Bar & Brewery (formerly the Black Bull Tavern), Rockland
  \nBest new tools: Lowrance 3G \/ MDS-7m radar, Shaft Shark line cutter
  \nBest bought tool: Standard HS280X VHF handheld<\/p>\n

  <\/a>Photos…<\/em><\/strong>
  \n

  <\/a>

  Click to see the photo gallery.<\/p><\/div>\n

  <\/a>The Short Version…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

  Sat 27 Onset<\/strong>
  \non board
  \nsnack dinner
  \nacceptable 3G, sometimes LTE<\/p>\n

  Sun 28 Duxbury, Clarks Island<\/strong>
  \n10:30 off into dreary drizzle
  \n3:30 mooring at Clarks I.
  \nall motoring
  \nsteak
  \ngood LTE<\/p>\n

  Mon 29 Isles of Shoals, Gosport Harbor<\/strong>
  \n8:45 off
  \n9:30 clear of Gurnet and 020 to Isles of Shoals
  \n8:30 IofS mooring, rafted, and a new storm, mostly t&l to south
  \nbasicall all motor
  \nsteak, cold veggies
  \nweak 3G<\/p>\n

  Tue 30 Cliff Island, Casco Bay<\/strong>
  \n8:45 off
  \n10:30 genoa! wind opp forecast
  \ndecent LTE along coast
  \n1:30 try sailing and it works!
  \n6:30 on mooring
  \ncold chicken
  \nsoso 4G cel<\/p>\n

  Wed 31 Harbor Island, Muscongus Bay<\/strong>
  \n12:00 off from Dolphin with 15 gal plus H2O
  \nperfect reach up the fingers
  \n7:00 Harbor – ugly
  \nCalypso arrives, anchors and dinghy tows us to raft
  \nsteak
  \nEDGE cell<\/p>\n

  Thu 1 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka Minister Creek, North Haven Island<\/strong>
  \n11:00 off to catch MRC current
  \n4:00 Rockland at Journey’s End fuel dock
  \n5:30 off
  \nlevely sail across W. Pen Bay.
  \nthis is Maine sailing!
  \n7:30 Cabot Cove!
  \ngrab mooring (bad! – ignoring soverignty) and raft
  \nsteak
  \nno at&t but Verizon service<\/p>\n

  Fri 2 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka Minister Creek, North Haven Island<\/strong>
  \nrain as predicted but warm
  \nVerizon hot spot works
  \nfresh scallops in pan<\/p>\n

  Sat 3 Lunt Harbor, Frenchboro, aka Long Island<\/strong>
  \nbright, crisp, calm
  \n9:30 off
  \n3G cell!
  \nrain?
  \n12:30 MerchRow, motoring, toggles
  \n2:00 zig through Burnt Coat and out tickle
  \n2:45 Lunt’s harbor’ pick up mooring, raft
  \njerry can refueling to avoid fuel dock
  \nsteak, last of MA Hannifords
  \ncell all over until used, then quit<\/p>\n

  Sun 4 Mud Hole, Great Waas Island<\/strong>
  \nhot! calm blue
  \n9:15 off sunny no wind
  \n3:00 sailing as the current turns
  \n4:40 gybe into Mud Hole Channel
  \n5:15 drop anchor in an empty Mud Hole
  \nCalypso briefly stops in entrance
  \nBBQ chix
  \nzip cell
  \nanchor windlass works! 120′ w\/kellet<\/p>\n

  Mon 5 Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert Island<\/strong>
  \nclang of halyards – wind’s up!
  \n10:30 weigh anchor
  \ncloudy, cold, slog into W w\/ current
  \n‘beke stalls twice south of MDI
  \nsail carefully across Eastern Way to SW
  \nH HINCKLEY mooring by Todd D
  \n5 bars LTE!
  \nsteak<\/p>\n

  Tue 6 Buckle Harbor, Swans Island<\/strong>
  \nsunny, calm
  \n12:45 head out, no meaningful or useful wind
  \n4:00 anchor 60′ out in 7 feet
  \n2 bars 4G
  \nSantaFe chicken Backpaker’s Pantry<\/p>\n

  Wed 7 Perry Creek, Vinalhaven<\/strong>
  \nlight wind
  \n10:00 weigh anchor
  \n12:30 Mark I and sail!
  \n1:30 the FI Thoro, sailing 5+ in 4+ wind
  \n2:30 down at the very end, boy toy mooring!
  \nweak, occasional cell
  \nlobster from Brown’s<\/p>\n

