Monday, August 8, 2022

Belfast, ME

The first thing we did on Saturday, August 6 was to dinghy in to Warren Island State Park to hike around the island. It was a beautiful day and we had a gorgeous hike though a well maintained trail.  Archie was in heaven because he could be off leash and zig zag across the path looking for chipmunks and anything he could find.









When we returned to Zendo Jonny went for a very quick dip in the water thinking that he might dive on the prop to see if there were barnacles. But the water was a bit too chilly and murky so he hopped right out!

We reluctantly pulled up anchor by 10:30, though we could easily have stayed another day, and took off for the short cruise to Belfast.  Belfast had been strongly recommended by our friend Lynda and she had noted a number of places to visit while there. It was a calm day on the water with not many lobster pots which makes cruising a lot easier.  We arrived at the Belfast Municipal Marina and tied up behind Seaquil, the boat that Roy and Marie own.  We squeezed into a slip with a huge retro-fitted Arctic work boat less than 5 feet from us on the port side. It was a hulking presence and as long as it was tied up tightly (which it was) we would be just fine. Our sun deck faced the open harbor so we were happy. Pat and Joe, on Glory Days, were also docked nearby.




As we walked up the hill into town, we understood why Lynda likes this town so much. It is very authentic and not anywhere near as touristy as some of the other towns we have visited.  We went to the United Farmer’s Market which was held indoors in a space that sold homemade crafts of all sorts as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, etc.  We stocked up on native tomatoes, corn on the cob and freshly baked bread.









We took our goodies back to Zendo and had our favorite (and first of the season) tomato sandwiches for lunch. What a treat!  Laundry was the next chore on the list and we lugged a huge load of it up the hill to the local laundromat in a cart provided by the marina. Amazingly, we were able to load the laundry into one of their giant machines. Those big machines are also a lot faster than standard ones which makes doing laundry less onerous.

That evening the six of us had great fun taking our dinghies across the harbor to Young’s Lobster Pound. Jonny and I had never been to a restaurant quite like this. You bring your own drinks and dessert and order lobster and all the fixings by waiting in line at a crazy busy counter.  The lobsters are in huge tubs and they fill your order by placing your lobster, steamers and corn in a mesh bag and cooking it in a big pot of steaming water.  When your number is called you pick up your order and bring it to the picnic table on the deck.  Everything was really fresh and delicious! It was quite a scene!








After we finished our feast, we dinghied back to the marina as the sun set and had a quiet evening on board. Next stop will be Castine.






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