6th Week Penobscott Bay - Mount Desert Island

Mount Desert to Penobscot Bay

Folks I must tell you - Mount Desert is a wonderful destination.  The free public bus transportation (Island Express) is tremendous.  They will pick you up anywhere and drop you off where ever you want to go.  We returned from Trafton and spent 4 days in Northeast Harbor - The Asticou gardens and trails were fabulous.  Unfortunately the weather held us hostage.  After 2 days we tried to leave and were fogged in repeatedly.  I got a chance to entertain the other cruisers with some jazz and blues sax playing and in fact a sailboat (Twilight Zone) gave us a wonderful card and bottle of Champagne.  We met a wonderful couple from Annapolis that has agreed to let us use their dock in October (thank you Blue Moon).  After our second reprovisioning run to Hannafords in Bar Harbor we are getting this shopping and carrying (12 bags this time) down to a black art.  When the weather finally broke on the 4th day it was like Moses and the Israelites from Egypt (OK slight exaggeration - poetic liscence).  We were the last of 6 boats that headed out into the morning fog. 

We finally left Mount Desert and headed for Merchants row (able to meet Harry at Merchants Island/harbor Isl).  Great area with wonderful views of the entire Penobscot Bay and awesome stars.  We went with Harry on the Mud Duck to Ducks Harbor on Isle De Haut and I must tell you listening audience that this is a very small harbor (able to accomodate 3 boats) that can be scary when you include less then compentent sailors.  We took a wonderful hike up the mountain and watched two boats from Ct. make fools of themselves (and also almost hit the Mud Duck) trying to be the 5th and 6th  boats anchoring in this small harbor.  We had several libations taking bets on which boat would drag first and cooling off in the 60F water.  Jake of course spent the most time in the water swimming, but even Chris doggy paddled between the two boats.  We sat out on one of the Harbors promitories and watched a beautiful sunset while eating beach peas - Eli is a great berry and pea hunter.

Harry and the Saniti parted from Ducks Harbor and we headed for Perry's Creek to wait out a major storm front.  We had 3 hours of Lightening and only 1/2 hour of heavy rain - though Chris and I sat in the cockpit for 2 hours waiting for hell and damnation to hit - NOAA predicted the end of the earth again.  We also finally got to explore the other side of the Creek's trails and were treated to a stroll through a 2 acre Fern Forest.  Jake, Eli and I played our standard pine cone wars and Eli and Jake took turns hiding in the Ferns.  We also took a memorable dinghy ride up the creek (yes with paddles) at high tide - the creek goes for an additional 2 miles through conservency land.  The whistle from the other side of the island made for a ghostly ride in this truly natural haven.

A wonderful father and daughter team on a Alden Vega 25 in Perry Creek recommended Warren Island off Isleboro so that was our next destination.  Again unfortunately the winds were not with us most of this leg so we motored most of the way.  We got to Warren early enough to have our pick of the free moorings (finally a State Benefit that we can use).  Warren Island is a State Park that is filled with hiking trails, camp sites and crabs (kids are becoming master crab catchers).  We first went across to the Gilley Harbor Light House Museum - small but very cool - complete with its own ghost.  Then spent the next day hiking trails and awaiting our next storm. About 2:30pm the rain started - truly the definition of raining buckets that ended with 35 knot winds (a true Gale) that also lasted for about 45 minutes.  Our mooring held (1000 pound block) and we settled down to Crabs Marinara  - thanks to the kids expert crabbing performance earlier in the day.  Just to let everyone know that it takes quite awhile to get all the meat out of 7 crabs.   We left from Warren Island on Tuesday (8/7) for Belfast Harbor to reprovision, pump out our holding tank, and set up for the wind and rain storm expected 8/8.

True to form, we motor sailed up to Belfast - beautiful passage with thankfully few Lobster Pots.  Chris and I are swearing off lobster as a protest to the obnoxious over abuse of the lobstering of the Gulf of Maine.  We have to have two spotters at all times to keep from snagging a pot or toggle.   Anyway - Belfast is a cool town with a flavor somewhere between Bar Harbor and Stonnington.  Great public library and $25/nite moorings.

Chris will take over now since I have used up my time - As always Captain Crusty (hopefully learning to  be less Crusty before the crew Mutiny's)