(the next few posts have been delayed due to limited internet access.)July 22, 2012: We woke Sunday morning and readied to leave Portland and head Down East (North), as it is called up here.  Down?  None of the locals could explain this to me.  We are going towards Canada.  That is NOT DOWN. The reason behind this term, in case it is bugging you as much as it did me the entire time we were in Portland, is that the Maine coast really heads Northeast, and the prevailing winds are from the south.  Southwest winds, when you are traveling Northeast, mean that you are sailing “downwind”.  Thus, Down East.  I really do feel better now that this seemingly incorrect term has been demystified.  Thanks again, Wikipedia.

Thanks to the many suggestions we received from our friends Jason and Erica, we decided to sail to Jewell Island today and anchor overnight.  We have until Wednesday to get to Boothbay Harbor, so we can take our time exploring a little more of Casco Bay and the Midcoast.  The Maine coastline, over 5500 miles in length with over 6200 islands, is divided into 6 sections: The Southern Coast (Kennebunkport), Casco Bay (Portland), Midcoast (Boothbay Harbor), Penobscot Bay (Rockland, Camden), Mount Desert (Bar Harbor), Down East, and Passamaquoddy Bay.

The coast has turned decidedly rocky, the water is really starting to get chilly, and no matter how warm and sunny it is during the day, it is FREEZING at night.  Could I be happier?  The answer is no.  I could not.  Cold water AND cold nights?  In July?  The Norwegian in me is doing the jig right now.

Although we woke to little breeze, by the time we pumped out, filled the water tanks, showered, and checked out of the marina, the breeze had filled to 14 knots from the South.  The waves were 5’ on our beam, so we had a chance to teach Bryson how to drive while compensating for the rolling.  I had a chance to practice as well, as it has been years since I drove a sailboat in big seas.  Patronus handled well when we used the right touch.  Wait for the wave to roll the boat….A hard turn to port and then a quick turn back to starboard.  You have to get the timing right, or you will start a rolling motion back and forth that can get out of control.

The weather was warm, sunny, and clear.  We had nothing to do but enjoy watching the islands go by on the beautiful Maine coastline.  I felt a little like Elliot Merrick, who wrote Cruising At Last.  He and his wife cruised the Maine coast for years after retiring and he writes beautifully about the joys of sailing in sparkly, sunshiny days and all the quaint, out-of-the way harbors they visited.  A mere 10 miles and two hours later found us rounding the nun (red buoy) at Jewell Island.  We glided into this pristine, narrow cove and quickly realized that we were in for a treat.

But first we had to anchor in between several day-tripping boats, with shoals to the port and a visible reef, even at high tide, to starboard.  We set the anchor and watched our position for 45 minutes.  When a boat further into the cove departed, we decided to move to their spot, which was located more towards the middle, in deeper water.  I’m glad we did.  We would have been nervous about leaving Patronus in the first location, especially if the wind shifted to the North.

After a quick lunch, we dinghied into the little beach at the head of the cove.  The tide was starting to go out, so we left the dinghy in deeper water and used our long anchor and line to hold it.  Off we went, up the trail, and into the woods.  Our cruising guide told us there would be “overgrown trails with…rich history…leading to craggy beaches and sub-sighting towers.”  The trails were definitely overgrown.  At times, we felt like trailblazers, trying to figure out which way to turn in the bushes.  There were a few trailmarkers, which helped us find the World War I and II sub-sighting towers.  We climbed them to take in gorgeous vistas of Casco Bay.

The kids had a great time spotting remnants of life during the wars, such as foundations, pipes, and even a concrete pad that held 6-inch guns which could shoot 100 pound shells 15 miles.  I’m not sure I actually believe that.  15 miles?  Come on.  We even discovered spelunking, although we all ran out of courage about 15 feet into the cave.  Just when the bugs were really starting to bug me (they LOVE me and I was really getting bitten) our trail opened up to a craggy beach, just like the cruising guide had promised!  Thank goodness, because Chris had decided my new nickname was going to be “Bug Spray” (the bugs all go to me and leave everyone else alone).  As long as I’m around, they are all safe.  It was fun to explore the slate beaches at the south end of the island.  We had great views after climbing the slate (see Brendan?  I can climb rocks!) and found lots of sea glass.

We had been hiking for hours, and the kids had not complained once.  I thought about how much fun they were having and that we had not spent one penny all day.  The sailing, the free anchorage, and exploring all day had cost nothing compared to previous days, which had been filled with dinners at restaurants, museum fees, small gifts, and ice cream shops.  Well, never mind on the ice cream shops.  That’s always worth the price!

Before heading back to the boat, Chris was determined to find the “Punchbowl”.  At low tide, the slate ledges that circle this beach damn up the water from the bay and create a tide pool with “warmer” water, according to the guide (It was still freezing.).  It was really pretty and we found a little path that led us to a spot overlooking the cove where Patronus was anchored.  It was a great spot to take some full-length pictures of her with a beautiful background.

From this spot, we could also look towards the beach where we had anchored the dinghy.  Our dinghy, which still suffers from having no name, decided to pose more drama for us by getting completely beached in the low tide.  I’m not talking “five feet beached” like on LBI.  I’m talking 150 feet away from the water’s edge.

We picked our way slowly to the dinghy along the edge of the cove, which was comprised of seaweed-covered slate.  It was VERY slippery.  I insisted on holding Porter’s hand, until we both realized that I was slipping more than he was.  He tactfully suggested that I go ahead, since he is “much better at not slipping” than I am.  When we got to the end, he asked if I wanted my picture taken, to show that I made it.  I swear I am just going to eat him up one of these days.

 

Once we got to the dinghy, we had to figure out a plan to get it back to the water (a plan that did not involve waiting 6 hours for the next high tide!).  The dinghy and outboard together weigh 305 pounds.  We decided to take the outboard off and carry it to the water’s edge and then go back for the dinghy.  Both are heavy and unwieldy.  Bryson held his own as the young man he is by helping us carry the dinghy.  We couldn’t have done it without him.  Our crew is turning into a regular little team, with Reese taking pictures and Porter videotaping the scene, which we knew would prove entertaining to our friends and family:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXAM_o75bMU

The whole rigmarole took at least 45 minutes, and then we were on our way back to Patronus.  She was still swinging safely on her anchor.  We felt like we had had a full, adventurous, and eventful day.  We were the kind of tired that comes from playing hard.  Back at the boat, we stripped down to get our poison-ivy-covered clothes into quarantine, hosed everyone off, and started dinner.  We enjoyed sausages from the grill, macaroni and cheese, and salad.  Chris even shared his special new chocolate from Iceland for dessert.

We had  a new moon so it was pitch darkness except for the stars and the swaying anchor lights at the tops of the three masts in the cove.  I was bundled in thermal leggings, my favorite socks, and three shirts.  We fell asleep in absolute darkness, listening to the howling winds, which rattled our rigging and caused the peaceful water in the cove to lap against the boat in the friendliest of ways.  This is how Maine is supposed to be, and we love it.