Southwest Harbor to Fiddler’s Cove - August 1-10

Time to begin our trek southward. Saturday, August 1, we departed Southwest Harbor, cruised 23 miles and dropped the anchor in Billings Cove. Another beautiful anchorage. 

On Sunday we cruised 33 miles up Penobscot Bay/Passagassawakeag River (Really? It almost takes longer to say the name than to cruise it!) to Belfast, Maine. Here we took a mooring ball for 2 nights. Belfast is known to boaters for Front Street Shipyard and their enormous boat lift. The lift has a 485 ton (that’s nearly a million pounds and 20 times the weight of our boat) capacity capable of hauling large vessels and super yachts. Very impressive!  

After a couple of days of enjoying Belfast we cruised 12 miles to the area near Castine. Dominating the harbor is the State of Maine a 500 foot-long training ship of the Marine Maritime Academy. Passing that made us feel tiny! Just south of the harbor we dropped the anchor in Smith Cove. Another beautiful afternoon called for a dinghy ride through the islands.  Crazy currents, fighting them and riding them due to the incoming and outgoing tides made for a fun adventure. And dolphins!

On Wednesday we traveled 50 miles to Crotch Island where we had a beautiful night on anchor.

After 5 days it was time for a marina, fuel and water. We traveled 60 miles to South Portland Marine near Portland, Maine. 

It was a good stop and by the next morning we left with fuel, water, clean boat and freshly washed clothes. 

On Friday we cruised 22 miles to Biddeford, Maine where we snagged a free city mooring ball. That afternoon we took the dinghy over to Wood Island and Biddeford Pool a really sweet sand lined pocket. 

 The first mate really wanted to get to Kennebunkport as she heard many great things about the town. Kennebunkport is well known as the home to the Bush family’s summer estate.  We dropped the anchor 4 miles north of there in Cape Porpoise. Once we found a secure location we headed out on the dinghy for the 4 mile trek on the Atlantic to Kennebunkport passing the Bush estate on the way. Only $60 to dock the dinghy for 2 hours, what???   But we had a great lunch along the harbor and some shopping made it worthwhile.

This was our last stop in Maine.  Our 27 days in Maine were fabulous.  We saw so much, but know it’s impossible to see it all as Maine has 3,478 miles of shoreline and over 4000 islands. A boaters paradise. We were blessed with mostly sunny, warm, low wind days which is very unusual. 

Maine bid us a fantastic farewell with a whale extravaganza!  While cruising the Gulf of Maine, we came upon multiple pods of humpback whales. Some moving lazily along the surface while some gave us a wild show with jumps and flapping and pounding their pectoral fins. This is referred to as pec slapping. Wow!  Those guys are huge! 

After about an hour of our whale show, we continued on Gloucester, MA where we anchored overnight in the harbor where we had stopped also on our way up. After waiting to confirm that the anchor held, we determined that it was dragging, so we pulled it up to reset it, only to find we had snagged the chain and anchor of a nearby sailboat. Oops, sorry neighbor! We soon had it reset and everyone was happy. 

The next morning we got an early start for our 75 mile run to Buzzards Bay via the Cape Cod Canal. The waters were once again flat and a gorgeous day on the Cape Cod Bay.  While cruising we passed several large strange looking fish floating near the surface. Upon researching we figured out they were Mola Mola Sunfish. Check them out on Google to see how strange they look. That night we stayed at Safe Harbor Fiddler’s Cove at North Falmouth, MA. We enjoyed the great facilities of the marina, grilling area, fire pit, boaters lounge with pool table. 

Next up….Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard…

Little Captain, Big Lift

State of Maine Marine Military Academy 

Calm conditions make for a great anchorage 

Never tire of beautiful sunsets

Portland Harbor 

So many lighthouses 

Another beautiful night on anchor

Estate off Kennebunkport 

Anchorage in Cape Porpoise 

250 foot yacht exiting the canal as we entered.

 

July Stats

 JULY STATS

Miles traveled:  589

Trip to date miles traveled: 2068

Total Nights:     31

Anchor:     12

Mooring balls:    6

Marinas:     13

States:    4 ( Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine)

Maritimo sightings:  3

Hydraulic Lift Hoses Replaced: 6

Boat Haul outs: 1 - see above 

Gallons of diesel: Numbers on the pump go round and round!

Whale sightings: 1

National Parks Visited: 1 (Acadia)

Days with fog: 3

Haircuts on the swim platform: 1

Bugs: almost 0

Seals, lobster trap floats to dodge, lighthouses, fishermen. schooners, beautiful islands: too many to count.

