Wooden Boats and Popovers

We’ve been winding our way around Maine and having a grand time despite the overcast days. We spent 3 days in Belfast Harbor visiting with good friends who have a home nearby. We handled a few errands that were made possible by car and even attended Sunday services just off the dock. From there we explored Eggemoggin Reach and dropped our anchor among three old schooners from an earlier time right in front of the Wooden Boat school. We went ashore and saw some craftsman making boats the way they have been made for over a hundred years.

After awaking to the sounds of sea shanties as the schooner crews sang as they worked in concert to raise their sails, we also raised our anchor (with a push of a button) and proceeded down east. We motored through Blue Hill bay and through some rocky channels and anchored between Great and Little Cranberry islands. We could find just enough swinging room among the lobster pot buoys to anchor and it proved to be a lovely spot. We stayed put for three nights and it became our base for exploring the Acadia area.

The winds have been so calm, that we have been taking our dingy further and further with confidence. We dinked over to Northeast harbor on Mount Desert (about 3 miles) and saw some fellow cruisers from our home yacht club and shared a nice cup of coffee and conversation. We discovered that several free busses are provided (by LLBean) to take people all around Acadia national park and run every half hour almost everywhere. The first day included a trip to Bar Harbor and the next day (sunny for a change) Emily enjoyed playing at Seal Harbor beach followed by a nice lunch at Jordon Pond house. They are famous for their popovers that are served warm with gobs of real butter and blueberry and strawberry preserves. They were very good and their Lobster stew and Seafood chowder was also quite memorable!

One evening during dinner on the boat, Kim noticed a 20 foot boat floating by us and heading for the rocks. Kim and I put on slickers and bounded to the rescue with our dingy. We managed to grab it in time and secured it to our little ship over night. The next morning, after calls to the Coast Guard, we towed it over to Little Cranberry fishing Co-op. We discovered it belonged to a retired lobsterman and despite shameless hints at our love of lobster, only received verbal thanks from his friends. Had we stayed longer, perhaps we might have met the owner. Oh well, I hope one day a fellow mariner will return the good deed in our time of need.

Tom