  Thu 8 Rockland Harbor<\/strong>
  \nwarm, overcast,
  \n8:30 rain!
  \n10:30 off in above
  \nsome genoa sailing at 4 kts across
  \n1:00 Rockland
  \n1:30 all set on J’s End JBW moorings $30
  \ndine at Rock Harbor Bar & Brewery
  \ncell unpredictable, can make but not answer Verizon calls
  \niMessage and texting works<\/p>\n

  Fri 8 Harbor Island, Musocngus Bay<\/strong>
  \n6:00 overcast, storm on radar
  \n10:15 off into rain
  \nMRC all fog – get to play with 3G radar again – and current foul
  \n3:30 moorings! Take both; no raft
  \nsteak – chix gone bad<\/p>\n

  Sat 10 Cliff Island, Casco Bay<\/strong>
  \nblue skies! lingering fog
  \n9:15 off
  \nno wind angle, motor down the fingers
  \nPaul got last free mooring, we raft
  \nsteak(s)<\/p>\n

  Sun 11 Gosport Harbor, Isles of Shoals<\/strong>
  \ncool, clear
  \n8:15 off to Dolphin for fuel and water, trash off
  \n9:30 off again, outside and south
  \nlight wind on nose, of course
  \n7:00 belated raft.cold steak<\/p>\n

  Mon 12 Onset!?<\/strong>
  \n8:30 off
  \n2:45 Oak Rock and wind clearly on nose
  \nmotor across Mass Bay \/ Boston Harbor
  \n7:00 under tow, Tim on Unity II
  \n2:50 off tow, on mooring, at rest
  \nMH chili mac w\/cheese under tow<\/p>\n

  Tue 13 Onset<\/strong>
  \ngray, calm, humid, warm
  \ndinghy ashore in light rain<\/p>\n

  <\/a>The Long Version…<\/em><\/strong>
  \n
  \nSat 27 Onset<\/strong>
  \non board
  \nsnack for dinner
  \nhoist and roll dinghy on deck
  \nillumination night, flares and bands dixie on shore, r&r on MV Viking
  \nlight rain overnight
  \nacceptable 3G, sometimes LTE<\/p>\n

  Sun 28 Duxbury, Clarks Island<\/strong>
  \n10:30 off into dreary drizzle
  \n45 min CCC transit
  \nwind on the nose
  \n3:30 mooring at Clarks I.
  \nall motoring
  \nuse 3G radar in light fog; makes sense
  \nfavorable current into Bug Light!
  \ncould do without red & black pots
  \nshowers
  \nmissing part on Magma stove!
  \nsteak
  \ngood LTE<\/p>\n

  Mon 29 Isles of Shoals, Gosport Harbor<\/strong>
  \nfoggy, quite; feels like could be hot
  \nstill but for birds
  \n8:45 off
  \n9:30 clear of Gurnet and 020 to Isles of Shoals
  \n2.0 kts wind
  \n11:15 genoa
  \n12:00 sail with 10 kts but too slow
  \n1:00 watching clouds towards shore
  \n2:00 motor w\/ genoa and rain
  \n3:00 blue skies
  \n8:30 IofS mooring, rafted, and a new storm, mostly t&l to south
  \nbasicall all motor
  \nsteak, cold veggies
  \nweak 3G<\/p>\n

  Tue 30 Cliff Island, Casco Bay<\/strong>
  \ndawn fog, birds
  \nthen sun, blue and still birds
  \nfoggy on coast
  \n8:45 off
  \n10:30 genoa! wind opp forecast
  \ndecent LTE along coast
  \n1:30 try sailing and it works!
  \n6:30 on mooring
  \ncold chicken
  \nwrong Magma part p\/u by Sally at Hamilton?
  \nsoso 4G cell<\/p>\n

  ah-hah, need new regulator for Magma to fit new venturi!
  \n
  \nWed 31 Harbor Island, Muscongus Bay<\/strong>
  \nsunny, blue, wram
  \ndecide to fuel at Dolphin on Harpswell and skip Pt Clyde
  \nStop in Rockland to get Magma part and more fuel
  \n12:00 off with 15 gal plus H2O
  \nCalypso goes back for dinghy
  \nnice return to path; this a good stop!
  \nperfect reach up the fingers
  \nHanse 45 barely passes us
  \nHamilton Rockland has part!
  \n7:00 Harbor – ugly
  \npass up only mooring – no more mr nice guy!
  \nanchor drags
  \nwindlass slow in raising
  \ndrift into pot buoy, wrap prop
  \ntrap drags us into powerboat
  \ncan’t saw line off
  \nCalypso arrives, anchors and dinghy tows us to raft
  \nsteak
  \nEDGE cell<\/p>\n

