Farther east and then heading back

Remember Jay's favorite photo of the fog rolling over the islands taken from our hike high on top of Cadillac Mountain a few days ago? Saturday we sailed out of Northeast Harbor around the south of Mount Dessert Island and up into Frenchman Bay past those same islands. Porcupine Island looks very different on a clear day with no fog.

We had a quiet night anchored in Flanders Bay.  Sunday we left anchor with clear skies but a few hours later as we motored back down Frenchman Bay we could see a wall of fog ahead of us.  The red-sailed schooner out of Bar Harbor was giving visitors a ride on the edge of the fog bank that was moving toward us.  Jay got to see the fog rolling over Porcupine Island for a second time.

Our confidence has grown reading the radar screen and using the chart plotter to help us navigate when the fog moves in.  That is a good thing since we have had lots of overcast damp days which seem to correlate with foggy weather.  Deciding to continue our visit in the Acadia National Park on the more remote Schnoodic Pensisula we motored to a mooring in Winter Harbor. (We already stayed in one Winter Harbor on Vinalhaven but this is another Winter Harbor farther north on Schnoodic Peninsula.) Maine granite is still very evident as this huge decorative cleat made of granite stands by the main harbor at low tide.  Our foul weather gear has been essential for rain protection as well as warmth.

We enjoyed a tour of the coastline as LL Bean also supports the Schnoodic Peninsula park area by providing a bus for visitors.  In fact, while Mt. Desert Island does close in winter, Schnoodic Peninsula remains open throughout the winter since the Park has its headquarters here.  The local residents are happy since they get their roads snow plowed and kept clear by the Park.

After much thought we decided not to travel farther east.  There are beautiful anchorages and places to visit.  However, with increasing fog and higher tide differences (more than the 10-14 feet difference we now experience), we left Winter Harbor in thick fog and light rain.  We traveled southwest to anchor in Buckle Harbor on Swans Island.

Dinghing ashore at low tide to explore Buckle Island, we found that we could walk all the way around the uninhabited island along the rocky shores and using trails through the pine trees on land.

We decided that since the water is pretty chilly for swimming, visitors must use their creativity and time on land since we found this "door" on the trail.  There once was a cabin on the island and the door must have been left behind so someone put it to work. We also found a village of three miniature houses made of bark, sticks and stones- very clever of previous visitors.

Today again started foggy and chilly as Capt. Jay dons his winter hat.  We passed under a bridge across Eggemoggin Reach connecting Little Deer Isle to the mainland on our way to visit Castine in the upper Penobscot Bay.

Capt. Jay is very pleased with how well our new autopilot is able to hold a course so that often we are on helm duty without touching the steering wheel.  However, here you can see that he still remembers how to steer as winds were gusty and fluky blowing around the many little islands of Eggemoggin Reach.  He is still smiling as he handles the helm, too.

Castine is a quiet, historical seaport town and home to the Maine Maritime Academy.  Its 500' training ship, the State of Maine, is docked and open for visitors.  We did this afternoon.

Michael is a freshman at the Academy and volunteers as a tour guide during the summer.  He took us up on the bridge where we could look out and see how small Priority looks far below on her mooring in the harbor. Michael just returned from a trip on the ship to Quebec.  Jay could ask lots of questions as we toured the engine rooms, (6 cylinder 8000hp diesel).