Camden to Acadia National Park - July 22-31

Camden was gearing up for the big Camden Classic Cup sailboat race and this harbor was about to get crazy busy so we’re out of here! Over the past couple weeks, we have been having a bit of trouble with a hydraulic hose on our dinghy lift. Captain Fix-it went in the 55 degree water a few times to tighten the hose. However while in Camden it was obvious that it was getting worse and it was time to stop using it. Steve made phone calls to several local ports to find a location that could haul Island Bound out of the water in order to access the lift to assess the problems. Journeys End Marina in Rockland was able to schedule us for Monday morning. 

We now had 4 days to kill before our haul out on Monday. We took advantage of this time to explore several islands in southern Penobscot Bay. We enjoyed anchoring off Seven Hundred Acre Island, North Haven, and Vinalhaven Island. What an amazing area with rugged shorelines, endless coves and tons of seals to keep us entertained. In fact, we were often reminded of the old kids game “Whac-a-Mole”, except we called it Whac-a-Seal as we would be floating in the dinghy and the seals would constantly pop up their heads all around us, look around & then quietly slide back under the surface, like “Seal Team Six”, fun!

We could have spent more time in these beautiful islands but on Sunday we moved to Rockland in preparation to be hauled out Monday morning. The haul out went smoothly and Steve was able to replace all the hydraulic hoses on the lift in a couple hours. Success! It’s so great to have the dinghy back on the functioning lift after 4 days of towing it behind and tying it along side over night. 

Tuesday, we traveled 27 miles where we anchored out between more gorgeous rock lined islands near Stonington. 

On Wednesday we cruised 22 miles in the dense Maine fog we had been warned about but had not yet experienced. Love that radar!  We took a slip for 3 nights at Dysarts Great Harbor Marina at Southwest Harbor. Southwest Harbor is located on what the locals call the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island.  Mount Desert Island which the 6th largest island on the contagious United States is home to Acadia National Park.  LL Bean provides an extensive and free bus service throughout the island which was super handy for us floating nomads. On Sunday, we took the half hour bus ride to Bar Harbor to explore the city’s many shops and restaurants. On Monday, we again boarded the bus to Bar Harbor where we rented fat tire e-bikes to explore the 45 miles of carriage roads created by John D Rockefeller Jr between 1913 and 1940. 

We had so much fun riding on the broken stone roads through the native Maine pines and past the inland fresh water lakes. 

We have decided that this will be our turnaround point for the trip. Everyday has brought new sights and experiences. What a blast so far.

More adventures to come as we work our way south. 

Towing the dinghy -argh!

First mate bringing dinghy into anchorage 

Fuel dock 

 North Haven-Typical waterfront town

Local fishermen working in our anchorage - competing with the seals for fish

If I don’t get picked up in 6 hours.. the tide will have the waters 6 feet over my head

Beauty!

Seal watch!

Lazy afternoon 

Seal team six!

What a night!

View from back of boat at anchor 

Another great dinghy stop

Bar Harbor Wharf 

Acadia National Park

 

Portsmouth, NH to Camden, ME - July 14-21

Maine = lobster,  Lobster = fishermen, Fishermen = Lobster traps -everywhere!  Yup, the captain must be on full alert watching for the floats tied to the sunken lobster traps as we don’t want the line in our props. We installed line cutters ahead of the props this spring before launching the boat. In the event we do catch a line it should cut the line so it will not get tangled in our propellers. 

On Tuesday, July 14 we entered the waters off Maine. We traveled 68 miles along the coast of Maine, entering in Casco Bay up to South Freeport. That evening we anchored just outside the harbor where we watched a group of young kids sailing in a regatta. What a fun summer activity for the kids. The next morning we moved  a 1/4 mile to Brewer’s South Freeport Marina. (whew!) The harbor master volunteered to bring us to nearby Freeport where the LL Bean Flagship store and a large outlet mall are located. The first mate had a grand day of shopping! 

The next morning we continued north to Quahog Bay, located in the Orrs Island area. We stayed the night at Safe Harbor Great Island. The marina is nestled in a rocky, tree lined cove. Very beautiful! Once again the captain gave the boat a good washing while the first mate took advantage of the marina’s free laundry.  We are in a totally remote area so enjoyed grilling at the marina’s dock. 

Boothbay Harbor is a popular summer resort town located in a scenic bay. We read they were having their America 250th celebration over the weekend so it was a must go for us. On July 17 we took a mooring ball in the outer harbor.  A short ride on the dinghy took us to the town where did some exploring. That evening the town hosted an amazing drone show over the harbor. We were in a perfect spot to catch the show. Wow!  

Originally we had planned to spend 2 nights in Boothbay Harbor but the winds were scheduled to pick up from the south which meant the bay was going to whip up and get rough. The captain said “we are going to get beat up, let’s get out of here” - so we high tailed it out of there before the winds arrived. We traveled  43 miles to Rockland which is located in a protected harbor for the upcoming winds. We tied to a mooring ball for 2 nights. The weather was cool, rainy and windy but we were able to enjoy the cute town of Rockland and Steve’s 1st lobster of the trip. 

