Crew Log for September 13th and 14th, 2022
Trip Summary:
Rockland to Boothbay Harbor
Trip Distance of 40.2 NM, Total Distance To-Date of 700.3 NM
Departed at 0745 hours and arrived at 1530 hours
We generally think we make good decisions and avoid taking unnecessary risks. However, on this day, if I were rating myself on seamanship, I would grade myself a “D”. It was foggy. So foggy in fact, that the ferry from Vinalhaven sounded her horn as we passed her just outside of Rockland and I had no visual. Fortunately, we do have radar and we had a general idea where it was. So why did we leave?
Well, the simple answer is, we had to be off our mooring. However, beyond that, the weather for the next 2 days looked nasty. There was a cold front moving in and the winds were forecasted to be 25 – 30 knots. We had been in Rockland for a couple of nights, and it was time to move on. We needed to start getting south, if for no other reason than, things were starting to shut down here.
We had experienced fog on the way across the Bay of Fundy, but nothing like this. On the Bay of Fundy crossing our visibility was down to 0.5 mile. For much of this trip, we had maybe 50 feet. While we could see land and other boats on the radar, the lobster pots were another whole issue. The only way we could navigate our way through them was for one of us to stand or sit on the bow and using hand signals, guide the other through them. It was cold, wet and exhausting.
To make matter worse, there seemed to be a trend of covering the area around a navigation mark with pots. There has to be a reason or logic for it, but it sure complicated our passage since we relied on those marks to avoid hitting shoal or land. The fog eventually lifted enough that we both could be in the cockpit and stay warm and dry.
We are using both our boat chartplotter (GPS) and navigation software on our phones and tablets that plots a route. It would be impossible to navigate your way along the Maine coastline in the fog without it. We were particularly grateful for having it when we arrived at Boothbay Harbor. It was a busy place, boats everywhere and lots of hazards to avoid.
We had never been to Boothbay Harbor. It is a very touristy small town with lots of hotels, gift shops, bars restaurants and tour boat operators. This was supposedly the quite season, but the streets were still full of cars and people. It was a fairly “senior” crowd.
We stayed on a mooring at the Tugboat Inn Marina right in the heart of the action. This time of year, a modest room at the Tugboat Hotel goes for around US$210 per night. We paid US$37 per night and had access to the hot tub, showers and laundry facilities.
In my former professional life with Transportation, I got to meet with former Maine Governor LaPage. He had some unusual perspectives on things, and I am told during his time in the Governor’s Office wasn’t Maine’s proudest moment. We were working with him on re-establishing the Yarmouth ferry.
Well, it turns out the former Governor was the bartender at a local pub in Boothbay called McSeagulls. I just happened to have brought my “The Cat Came Back 2016” hat, so I stuffed it in my knapsack and went to find the former Governor. Turns out, McSeagulls was sold and either Mr. LaPage was part of the former ownership group, or the new owners fired him. Either is possible.
We stopped into a local café for brunch, which was a popular spot with the retired crowd. It overlooked Boothbay Harbor and right next door to the Tugboat Inn. Turns out the owner is from Halifax, but hasn’t been back for a couple of years due to….you know what.
After brunch we strolled, at the required pace, around the town. Our big purchase was postcards for the grandkids. Boothbay harbor has a great bookstore if you are ever there, it is worth dropping in to. The complimentary shuttle service was discontinued so we walked to the grocery store and cabbed it back.
“Ted”, Captain of sv Sundog and Pearson 365 dropped by the boat one evening. We had looked at similar boat only in a ketch rig before we bought Elizabeth M. He was single handing his boat from Roque Island, Maine to New Bedford, Mass. An interesting guy. He was leaving io the morning to head back to New Bedford, but didn’t seem to be concerned at all with the forecasted 30 knot winds.
We had originally planned to head for The Basin the next day, but the forecast was still calling for strong winds. Our alternative plan was to head around the corner to a place called Indiantown Island. A short distance but a white knuckle motor up through a cut and by a swing bridge. And OH those pots.
But more about that, next time.
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