Cruising Penobscot Bay with OCC and visiting Acadia National Park

At the luncheon on Sunday with other Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) members, we received the itinerary for cruising with other boats around Penobscot Bay, which included a farm tours, a tour of a boatworks shop, trivia games on the beach and a potluck finger food party on two boats rafted together in Seal Bay at Vinalhaven.

On Monday morning, the fog was so thick that we could hardly see nearby boats in the mooring field. Luckily, the radar reflector, which we have rarely used elsewhere but is seen on most cruising boats here, was mounted high on a shroud and was effective in "seeing" other boats. Our first stop was for a potluck lunch on an island west of Gilkey Harbor owned by a couple of OCC members. From the pebbly beach, we walked through a marshy area to their cabin in the woods. Five other OCC members joined us, so there were nine of us on the rustic screened in porch. The conversation, of course, was about boats and passages and destinations.

The owners had to return to the mainland, but the rest of us set off for Kent Cove on North Haven Island. Peter had plotted a course through open water, but we ignored it and followed Equinox through unmarked passages since they know the local waters. Close to a dozen yachts met up there, and one boat hosted happy hour on their boat. I needed a break from people, so I stayed alone on Mantra for a couple hours. 

The next morning (Tuesday, August 23), we all went to land at Fish Point on North Haven Island to take a tour of Turner Farm. The land was settled by a Massachusetts family of European descent in 1784 and stayed in the family for six generations, for 200 years. Their farm was very productive and profitable. It changed ownership a couple times after 1984, and in 2021, the privately owned 153 acre property was donated to the American Farmland Trust. Benjamin White, the owner and operator of the company that manages the farm, provided all us with an insightful, fact-filled tour of some of the farm, including the propogation shed, the greenhouses, the open fields and the recently built barn, which is now used for dining, wedding and other events. No plows or tractors are used on the land because of the commitment to soil conservation. We were very impressed with Benjamin's knowledge, commitment and enthusiasm.

Benjamin talking in the propagation shed

Tomatoes and volunteer zinnias in a greenhouse

Turner Farm barn

Old stone wall and Kent Cove

After the farm tour, the boats all moved to Seal Bay at Vinalhaven, all except us, because Peter wanted to try Winter Harbor on the northern side of Penobscot Island rather the south side of Seal Bay. There is a narrow opening over rocky ledges, but we made it through successfully--that day, at least!

We took our dinghy through the cut west of Penobscot Island to Seal Bay and joined the finger food party there, where Floyd, Maryann, Peter and I all enjoyed the tasty treats and good conversation.

The next (foggy) morning (Wednesday, August 24), we joined Rich from S/V Kelly Rae and Hartley and Lesley from S/V Atsa exploring the waters of Fish Hook just northwest of our anchorage. They were in kayaks but we took our dinghy since there were four of us and Floyd and Maryann did not feel comfortable handling the dinghy on their own. The scenery of coastal Maine--the winding waters, rocky ledges, pebbly beaches and mixed forests--continued to delight our eyes. When an engine is not necessary, it is so quiet also. After enjoying the peacefulness, the seven of us returned to Mantra for hot chocolate.

Lesley, Rich and Hartley paddling in the chilly fog

Trailing the dinghy, we pulled up anchor and began to head out to the next anchorage when catastrophe occurred. The tide was lower than when we arrived, but that is no excuse for my ineptitude at the helm. I realized too late that we were on course for a rocky ledge and at first there was a bump and then a violent, jerking stop. I flew from behind the wheel, knocking my head on a winch, as other things went flying. I was fine and no one else was harmed. We were still afloat but very concerned as we cleaned up spilled drinks and collected tossed items. Later I threw away a couple broken glasses in the galley, but there was not any significant damage down below. (Luckily, we are disciplined about keeping things stowed securely.) Peter went down into the engine room to assess the situation and found that one of the water tank brackets had broken, although the tank was still in place. An alternator wire had come loose. Later, he determined that the jolt had sheered off two bolts on the plate supporting the generator and, when he dove below the surface, he found that there is a large dent in the lead keel but, very fortunately, no other discernable damage. Of course, I was emotionally as well as physically shaken and needed a time out, so Floyd was forced to assume some of my on-deck duties for a while as I stayed in the cabin and mentally kicked myself for the accident.

Nevertheless, our ability to continue was unimpaired, and we made it to our next anchorage at Hells Half Acre. That day's activity was a nautical trivia contest on the beach. Indeed, most of the information needed to answer correctly was not well known, so we were not alone in failing to answer anything correctly. 

