Frenchboro, ME

Early Monday morning, August 5 we awoke to thick, pea soup fog.  

But fortunately for us, it cleared up rather quickly and we were able to dingy onto the shore of  nearby Vinalhaven Island.  We tied up to some rocks and went for an energizing two and a half mile hike through the Huber Preserve in Seal Bay. The well marked trail loops took us through forests and fields and along the rocky coastline. Archie got to be off leash the whole time.

The only other people we saw were a young couple with a three month old baby. They were on family leave for three months. This New York couple was lucky enough to be able to spend their time bonding with the baby in this beautiful part of Maine!

Returning to Zendo, we had lunch before taking off for our next stop at 12:45.

The Maine Cruising Guide gave Frenchboro four stars and raved about what a great stop it was with wonderful hiking, a small village and even a little restaurant to get the freshest lobster and clams around.  So it was an easy decision to choose Frenchboro!  We arrived three hours later and entered the long, rather narrow and well-protected harbor.  We grabbed what looked to be a good mooring and tied up only to discover that we were hovering very close to a lobster pot.  The  proximity was nerve wracking and we were afraid we would get tangled up in the lobsters pot’s lines so we moved a bit further out to another mooring.  

We were close to a very friendly cruising couple from Newport aboard the most beautiful red 51 foot Hinckley yawl. 

We took the dinghy (or skiff as they call it in Maine) into the rather dilapidated dock and were a bit chagrined to see that  nothing was open and the little restaurant looked like it had been closed for quite some time. There was a sign with a QR code instructing us how to pay for the mooring on Venmo which of course we did. It is clearly the honor system around here.  

We saw some other boaters on the dock and asked them if anything was open and they explained that much of the operation there had been destroyed during a fierce storm last January. It looked as if it would be a while before anything was functioning again.

We walked around the area and saw that even some of the nearby houses seemed to be empty. The head of the harbor was about a half mile away.  We could see a couple of buildings that made up the village there but we chose not to go and instead headed back to Zendo.

That evening we had leftovers for dinner along with a salad. We were a little disappointed that Frenchboro did not live up to the description in our cruising guide but this was clearly an exception to most of our experiences to date.

Seal Bay, ME

While I had a Spanish lesson at 8:15 Jonny took Archie into shore for a walk. We knew it was going to be a rainy day but we decided not to wait out the rain and to push on instead.  We left our anchorage by 11:15 on Sunday, August 4 bound for an anchorage in Winter Harbor next to Penobscot Island.  On our way we passed this picturesque lighthouse called Whitehead Light. It was originally built by order of President Thomas Jefferson in 1807!

As we crossed by Tenant’s Harbor on Penobscot Bay we saw a number of beautiful wooden sailboats that were returning from a weekend race.

We cruised through the Fox Thoroughfare by Vinylhaven.  

Eventually we changed destinations and decided to go to Seal Bay because it looked to have better access to trails where we could do some hiking.  There are so many beautiful places we can visit that it’s hard to decide!  We reached Seal Bay by 4:15 and had a variety of anchorages from which to choose.  Selecting a spot with no other boats, we set the anchor and were pleased with our choice.

Jonny took Archie for a dinghy ride to explore where we could land it while I started to prepare dinner.  I used the three ears of corn that we had bought at the market in Five Islands to make a hearty corn and potato chowder.  Evenings are definitely cooling off here on the coast of Maine so a cozy chowder was a welcome treat and quite tasty.  We think Archie might might also be a little chilly due to his short haircut!

We are taking our time cruising these waters in the days before we reach the area where Jonny’s cousin Robbie and his wife, Linda have a cottage in Harrington.

Harbor Island, ME

I had an 8 a.m. Spanish lesson on Saturday, August 3 but due to a spotty internet connection we had to stop after only 20 minutes. It was a rainy morning and we waited for the rain to stop before heading out.  Jonny first took Archie for a quick walk and dropped our contribution for the mooring into the attached canister.  We left by 10:45 in a foggy mist for the relatively short cruise to Harbor Island in Muscongus Bay.

We had recently purchased the latest copy of A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast which has proved to be invaluable to us.  There are literally hundreds of suggested anchorages all along the coast and it’s a pleasant challenge to decide which ones to select. They are each rated by their safety, beauty and access to resources so we can choose isolated spots or others that are near towns with restaurants, stores and other facilities.   Now that we have come this far down east we are prone to select more isolated anchorages and to choose places that we had not visited previously.

Harbor Island looked very appealing and we  arrived there three hours later. We found a really nice spot between Harbor and Hall Islands.  The water is very deep here and the tides are quite dramatic. We tried to anchor between two sailboats but the man in one of them rowed over to us to suggest that we would be safer to anchor a bit further away because we were so close to them and our trawler would tend to act differently on anchor with the tide and wind than sailboats do.  We appreciated his advice and we moved Zendo a bit further away and felt more comfortable doing so.

The Harbor Island anchorage was very beautiful,  probably the prettiest place we’ve stayed so far this trip. We took the dinghy in to shore and Jonny used this opportunity to try out the new rigging system he assembled for tying up the dinghy with Maine’s extreme tides.  The system worked well except for one minor issue - the dinghy anchor didn’t grab in the water. Oh well, live and learn!

Harbor Island is privately owned.  Their home looked like it stepped out of a painting by Andrew Wyeth.

The owners kindly allow visitors to explore the island along a path that winds through the island and along the coast. So that’s exactly what we did. It was a beautiful walk through woodlands and along a very rocky shoreline.  We hiked up to the high point of the island with a huge rocky promontory jutting out into the bay.  It was gorgeous!

Upon our return to Zendo I made a delicious vegetarian  dinner using the big cauliflower that had been sitting in our refrigerator for a while. I adapted a savory recipe to the ingredients we had on hand using tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic and wine and it came out great!  Afterwards, we had a quiet evening on board in our peaceful and lovely anchorage.

