Jewell Island, Maine

We left Stage Island Harbor yesterday morning, after experiencing a delightful rain storm two evenings ago, with heavy rain, thunder and lightening and a double rainbow stretching from Stage Island to Cape Island. Pulling up anchor, we maneuvered out of the harbor without the instrument displaying the course through the entrance working so it was a bit of adventure at the helm navigating past all the lobster pot buoys and the rocks below water level, but we made it without hitting anything, not even a single pot!

Thunderstorm at Stage Island Harbor

Rainbow and lightning at Stage Island Harbor

Negotiating past rocks on Trott Island

Since Peter had worked on the engine again, we used it for a while at high revs to burn off gunk and see how it worked. He is convinced now that the shaft must be slightly bent, but that cannot be fixed now. As soon as there was sufficient wind, we killed the engine and sailed along nicely at 4 to 5 knots, sheeting the sails out to fly wing and wing for the last part of the trip to Jewell Island. 

At Jewell Island in Casco Bay, everyone anchors in Cocktail Cove, which is long but narrow. Because it is necessary to allow enough room to swing when the wind changes, larger sailboats have to drop in one behind the other while smaller sailboats and powerboats scatter about. Two other boats arrived in the cove later in the day and dropped in behind us out to the entrance of the cove. We were visited by people from the two boats in front of us who were sailing for a week together out of Beverly, Massachusetts. The wooden boat just ahead of us was owned by Ed, and his brother Mike and his wife Jessica were on the next vessel. They came on board to see our boat since it is fairly unique (Only 26 Sundeers were built.), and we stopped by Mike and Jessica's boat for drinks after we had hiked.

The island, along with others in Casco Bay, was part of the U.S. military's defense system during WWII with three coastal artillary gun batteries and submarine watchtowers. Its purpose was to guard against mainland attacks on Portland, Maine, the closest U.S. port to Europe, as well as the South Portland Shipyard, which produced 236 liberty ships from 1941 to 1945. We climbed the highest of the towers for spectacular views of the bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. 

Halfway Rock Light from Jewell Island watchtower

View of some islands in Casco Bay

Trail with soft duff

Jewell Island before sunset

Somehow, we have neglected to stock insect repellent on the boat, and the mosquitoes and other insects love the Maine woods. Fortunately, although they stayed with us, often making that annoying sound near my ears, they did not inflict any harm. The trails on this unpopulated island (with the exception of a summer caretaker) are well-maintained and parts of them are covered with fine duff, making them soft to walk on.

This morning, around high tide, Peter and I kayaked to the south end of the island and then along the west side of Little Jewell, which becomes its own block of land in high water rather the skinny side of a horseshoe, with the cove open to the Bay from the south as well as the north during those times. The tidal range is increasing; it is now 12 feet. 

Outcrop of rock on Jewell Island

Eroded metamorphic rock on shore

Mantra in Cocktail Cove, Jewell Island

Peter has worked on the generator today--he thinks that after four and a half years he has finally pinpointed the reason it stutters out seemingly randomly but nevertheless reliably. There is a small arm on the solenoid that appears to be either temperature or vibration sensitive; he removed it, and the generator ran smoothly for over an hour, until it quit under our command rather than its own will. Also, he equalized the house batteries (whatever that means--and, no, I don't know what a solenoid is). 

It is very peaceful and slow here, and there are no mooring balls. We have spent some time identifying birds, including herring gulls in their third year, olive-sided flycatchers and arctic terns.

The sun is getting low in the western sky and we are enjoying drinks in the pilot house. For the first time since we left Boston, it is warm on the water, although not hot. We were able to kayak in just swimsuits this morning. It is cooling down some as the daylight wanes, so we have on fleeces on deck.