We have to take a moment to appreciate how good of weather we have had. In reading reviews on the harbor, we read that a boat came to Rockland in July 2024 after spending 3 weeks in rain and fog! We have read a lot about the thick fog in Maine, but have been blessed so far that we haven’t experienced it first hand… yet….

Next up was Camden. Camden Harbor is located at the foot of Mount Battie and is one of Maine’s busiest harbors. It’s a narrow harbor full of boats including the largest coastal schooner fleet in the country. Our home for 2 nights was Lyman-Morse Marina located in the heart of the action. It was entertaining to watch the busy harbor from our slip. What a fun town…lots of shops, restaurants and activity. We used the marina courtesy car to drive to the top of Mount Battie which offers spectacular views of the harbor and outlying islands. Definitely one of our favorite stops. 

LL Bean Flagship store - Happy first mate 

Great Island marina

Boothbay Harbor drone show 

Impressive!

225 footer following us

Rockland dinghy dock - so typical here

Rockland loves lobsters

Happy Captain

Typical mooring line - yuck!

Entering busy Camden Harbor 

Schooner tour passing by

Evening view from our slip 

Camden Harbor down below

Hanging on Mount Battie

View from Mount Battie - arrow shows Island Bound

Nice view!

 

Sandwich, MA to Portsmouth, NH - July 8-13

Wednesday, July 8 was a windy morning but finally the sun is shining again!  We pulled out of Sandwich, MA and entered Cap Cod Bay. We traveled 23 miles to Plymouth, MA. Our ride was lumpy but Island Bound handled the swells like a champ. Our slip for the night was at Safe Harbor Plymouth which had a clear view of the Mayflower replica docked nearby. We spent the afternoon scoping out the town shops and sights, including the Plymouth Rock. (boy was that a disappointment - much smaller that we imagined it would be)  That evening, from the back of our boat we enjoyed a concert in the local park next door. 

Thursday morning we woke up only to realize the Mayflower was gone!  Upon investigating we found out it was being towed to Boston for their America’s 250th tall ship celebration.  Before we left, the captain did oil changes on the boat as he was able to dispose of the old oil at this marina.  Shortly after leaving Plymouth Harbor we spotted our 1st whales! So fun! We thought our destination was going to be Gloucester, MA however we ended up swinging into the outer harbor of Boston for the night in order to watch the tall ships arrive. It took awhile for us to find a settled spot, but we finally dropped the anchor in a good location. We watched the Mayflower as well as a few tall ships arrive that afternoon and many more the next morning. Then on to Gloucester. 

Gloucester is known as America’s oldest fishing port dating back to 1642. It is home to the bronze monument named “The Fishermen’s Memorial”  which honors the more than 10,000 Gloucester fisherman who have lost their lives at sea. We anchored out for 2 nights in the inner harbor where we had front row seats to the comings and goings of lobster and fishing boats. A short dinghy ride gave us access to the legendary town. 

On Saturday afternoon we were off for a grand dinghy adventure thru the Blynman Canal. This is a 4 mile canal which leads from the Gloucester outer harbor thru to Ipswich Bay. Upon entering the harbor, one must pass thru a narrow bridge where the currents run strong. Boats line up single file to take their turn gunning it thru the wild tidal currents. It was a wild ride but our dinghy handled it.  We had an interesting ride passing many boats stranded/parked on shore due to the low tide. We had a super afternoon scouting the local low tide beaches where boaters and beach goers spent a hot summer afternoon.

Gloucester has an annual festival where contestants try to conquer “The Greasy Pole”. This is a 45 foot horizontal telephone pole covered with grease, fish guts and lard suspended over the bay where competitors attempt to walk to the end of the pole to grab a flag before falling into the ocean.  We weren’t in town for the festival but we did check out the pole. No thanks! 

On Sunday we cruised 43 miles north to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where we took a slip at Safe Harbor Wentworth by the Sea for 2 nights. This marina is nestled in a pristine setting next to the Wentworth by the Sea Resort. We took advantage of the marina’s courtesy car to load up with provisions and spent the afternoon shopping in downtown Portsmouth. Very neat area. 

This will be our only stop in New Hampshire as they only have 18 miles of coastline and Portsmouth is located on an inlet that borders Maine.  Maine…here we come!

Plymouth gets our “seal” of approval

The Mayflower in Plymouth 

Busy mooring field between us and the Mayflower 

Beauty passing by us

View of Boston from anchorage

No sails up, but still impressive 

Another beauty 

Rocky shoreline 

View of Gloucester from our anchorage

Gloucester harbor

The Fisherman’s Memorial

Haddock Tacos

Staying home till the tide comes up

Relax, it will be floating soon

The famous Greasy Pole. Wanna try it?

Grilling on the dock at Wentworth by the Sea