Back on Mantra, we sat in the pilot house and enjoyed the constantly changing atmospheric conditions for a couple hours before sunset. Another OCC member, Hartley, took some gorgeous photos of our boat in the fog and intense light.

View west from Mantra

Mantra at 6 p.m.

Mantra at 6:20 p.m.

Just after sunset, at 7:25

Panoramic view at 6:45 p.m.

Mantra and another OCC boat with stunning light condition, 6:40 p.m.

The morning of Thursday, August 25, saw up raising anchor again for the next leg of the journey with other OCC members. While they continued on directly to anchor near the small town of Brooklin on the mainland, we stopped at the WoodenBoat School on the eastern side of Brooklin to explore. Situated on a bay on a beautiful piece of land, the school was started in 1980, as fiberglass boats were becoming more popular, to foster and teach the skills and craftsmanship necessary for maintaining and building wooden boats. It offers classes in lofting, woodworking, hand tool use, various types of construction of hulls, and other skills. We were able to observe classes and building in progress as we walked around the grounds.

Wooden boat with measurement and angle lines

One of the sheds

Building a new boat

Working on a new construction

Craftsmen working on a planked boat hull

Rowing canoe

Boat in need of attention

Construction of a chaison dory in progress

Peter examining a boat being constructed with cold molding by epoxy

Plans and boat under construction showing framing

We continued on a short distance and anchored north of Torrey Island across the Brooklin on the mainland. We met up with the others on land around 5 p.m. at the only restaurant in town, the Brooklin Inn, and enjoyed another good meal, returning to our boat just before sunset.

Heavy rain started in the night, and at the same time thick fog settled over the water. Scheduled for Friday morning was a trip to shore by dinghy and a 10 a.m. tour of the Brooklin Boat Yard, famous for the quality of its craftsmanship. Prepared with a handheld compass and lights, Peter and Floyd vanished into the fog; Maryann and I decided the weather was not conducive to travel by dinghy. Peter took some good photographs and made good and necessary use of the compass also.

OCC members in foul weather gear at Brooklin Boat Yard

Boat being repaired

OCC members enjoying the tour

That was the end of the OCC rally in Penobscot Bay, and the four of us were on our own. Although the rain lightened, the fog did not disperse; we chose to spend another night in the calm anchorage before continuing Down East. It was yet another evening of cards and games and eating on board. 

Foggy and rainy sunset

On Saturday, August 28, we raised anchor at 9 a.m. and sailed under gloomy skies to Little Cranberry Island, arriving four hours later. We enjoyed the views of Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and the mountains of Acadia National Park on the way. Having been on board for over 24 hours, we were anxious to get to land to do some exploring. At the dock, an old wood shingled building has been converted from an active lobster processing facility to a fine restaurant and galleries. From the outside, it looks rather run-down, but we found lovely things to admire and great food inside. The restaurant was not open for lunch, but we were able to purchase meals (lobster rolls for the other three in our group) just pass the long wharf house and eat with a view of the bay at picnic tables on a large lawn which the recent rain had done little to revive to greenness.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse 

Mountains of Acadia National Park

After lunch, we walked around the small town, past the little but charming library building (unfortunately closed) to a two-story art gallery featuring the works of artists. They represented an array of media and styles. We particularly appreciated the fantastic, Japanese-print influenced works of an artist names Matt Brown. After enjoying the excellent gallery, we walked back toward the water and visited the Acadia National Park Museum, which featured the history of the Cranberry Islands as well as farming, lobstering, fishing and building and maintaining community on them.

Church in Islesford

Home and garden in Islesford

Pottery studio and shop

Hyacinths in front of the library

The museum closed at 4 p.m., and we returned to the boat for a while and then came back to land for dinner at the Isleford Dock Restaurant (the walls of which were used for displaying the works of local artists). The food was excellent and the varnished and well-maintaind wood inside was in stark contrast to the moss and lichen covered unfinished shingles on the exterior walls. 

Interesting growth on exterior

Islesford Dock

Peter, Floyd, Maryann and Floyd at the restaurant

The next morning (Sunday, August 28), we motored the short distance to Northeast Harbor on the southern shore of Mount Desert Island, picking up a mooring ball for two nights close to the harbormaster's dinghy dock. It was a sunny and relatively warm day. We took the dinghy to shore and caught one of the free Acadia shuttle buses to Jordan Pond. We walked the three mile trail around the pond, along boardwalks over marshy land and over boulders where the steep hillside met the shoreline on the west side and then along a easy path through the trees near the water. After this jaunt, we stopped for lunch at the restaurant at Jordon Pond House. It seems that popovers are a common menu item here, and, even though our meals were filling, we could not resist having them stuffed with ice cream and drizzled with sauce.

