Sept. 9, 2026 Rockland, Maine

 Sept. 9-11, 2026   Boothbay Harbor, Maine to Rockland, Maine 45 miles and 5.1 hours

Good time in Boothbay Harbor.  Nice town, good eats, good drinks, friendly dockhands.  But we still need to keep moving north.  Been planning this trip for Wednesday.  Pretty decent weather today before the seas turn ugly on Thursday. Strong winds should build up to 5' seas before settling over the weekend...so off we go.  Overcast and cool, but no rain in forecast.  Woke up to 55 degrees and highs only mid 60's.  Feel like temps stayed in mid 50's all day.  Breeze off the 61 degree waters keeping it damp.  Would have liked running from the pilothouse but these lobster traps have us too nervous.  Better visibility from up top which we'll need. 

Saying farewell to Boothbay Harbor

Dreary and cool morning to start our voyage

After exiting Boothbay we round Linekin Neck and are in open waters. Waves are running 2' but with a short period and primarily on the starboard bow.  Not the smooth up and down swells, but a more push-push-push sensation.   Fairly long haul across the Gulf of Maine.  Deep water - we see up to 230' deep.  Still doesn't keep the lobstermen from setting traps.  Pass the 38' tall Pemaquid Lighthouse built in 1835.  Sitting on a rugged granite wave-swept ledge, it is supposedly Maine's most photographed lighthouse.   Continue on and make a pass aside Eastern Egg Island.  Breeding grounds for a re-established colony of Puffins.  Amazing birds.  Live about 30 years. Don't breed until 5 years old.  Spend 7 months completely at sea then return to the same borough, on the same island, with the same mate, to lay one egg each year. After their 3 month stay on the island, which is generally May, June, July, it's back into the sea for another 7 months. We're once again too late this season to see any.   Start working our way northeast through a maze of islands and then along the coastline as we head up West Penobscot Bay.  Tide is against us and several times as we pass between islands, the current surges and lobster trap markers become very difficult to see as they bob above and then below the surface.  Finally make it to Owls Head Lighthouse.  Sharp turn to port and we're pointed at the open waters of Rockland Harbor.

Out working the traps

Yup - Passed by a lot of lighthouses today

Follow the channel all the way in and dock at Rockland Public Landing by 1:30. Nothing fancy but gives good protection from the expected swells and winds this harbor can get.  Felt like a longer day than the 5 hours it took to get here.  Just a lot of physical and mental fatigue. 

Noticed this crazy looking cloud pattern once we got docked

Looked like a weird watercolor painting in shades of gray

Get settled in and then a quick walkabout.  Enjoyed this town during our visit last year.  Still has plenty of charm and things to do.  Farnsworth Art Museum (multi-generational Wyeth family art collection), Center for Maine Contemporary Art,  Maine Lighthouse Museum,  Capt. Jim Sharp's Sail, Power and Steam Museum, The Strand Theatre (movies, plays and symphony), Project Puffin Visitor Center, Hamilton Marine store, two breweries (Stone Alley and Rock Harbor), tons of restaurants, Atlantic Baking Company (amazing breads and pastries) and a Thursday morning farmers market which is primarily vendors with edibles - fruits, vegetables, cider, meats, seafood, baked goods, honey, maple syrup, etc.   Original plan was to stay 2 nights, but opted for a third night just because we like the town.

Vendors setting up for the Thursday Farmers Market

Picture perfect tree lined Main Street

Splitting a lobster lunch - Lobster Corn Chowder and
Lobster Roll "Tourist Style" - buttered instead of mayo

Boats moored out in the harbor towards evening

There are three windjammer cruisers that operate out of Rockland. 
The green hulled Stephen Taber is the largest

Mural in town celebrating the puffins who were recolonized nearby.

Stopped at Blue Raven Art Gallery housed in an historical bank. 
 Amazing artwork on display including this rooftop garden area.  

Three days without a real sunset. Figured "Sunset at Tenants Harbor"
by William B. Hoyt was next best thing.  Available at the gallery for $20,500!

