Picture:Robert Dennis courtesy of Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce
Kennebunk River, Maine
New England crusing is simple for many who wish to seize a mooring each evening; our harbors are plentiful and well-spaced for day journeys of 25 to 40 miles. That was our technique when my accomplice, John, and I sailed my Catalina 25, Esmeralda, about 700 miles round-trip between Windfall, Rhode Island, and Bar Harbor, Maine, final summer time—and it labored fantastically below the prevailing summer time southwesterlies pushing us north. Nonetheless, coming again was a difficulty, because the wind was on the nostril and our window of excellent climate had shut.
Once we left Portland, we slogged into the wind for hours, preserving a direct path south as larger boats taunted us by tacking out to sea and intersecting with our path time and again. They had been protecting twice as many miles as Esmeralda, however they had been crusing moderately than motoring on the blistering pace of 5 knots, all my small outboard may handle. My little boat simply didn’t deal with the chop the way in which the larger boats do, so tacking was fruitless. We buckled down, intent on making the Kennebunk River earlier than darkish, as John had situated a $25-a-night municipal mooring there. We’d gap up for the weekend and wait out the looming dangerous climate.
Coming into a river in a small sailboat may be thrilling. Standing waves usually kind on the mouth throughout an outgoing tide, and jetties can add a component of hysteria. I’ve educated myself to give attention to the channel markers, blocking out every thing else. However this time John was distracting me (more than likely on function) with questions concerning the late President George Bush, asking, “Is that the Bush home?” and, “Do you know they despatched divers to test below Bush’s powerboat earlier than he took it out each time?”
However after the river’s mouth bounced us round a bit, all of the sudden we had been by way of and it was calm—and tiny! It appeared only a dozen toes huge at first however opened as much as a large, shallow waterway with a well-marked channel. We discovered the city mooring proper in the midst of the channel earlier than Chick’s Marina. Giant yachts on the docks made me notice my worry of the slender channel was misplaced in the event that they’d made it upriver. One financial institution was busy with lodges and marinas whereas the opposite was woodsy and wild. We had been completely happy to be securely on the hook for a few nights and near a brand new waterfront city to discover.
The city of Kennebunkport buzzed with exercise close by. It was powerful to search out anyplace to land the dinghy, and we would have liked ice for the cooler. With some pleasant persuasion, just a few individuals allow us to briefly tie as much as stroll into the busy, boutique-y city. At low tide, the boats close to us had been on their sides, however I solely puzzled a few times if Esmeralda’s keel was touching backside.
The city library, up a avenue of historic properties, was a pleasant hangout on a wet day, and there have been loads of espresso outlets and eating places to kill time ready for higher climate.
Picture: Alison O'Leary
Duck Harbor, Isle au Haut
We tucked into Duck Harbor halfway throughout our five-week sojourn. The dock for the every day mail boat from Stonington is true in the midst of the harbor, making Duck Harbor too small for greater than three or 4 anchored boats, however that was high-quality by us.
Duck Harbor is on the southwest aspect of Isle au Haut, in Penobscot Bay. The southern half of the island has been a part of Acadia Nationwide Park for the reason that Nineteen Forties; the northern portion is dwelling to about 100 residents. That day we had a delicate southwesterly push us from Tenants Harbor previous Saddleback Mild squatting on a rocky ledge. We noticed one lobster boat that afternoon, and there was one different sailboat anchored in Duck Harbor.
The following morning, we went ashore for a protracted hike. The Nationwide Park Service gives maps of the island’s trails and maintains just a few campsites close by, however we didn’t see different individuals a lot of the day. We adopted trails up and over the very best level, Duck Harbor Summit, so we may look down upon the little boats within the harbor. Then we meandered by way of evergreen forests and traced the shoreline the place mild waves went “whoosh” by way of the cobbles on the seashore. We picked wild raspberries and splashed clear chilly water from a stream on our necks when the solar burned by way of the morning fog. On the finish of the hike, we had been mentally refreshed and able to sail some extra, even maybe in locations the place we’d see individuals once more.
Picture: Adobe Inventory
Biddeford Pool, Maine
The New England coast is punctuated by quite a few coastal cities with harbors, however selecting one which’s the precise distance alongside one’s path isn’t at all times simple; on the finish of a protracted day, the skipper will not be as much as navigating challenges in an unfamiliar place. Had I believed rigorously about it, I won’t have chosen Biddeford Pool. However as soon as previous our first-timer jitters concerning the entrance, we in the end embraced the tiny village vibe.
Ledges dot the method, which made my abdomen knot. Worse, one is marked with a vertical put up that appears just like the mast of a foundering sailboat. Simply reviewing the chart and these hazards rattled me once we aimed the bow towards Biddeford and confronted the islands that had been darkish in opposition to the setting solar. John patiently described the trail we should always take between Gooseberry and Wooden islands, then how we’d hug the channel near Stage Island, which is marked by a tall granite tower. From there, we turned south and ran by way of a slender intestine of water that dumped us within the Pool alongside not more than a dozen different boats.
As soon as we caught the yacht membership mooring and breathed the quiet night air, we realized what a gem the Pool is. A sturgeon loudly breached the water’s floor time and again because the lights of waterfront properties flickered on. The following day we strolled across the small village the place we purchased heat blueberry pie a la mode and postcards to ship to our grandchildren.
My enjoyment of Biddeford elevated once I realized among the historical past of the world, together with a day through the Conflict of 1812 when a British warship anchored by Wooden Island and fired some cannonballs over the village. The Saco River was working too excessive for any of the residents to flee, so the city’s rich retailer proprietor sought a cold truce at any worth. The British reportedly sacked the person’s retailer and burned his new ship earlier than leaving city.
Once we left the Pool, it was with a way of accomplishment. We’d loved the distinctive setting and earned a stripe for not turning round when the method received bushy. In fact, in daylight and with a great evening’s sleep, the channel out and across the rocks was a stroll within the park.
June/July 2024
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