Bridge over stream at the north end of Jordan Pond

East side of the trail around the pond

Water skimmers

Jordan Pond

View of the Bubbles from the south end of Jordan Pond

After lunch, Floyd and Maryann wanted to continue to explore by bus and Peter and I wanted to walk some more, so we agreed to meet back at the Jordon Pond bus stop to catch the last of the day at 4:40 p.m. It did not work out that way. Just after starting out on one of the charming carriage roads constructed by John Rockefeller Jr. in the 1920s, we decided that instead of doing a short loop we would walk the trail along Jordan Stream and Little Long Pond and meet the bus to Northeast at sea level near Seal Harbor. We attempted to contact Floyd and Maryann by phone, but there was no cell service. We figured if we couldn't reach them by phone by 4:40, they would figure out that we had changed plans and get the bus on their own. Not wanting to miss the bus ourselves, we hiked quickly downhill through the woods, with Peter surging ahead possibly to reach a spot with cell service. There was one place where the trail split; I could not see which way Peter went, but we had discussed going by trail and not by carriage road, so I continued on the trail, hoping to catch sight of Peter in front of me. Going at a snappy pace, I was surprised when I heard him calling me from behind. He had taken a wrong turn before the carriage road split and then had to backtrack. However, this allowed him to reach higher ground where he was able to get in touch with Maryann, who revealed that they had misread the bus schedule (It had just recently changed from summer to fall times even though, supposedly, it is still summer here in Maine.) and found themselves stranded in Bar Harbor, where they persuaded a private citizen to drive them back to Northeast. 

Peter hiking under a carriage road bridge

Jordan Stream

Carving on the David and Neva Trail

Little Long Pond

We reached the main road near Seal Harbor knowing that the bus was now long gone, but the first person we asked gave us a ride right to the harbormaster's dock. What an adventure!

The next day (Monday, August 29), we went to shore to catch the 9:55 bus to Jordan Pond and then the next Loop Bus, which runs every 20 minutes. Floyd and Maryann opted to go to the visitors center and we hopped off the bus at the North Ridge Trail stop to climb to the top of Cadillac Mountain. It's 1128 feet of elevation gain in 2.1 miles, rather strenuous, particularly for someone who has been living literally at sea level since late April and doing little in terms of cardiovacular exercise. It was a steady uphill trail with many boulders and large steps to clamber up and sloping expanses of granite to cross, but we made it and enjoyed the views and our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the top.

A view from the top of Cadillac Mountain

Peter and Sherri atop Cadillac Mountain

We chose to descend toward Bar Harbor via the Gorge Trail, which was very challenging for quite a way down the mountain. We scrambled and jumped and lowered ourselves with help from hand holds over boulders and giant stairs not intended for people with short legs! The views of the narrow gorge are outstanding, though, and eventually a less strenuous path was encountered that did not require me to make strange contorsions to lower myself sideways over mini-precipices. We walked out to the road where there is a small parking lot but no bus stop. We flagged down a bus; the driver advised us that it was not a very safe place to stand along the road, but, hey, we had already survived Cadillac! We got off at Sieur de Mont and briefly visited the Wild Gardens of Acadia (It is small.) before catching the bus to Jordan Pond and then Northeast, having arranged to meet Floyd and Maryann at the Asticou Inn at the head of the harbor at 6 p.m. When we got off the bus near the inn at 5 p.m., they were already waiting, but we had arrived early in order to visit the nearby Thuya Garden before dinner, so we left them there and walked along the road for a short distance until we found the trail leading up to the garden. 

The Gorge on Mount Desert Island

Sherri on the Gorge Trail

Stream through the northern gorge

The garden is amazingly colorful and maintained, with lovely spots to sit and enjoy the beauty of it all. Of course, I took a zillion photos.

We walked out the other, western end of the garden along a wooded path that led to a road back down to the inn. We were just a couple minutes late, and Floyd and Maryann were already seated on the harbor-facing porch. As the sun dropped behind the mountains, the temperature dropped and the dampness increased, but we enjoyed the food, service and views. It was starting to get dark as we were leaving, but we chose to take the Asticou Stream trail just past the inn down to the town, finishing the last part of the descent on sidewalks (which are often not available in this rural area).

