Leaving the Woodenboat School bay, we head towards the Merchant Islands but get headed with winds on the nose and a cross tidal current. We try to tack our way through but soon give into the pleasantries of Penobscot bay and turn 180 degrees for a calm downwind push to the nearby island of Swan’s to the east.
At this point in time, we had recently installed our AIS system that transmits our position. We had given mum the website broadcasting this information and she was in the habit of checking in each day. So when we had unsuccessfully tacked our way down the reach and then spun around, as soon as we had put the hook down in Buckle Harbor, I get a message commenting that our days track was all over the place and it appeared we didn’t make it very far! Lol. Well, that’s sailing I suppose.
The next day, we hit rock bottom – that’s also sailing. After heading 20nm back west we pull into the popular spot of Seal Bay, Vinyl Haven and search for our place for the night. There were a few boats spread out as we were meandering our way at low tide, and after an unsuccessful set with the anchor, we attempt once more. Before we were able to re-position ourselves we felt a hard thunk and crunch, crunch followed by a small ascent as Caprivi gets jolted. We’ve hit bottom! Ben pulls hard to port and it appears we are pivoting on the rock. It’s a nasty sound that you never want to hear. We check the bilges, nothing. We accelerate as we try to pivot the keel off the rock before the rudder spins around to potentially meet the skinny water. Luckily, we fall off and are able to get to previous tracks with plenty of water. We limp our way back out to the bay entrance and find a large spot to nestle and figure out what happened, and what effect it may have.
The waters were chartered for 15ft at low tide. It didn’t matter, and we were humbled. Nothing appeared to be injured except for our egos. A few books and refrigerator items had shifted on impact but other than that, all was okay. Dismayed, we left the following day and headed to our refuge of a friends mooring in Davis Cove. Here we were to recalibrate.
I was due to fly out in a few days to Key West, and Ben decided to schedule our haul out for the bottom job a little earlier than expected which worked out well. We could assess and fix any damage to the keel, and get our bottom paint done.
With the decision to leave Key West to go sailing, we knew we still had to wait for my immigration interview to come through. Once we got notice, I booked my flights and looked forward to seeing our friends again. Ben stayed behind to do boat projects, at least, I think. I had studied well for the civics test and had a successful interview, followed by an oath ceremony a few days later. Since covid, the ceremonies are a little benign without the told stories of crowds of singing and tears of joy as family watch you take oath in the background. It would have been nice to feel a little more celebratory, it’s been a long process.
I’m thankful and proud to now be a citizen of two countries.
I get back to Ben and Caprivi, who have hauled onto land, and the sanding begins. Our bottom paint job of 5 years has been a bit of an experiment with copper and epoxy. It’s meant to be long lasting and less toxic for the environment. We decided to sand and paint it with traditional bottom paint this time, we will see how it goes. We splash and head down east towards Mount Desert Island known for its National Park named Acadia. As I state downeast, you must know that I mean north east. Back in the days when commercial sailing ships were prominent, ships leaving the Boston area to head for rural waters of Maine would call the way as heading downeast due to the prevailing southwest winds, therefore sailing down wind.
Under Deer Isle bridge we sail the Eggemoggin Reach, through Casco passage and over Bass Harbor bar to the Cranberry Islands and set hook in Hadlock Cove with the hills of Acadia in view. Feeling accomplished after a great day of sailing, and having finished dinner as we pulled in, we dinghy to Islesford dock restaurant for a beer. The tide was low with the restaurant 15 ft in the air on stilts, and a working fishing dock next door. We were greeted by a helpful kid, who looked to be the dingy dock assistant. It appears we are in fancyland with patrons dining at the restaurant while perfect Hinckley picnic boats and their Captain wait out on the dock.
We must mention the lobster pots. Now, we were warned about the pots and some cruisers avoid Maine because of them. They are everywhere. The islands we are visiting rely heavily and almost solely on fishing, and particularly lobster. One bay as we looked out onto the horizon, Ben remarked that the pots looked like white caps (foaming wave tops). The ones downeast, have a second buoy attached by a toggle line making it even easier to get caught on. Luckily as we sail, Caprivi doesn’t pick up the pots. They just bang along the sides and are released at the stern. We only have to pay attention when we motor and that’s not too often. However, there was that time where our dingy painter line got caught as we were towing it at our stern. Of course, it too had to happen as we were sailing wing-on-wing coming into a harbour. The dingy was dragging the weight of the pot along the seafloor and the tension on the PVC tubes was such that we needed to cut our painter free and fast.
Our next anchorage, Valley Cove in Somes Sound, we run into SV Josephine again who we met in the Dry Tortugas National Park and again in Cuttyhunk, Buzzards Bay. We hike together to the top of the cliff and get some great views of our floating homes below, and the surrounding area. We head to the top of the sound to Somes Harbour, and base out of this picturesque bay to spend a few days hiking the park. It is perfect for travellers coming by boat as there is a free bus system that takes you all over the park. We could sit and watch Caprivi while waiting at the bus stop, what luxury!
After a day of waiting out some weather, we go explore the cliff side, iron rung trails the park is known for. The open granite tops make for some stunning scenery with 180 degree ocean views, as you watch the fog roll in and sailors making way 1000ft below. We haven’t hiked in a while, and would like more of this in our life.
We navigate south again, headed for Frenchboro and deciding to skip what appears to be a rocky anchorage and pull into Burnt Cove Harbor, Swans Island. The passage from Frenchboro entails a tiny channel with bubba sticks and some unmarked rocks. The guide says to have starboard well to the island, though this goes against your instincts. Chuffed we made it through by sail, we went on to put down our anchor for the night. We spend two days on this very quaint island and thoroughly enjoy it.
As we head out of the harbour, we see the small entrance that we first came through and at first don’t see any water. At low, the channel appears to be only a smidgen of what it was when we came through. Ek, we thought! Note: for a 44ft boat we have a big rig, which means a deep bottom of 7’3”.
We drift a little towards Merchant row, and pick up wind soon enough for a lovely 8nm sail to McGlathery Island where we meet a couple on a Boreal 52, S/V Bravo. We admire the aluminum voyaging vessel and enjoy an evening with Adam and Cindi, who spent a few years on their last boat in New Zealand, wishing they were young enough to have emigrated. We search for sheep on the island and end up with a bit of bushwhacking our way through the dense forest – no sheep found.
Next up we are back in Rockland for round two and have our mast removed by a crane. We pull the rigging apart and send it to our rigger, and prep the mast to paint.