  Thu 1 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka Minister Creek, North Haven Island<\/strong>
  \ncold, fog, beautiful
  \nget diver $100
  \n11:00 off to catch MRC current
  \nGo up past Otter I. and through Caldwell I. “tickle.”
  \nfewer pots?
  \n4:00 Rockland at Journey’s End fuel dock
  \nQuick Hamilton stop
  \n5:30 off
  \nlevely sail across W. Pen Bay.
  \nthis is Maine sailing!
  \n7:30 Cabot Cove!
  \ngrab mooring (bad! – ignoring soverignty) and raft
  \nsteak
  \nMagma grill works better than ever with new regulator
  \nno at&t but Verizon service<\/p>\n

  Fri 2 Pulpit Harbor, Cabot Cove aka Minister Creek, North Haven Island<\/strong>
  \nrain as predicted but warm
  \nplan hike to store when clearing
  \nVerizon hot spot works
  \nplan (?) rest of trip
  \ndinghy to town dock and walk – get rides both ways – to store
  \nbring trash
  \none block ice
  \nwatch weather come and go as does fog on thorofare
  \ngreat rainbow, double, hung there for long time!
  \nfresh scallops in pan<\/p>\n

  middle of night, Globe sold
  \n
  \nSat 3 Lunt Harbor, Frenchboro, aka Long Island<\/strong>
  \nbright, crisp, calm
  \n9:30 off
  \n3G cell!
  \nrain?
  \n12:30 MerchRow, motoring, toggles
  \nJericho Bay full of pots; one thump but keep on going
  \n2:00 zig through Burnt Coat and out tickle
  \nnot too full, given a music festival
  \n2:45 Lunt’s harbor’ pick up mooring, raft
  \nnot a “deli” mooring so free
  \nyes, the remnants of a pot buoy are on the prop – the Shark works!
  \nnature trail walk
  \njerry can refueling to avoid fuel dock
  \nsteak, last of MA Hannifords
  \ncell all over until used, then quit<\/p>\n

  Sun 4 Mud Hole, Great Waas Island<\/strong>
  \nhot! calm blue
  \nstill planning trip; like ordering pizza!
  \n9:15 off sunny no wind
  \nfoul current but not so bad; just the motoring
  \ngo anyway or stop, say at split?
  \ncell off Schoodic
  \n1:30 ‘tit Manan; land in distance, perhaps fog
  \n3:00 sailing as the current turns
  \n4:40 gybe into Mud Hole Channel
  \n5:15 drop anchor in an empty Mud Hole
  \nCalypso briefly stops in entrance
  \nrain! colors of sky!
  \nBBQ chix
  \nzip cell
  \nanchor windlass works! 120’ w\/kellet<\/p>\n

  Mon 5 Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert Island<\/strong>
  \nweak dawn, no pic
  \nclang of halyards – wind’s up!
  \nbrief hike on southern shore
  \n10:30 weigh anchor
  \nhead out with wind on nose of course
  \ncloudy, cold, slog into W w\/ current
  \n‘beke stalls twice south of MDI
  \nsail carefully across Eastern Way to SW
  \npower slowly to H HINCKLEY mooring by Todd D
  \n5 bars LTE!
  \nsteak
  \nvisit in cockpit w\/ Todd Dunn
  \nhand off trash
  \ncold night
  \n
  \nTue 6 Buckle Harbor, Swans Island<\/strong>
  \nsunny, calm
  \nvisit T&L on Tortuga
  \nwalk to Sawyers
  \n12:45 head out, no meaningful or useful wind
  \n2:15 Calypso potted (toggled?) across from Bass Harbor!
  \ncontinue to Buckle
  \n4:00 anchor 60′ out in 7 feet
  \n2 bars 4G
  \nshowers! (us)
  \nSantaFe chicken Backpaker’s Pantry
  \nsound of surf and bell other side of island
  \ntowel on companionway for heat and mosquitos<\/p>\n

  Wed 7 Perry Creek, Vinalhaven<\/strong>
  \nbright, no dew!
  \nlight wind
  \nboats leaving slowly, perhaps due to shorter sails in Pen Bay?
  \n10:00 weigh anchor
  \nJericho Bay all pots, all time
  \ntake middle passage betweeo DI Thoro and Merch Row
  \n12:30 Mark I and sail!
  \n1:30 the FI Thoro, sailing 5+ in 4+ wind
  \n2:30 down at the very end, boy toy mooring!
  \nmany stop by, amazed at use of this mooring
  \nweak, occasional cell
  \nif better might have not stepped in scallop\/sand\/muck
  \nnice trails on north side; well walked
  \nlobster from Brown’s<\/p>\n