The next morning (Tuesday, August 30) we dropped the mooring ball and headed for Somes Sound, stopping to pump out the holding tank, fuel with diesel and take on water at Clifton Dock. Partway up the sound, we dropped anchor in Valley Cove. After lunch, Peter and I went to shore to explore; Maryann and Floyd remained on board. From the rock and pebble beach, Peter and I took a trail to Flying Mountain, a 284-foot peak (I guess) with great views of the sound and the mountains and then came back by the loop route using the car-free Valley Cove Road, a one-lane dirt track. 

Mantra in Valley Cove by scree slope and ledges

View from Flying Mountain

We had 16-18 knot wind from the south, so we used the genoa to cruise the rest of the way to Somes Harbor. Our intention had been to have a last meal out at Abel's Lobster Pound before Floyd and Maryann's departure the next day, but the fetch from the sound was making almost breaking little waves and rain was predicted for the evening. One way or the other, we would have been quite wet riding in the dinghy, so we stayed aboard and enjoyed pasta primavera instead of lobster. As had become our habit, we played a couple games before bed, as the rain started.

Although it was somewhat foggy the next morning (Wednesday, August 31), with intermittent rain, it was dry when they departed around noon via dinghy to a catch a pre-arranged taxi to the airport. (Uber and Lyft do not seem to be an option around here.) And then the sun came out and the temperature rose to the low 70s (WOW!) and I cleaned the boat and Peter got on with various boat-related tasks and caught up on email. We also had enough cell phone service to enable me to write and post the last entry.

With dolphins frolicking around us, fish jumping and slapping the water, and seals popping up their heads like periscopes, we were content to stay in tranquil Somes Harbor another night. We visited with an Australian couple on the nextdoor boat later in the day on Thursday. They had looked us up on the OCC directly after they anchored and called Peter's cell. In 2019 they traveled from Scotland to the east coast of Canada, the opposite of our planned cruising for the summer of 2023, and they shared a lot of information with us about the beauty and the perils of Greenland and Iceland and sold us guide books that they did not plan to need again. 

Dolphins in Somes Harbor

Peter getting ready to dive to inspect the hull and keel

Early sunset, Somes Harbor

On Friday morning, September 2, we motor-sailed down Somes Sound to return to Northeast Harbor. Peter needed some marine supplies, and I needed to re-provision and do laundry. We picked up another mooring ball, intending to stay one night. After a quick lunch on board, I loaded up three large loads of laundry, my toiletries and towel, several reusuable grocery bags and my computer and called for the launch service to bring me in. The laundry was done expeditiously. The first two loads of washing were completed as I showered, with hot water pouring over me continuously (as opposed to only when I finish shampooing and washing)--such a luxury! I had a long chat with Katya, who is enjoying her new job at an animal hospital. After I finished all the folding from the dryers, Peter, who had been lucky at the hardware store, met me at the Pine Tree Market and we loaded up on food, seven full bags. Luckily, it was downhill to the dinghy dock with the heavy bags. (OK, the bag full of chips was light!) 

On the way to shore on the dinghy, Peter had stopped to say hi to a couple on a Canadian boat and asked them if they knew how well the hardware store was stocked with tools. The man asked him what he was looking for, and when Peter mentioned he needed a cable lug crimping tool to swage grounding terminals, the man had just what he needed on board and was willing to lend it! So Peter spent the late afternoon happily working on grounding wires so that he could return the tool before sunset.

Cormorant perched on our bimini

This morning, we decided to stay on the mooring ball for another night. Peter needed to create new water tank straps from dyneema rope he purchased yesterday. It's bright pink, so it will make the engine room more visually appealing! I really wanted to catch up with blogging (SUCCESS!) and look at possible travel options for Thanksgiving in West Virginia, and Peter wanted to catch up with email and get started on clearance into Canada. We have spent hours in the lounge/laundry room at the Northeast Harbor Yachtsman Building. We took a break to walk along Main Street, which was more lively than the last time we were here late last Sunday evening, and had lunch at Colonel's Delicatessen, which, like many area eateries, displayed the works of local artists on the walls. We liked having the chart for this area under epoxy on our tabletop.

Tomorrow, we set off again for a few more days Down East (A local told us today that the coast from here to Canada is the real Maine.) and New Brunswick.