Clark Cove, Spruce Head, Maine

August 4-6, 2012

The day wasn’t looking so good.  We had a rough trip from pristine Seal Harbor to Spuce Head.  We hit 3 lobster pots (and avoided about 6 million).  We felt badly about it.  Once the buoy’s rope is caught in a propeller, the rope is shredded and the buoy is separated from the pot down below.  I can only wonder how many lobster pots are down there at the bottom of the sea, lost forever to the lobstermen who depend on them.  Chris had to dive in the frigid water, while under way, to free the ropes from our propeller.  Due to various and sundry bumps and bruises, Chris’ heel was hurting, Porter was feeling seasick, and my knees hurt.  Bryson drove the boat for a good part of the trip.  He’s such a trooper.

Patronus finally anchored behind a little fishing cottage.

Somehow, we had a successful entry into Clark Cove between many ledges and rocks.  They were all temporarily covered by the high tide, but were hiding just under the surface instead of 5 feet 7 inches below, which is what we need.  This cove is too small to be covered in detail by our cruising guide, so we had to navigate without the advantage of the “local knowledge” that the guides provide.  We anchored all by ourselves in this cute cove and self-congratulatory pats on the back were issued all around.  We carried on with our typical afternoon activities of swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding.

We came to Clark Cove because my cousin Lisa and her husband Chris live here.  We were so excited to see them in their own space, since we only get to see them on their trips down to New Jersey.  We tried to take the dinghy on shore, but the coast was comprised of huge boulders.  We could not find a place to lay the dinghy up safely.  We rode around the peninsula a-ways, and found the large docks of Outward Bound.  The staff there allowed us to dock for the evening.  It was a Long Walk from Outward Bound to Lisa and Chris’ house, but the shower she promised us was a huge motivator (for me, at least).

We had a delicious dinner at the Craignair Inn, where Lisa works.  The food was amazing and we met the owners and staff, who were absolutely lovely.  They told us that the Inn guests had been asking all day what the big sailboat was doing in the harbor.  That made me feel kind of famous.  Unfortunately, the kids were REALLY cranky.  Chris’ birthday celebrations the day before went a bit late and we had had a few busy days in a row.  It was all our fault for veering off their normal schedule but it made for a few frustrating moments.  Luckily, we ended on a positive note with concert from Bryson on the Inn’s piano and a moonlight ride back to Patronus on our (still unnamed dinghy).

The next morning, we moved to Tenant’s Harbor (yes, the same one from last week) to prepare for heavy storms and forecasted winds up to 35 knots.  We liked the idea of being on a secure mooring and having a safe way to get to land quickly if needed.  We got ourselves together quickly and went ashore to meet Lisa, who picked us up to take us to the 65^th Maine Lobster Festival.

This is a Big Deal festival in Maine and Lisa says that people come from all over the state to attend.  The kids had a great time going on rides, I enjoyed the art show (check out www.betsybarnesdesigns.com for gorgeous graphic prints of Maine) and funnel cake, and we all enjoyed watching the lobster crate races.  They string 50 lobster crates together from one dock to another.  Contestants have to run across them without falling in the water.  If they get to the other side, they have to run back.  They keep going until they fall in.  The person who runs across the highest number of crates wins.  We watched a boy who did 2,000 crates.  His friend ended up doing 6,000!

After the Festival, we showed Lisa the boat, bought some lobsters, corn, and fixings for cole slaw, and returned to her house for a great lobster dinner.  I was thrilled to use their Internet and we did two loads of laundry.  Between laundry, showers, and the Internet, we had hit the cruising trifecta.  Add to that a lobster dinner and watching the Olympics and it was a five star day!  Lisa, you had me at “showers”.

Bryson plays piano for us at the Craignere Inn

Funnel Cake helps me survive carnivals

fresh blueberries, corn on the cob, and more at the farmstand. yum!