  Thu 8 Rockland Harbor<\/strong>
  \nwarm, overcast,
  \n8:30 rain!
  \n10:30 off in above
  \nsome genoa sailing at 4 kts across
  \n1:00 Rockland
  \n1:30 all set on J’s End JBW moorings $30
  \nbit rolly and not as close in as Beggars RIP Wharf
  \nboom spouts water like fire hose
  \nbut showers, laundry, Wifi
  \ndinghy launched
  \nHamiltons, of course, and new S-H HH VHF $110
  \nBofA all gone from Maine!
  \nHannifords
  \ndine at Rock Harbor Bar & Brewery
  \nfour trips with Joe’s Cab; three same young driver
  \ncell unpredictable
  \ncan make but not answer Verizon calls
  \niMessage and texting works
  \niPad says Extended Network – turns out this means nothing<\/p>\n

  Fri 8 Harbor Island, Musocngus Bay<\/strong>
  \n6:00 overcast, storm on radar
  \nhaul dinghy
  \n6:30 good t-storm
  \n9:30 skip fuel, Paul gets us one ice, takes trash
  \n10:15 off into rain
  \nMRC all fog – get to play with 3G radar again – and current foul
  \nwork from dodger steering station most of day
  \n“watching the pots go by….” Crissie Hynde?
  \n30 kts crossing Musc Bay and ‘beke stall couple of times
  \n3:30 moorings! Take both; no raft
  \nMerries drop back on line to our boat for dinner
  \nsteak – chix gone bad
  \nrain finally ends, followed by mosquito bloodbath
  \n
  \nSat 10 Cliff Island, Casco Bay<\/strong>
  \nblue skies! lingering fog
  \nlobster boat wandering about
  \nstill otherwise, birds
  \n9:15 off
  \nno wind angle, motor down the fingers
  \nbig boat regatta at Boothbay jumble
  \nmotor stalls so try to tack offshore around
  \nwindy uneven; lighter once out!
  \nslow way in raft on mooring
  \npowerboats, only one sail
  \ngot last free one
  \nchange Racor -yuk! This it?
  \nsteak(s)<\/p>\n

  Sun 11 Gosport Harbor, Isles of Shoals<\/strong>
  \ncool, clear
  \nHonda on stern of powerboat – they can’t hear it!
  \n8:15 off to Dolphin for fuel and water, trash off
  \n9:00 there asked if milk sold in pints’ kid brings a cup of milk!
  \nmarina convenient for n\/s trips, good hours, open dock, good help
  \n9:30 off again, outside and south
  \n‘beke seems okay, up to 6+ knots
  \nlight wind on nose, of course
  \n2:!5 Zzzzzzzzz
  \n4:15 stall? Drop speed
  \n7:00 belated raft.cold steak<\/p>\n

  Mon 12 Onset!?<\/strong>
  \nUp at 7:30
  \nRacor looks clean but change
  \n8:30 off
  \nmotor at 5 knots today
  \nsail to P-town? Not enough wind
  \n2:45 Oak Rock and wind clearly on nose
  \nmotor across Mass Bay \/ Boston Harbor
  \n4:30 have to drop revs
  \nnot going to make it anywhere useful
  \n5:00 call TowBoatUS
  \n7:00 under tow, Tim on Unity II
  \n11:30 canal opp current
  \n1:30 out of canal
  \n2:50 off tow, on mooring, at rest
  \nMH chili mac w\/cheese under tow<\/p>\n

  Tue 13 Onset<\/strong>
  \ngray, calm, humid, warm
  \ndinghy ashore in light rain<\/p>\n

  <\/a>What Worked… <\/em><\/strong>
  \nWorked<\/strong>
  \niPhone 5 great for Internet access: forecasts; weather radar, social networks (see not, below)
  \nMaxwell windlass, after problems at Harbor Island<\/p>\n

  Not worked<\/strong>
  \nat&t cell coverage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  A cruise of new and old harbors but either no wind or wind on the nose. We were treated to several days\u2019 worth of rainbows, here in Cabot Cove, rafted with fellow cruisers, Paul & Sally Merry. The Mud Hole, Frenchboro, Pulpit Harbor, Perry Creek, Rockland<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sailing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sailonset.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}