Five Islands, ME

We took one last walk through South Portland on Friday, August 2 passing this interesting sounding brewery.

Leaving the dock at 8:30, we passed this osprey nest.  

It was a perfect  summer day with calm seas as we made our way to our next anchorage. After a little over four hours we arrived at a beautiful area known as Five Islands in Georgetown.

The harbor was good-sized with lots of moorings.  The town provides several moorings for visitors and we chose one close to the dinghy dock.  This was the first time we had seen the unusual arrangement of a can tied to the mooring. Boaters are requested to make a donation for using the mooring.

After having lunch on board we dinghied in to shore to explore,  This location, nestled among five islands, is a popular spot with mostly day boaters.  Most of the boats were considerably smaller than ours - we were definitely one of the biggest boats in the harbor.

At dockside there was a lobster shack that sold lobster, clams, fish, etc. that you could eat there or take back to your boat.

We took Archie for a walk up the hill to a very popular and charming little gourmet store. It was well-stocked with all kinds of interesting foods including lots of local produce. We filled our knapsack with an assortment of goodies even though we had just gone grocery shopping in Portland.

From there, we walked back down the hill in search of a walking trail that we had read about. The trail provided us with a pleasant walk through a conservation area and Archie got to be off leash so he was happy. 

Our plan included coming back at dinner time to get a lobster dinner from the lobster shack and bringing it back to Zendo to eat and that’s exactly what we did. While waiting for our order we strolled around the dock. This is a very popular place this time of year!

Back onboard Zendo we feasted on those delicious 1.5 lb. lobsters and the accompanying cole slaw. We had bought corn on the cob at the market but we were too full to eat it that evening.   Sitting on the aft deck eating a lobster dinner is the quintessential way to end a day on the fabulous coast of Maine!

S. Portland, ME

We got an early start on Wednesday, July 31 leaving our Saco River mooring by 7:30 to head for Portland. It was a cloudy day and the seas were quite rolly. 

Fortunately, we only had a three hour cruise to get to our reservation at South Point Marina in South Portland which is right across from Portland. As we approached our destination we passed the Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest lighthouse which was constructed in 1791.

It was a relief to arrive at the marina after only three hours. And it always feels a little luxurious to be able to plug in, to use AC if needed, and not to have to take a dinghy into shore!  We can also get a lot done - boat chores and repairs, laundry, shopping, etc. 

We were excited to get together that evening with my old friend from Fairfield, Glenn Austin (we were in home room together for four years) and his wife Dee, who live about forty minutes away. I only see Glenn every ten years at our high school reunion.  Jonny also knows Glenn because the three of us went to UConn together.  But this was the first time I got to spend any time with Dee and it was such a pleasure getting to know her. They came over to see Zendo and have a drink and then they brought us to have dinner at DiMillo’s on the Water, a famous seafood restaurant in Portland. We had a delicious dinner and caught up on each other’s lives, 

The next day we took an Uber to bring Archie for his 9 a.m. grooming appointment in a nearby town. While he was busy being groomed I indulged myself in a mani-pedi and browsed through the nearby stores - WalMart,  Marshall’s and Homegoods where I effectively refrained from buying anything of note.

Archie got quite a haircut - next time we’ll make sure they don’t cut it quite as short! See the before and after photos below. He looks so skinny when he gets a haircut, but at least he won’t need another one for a long time!

We got back to Zendo just in time to catch another Uber because Jonny and I had a lunch date at our favorite restaurant in Portland called Central Provisions.  We had been there twice before and loved its creative offerings and its intimate, comfy ambiance.  It did not disappoint!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to explore Portland more during this visit. On our return trip we’ll make it a point to spend more time in this cool city.

The rest of the day was spent trip planning, doing chores and shopping that can only be done at a marina.  Jonny was a gem having done all the grocery shopping - something he actually loves to do!  We’ll be leaving the next day to continue our journey up the coast to down east Maine. 

Saco River, ME

We left Newburyport at 7:30 on Tuesday, July 30 for a fairly long day’s journey up the coast. The skies were overcast and we had a very rolly passage due to ocean swells.  We considered making it a shorter trip but decided to push on because the following day was going to be worse.  During passages like this Jonny is at the helm the whole time (as he usually is) but he had to be much more attentive due into the rolling seas and the many lobster pots that have to be avoided.  I usually like to keep busy blogging, reading or doing needlepoint but when the conditions are like this all I can do is hold on to Archie (who is glued to me) and keep my eyes on the horizon.

We passed the New Hampshire coast and crossed into Maine and as we got closer to our destination we saw this scenic lighthouse called Wood Island Light. Sometime between 1886 and 1905 the keeper, Thomas H. Orcutt, had a dog named Sailor who became famous for ringing the station’s fog bell with  his mouth or paws. He was supposedly very intelligent and was known for understanding all that was said to him (unlike another dog that we know)!

We continued on until we came to the Sago River where there is a tiny vacation community called Camp Ellis.  The nearby beach was filled with happy vacationers. We arrived by 3 and heaved a big sigh of relief.

Jonny took Archie in right away for a walk and made our contribution to the town dock master since they don’t charge a formal mooring fee. 

Camp Ellis is a small community with mostly summer homes and this cute little general store.

That evening I made a dinner of sausage, pasta and salad and we had a quiet evening on board.

The next day, which was Wednesday, we needed to get to Portland because we had a 9 a.m. grooming appointment for Archie the following morning. It’s been very challenging to be able to get a grooming appointment for him because we are constantly on the move. Just like doctors, many of the groomers along the coast here are not taking new clients so I was lucky to get this appointment time which had to be made weeks in advance!