Journey for Sept. 9, 2026

Sept. 7, 2026 Boothbay, Maine

Mon.-Tues. Sept. 7-8, 2026   Isle of Springs to Boothbay Harbor 5 miles and 1.25 hours 

What should have been a very simple half hour cruise down to Boothbay Harbor turned into a bit longer trip.  We have reservations at Boothbay Harbor Marina for two nights. They actually called about 10 AM asking when we'd be arriving.  Said the slip was available and come anytime.   Short run but needed to plan for a swing bridge about 2 miles away that only opens on the hour and half hour. Figured we'd take our time rather than trying to rush things.   Decided to shoot for the 11:30 bridge opening.  Started pulling up the anchor at 11.  Had 125' of chain deployed and first 50' came up nicely.  Then the chain was covered with heavy thick mud, requiring extensive washing to clean off.  Still had 25' to go when Martha informed me it was 11:20 and we needed to get going.  Started pulling the chain in faster and got the anchor to the waterline.  Told Martha to head out as I cleaned and secured the last of it.  Came around the bend about 1/2 mile from the bridge at 11:30. Called the bridgetender and no go.  Too late.  Needed to circle around for half an hour in a fairly narrow area loaded with lobster pots and small boats able to skim under the bridge. Bridge opened promptly at noon and away we went. 

Beautiful old wooden boat fit under the bridge and passed us by

Cars stopped so we've inched our way closer and now just waiting for the opening

Always feels a bit tighter than it actually is going through these openings

Deep water is along the right-hand bank

Narrow channel, lobster traps, boats coming and going.  Must be Labor Day.

Twenty minutes later we were in Boothbay Harbor and headed to the marina.  After a week of anchoring out we were ready for a few days on land.  Couple of chores first.  Called the pumpout boat and arranged for them to come over.   Past due to defrost the freezer section of the refrigerator.   Time to refill the water tank.   Boat could use a better washdown but I'll wait until after we do the offshore run to Rockland for that.   

Several Windjammer sailing boats use Boothbay as their home port

Popular port of call for megayachts too.

We had skipped Boothbay during our Down East loop.  We had spent a few days during that trip exploring Bar Harbor and found it just too touristy.  Had heard Boothbay was also touristy, so passed it up.  Decided to give it a shot this trip and glad we did.  Cute town.  Yes, it's touristy but on a much scaled down version versus Bar Harbor.  They've managed to save a number of the older buildings on the waterfront which have been converted to shops and restaurants adding to its quaintness.  

Nice collection of lobster trap buoys in front of this store

Captain Sawyers Place - now an inn

Couple of the older repurposed buildings along Main Street

After a quick walk through downtown, we opted for an early dinner at Footbridge Brewery.  Good selections of diverse beers but even better they had really good BBQ.  Martha had a pulled pork sammy  and I had a smoked steak sammy.  Just a really good job on both and a much-needed change from our usual fare.  Tuesday morning started with a drizzly day.  Gave us an excuse to go out for breakfast.  Got some Maine blueberry pancakes.   Rain stopped by the time we were done and sunshine already popping out.  Turned into a delightful day- mid 70's. Had to move the boat to the outer dock to make room for a 65' Palm Beach yacht that was coming in.  Gorgeous boat!  Then some tourist shopping and eventually a trip to Hannaford's grocery store for some provisions.  Finished the day with another visit to Footbridge Brewery and then a trip to Downeast Ice Cream Factory.

The 65' Palm Beach yacht preparing to dock - long, wide and sleek

The footbridge is an iconic landmark in town.  Originally built in 1901 at 
the headwaters of the harbor it connects the east and west sides of the town

Seems with each passing day as we continue northward
we see more colors starting to show in the trees

Journey for September 7, 2026

Sept. 4, 2026 Deja Vu all Over Again - FOG!!

Friday-Sunday,  Sept. 4-6, 2026   The Basin to Isle of Springs  25 miles and 3 hours

Beautiful morning to start the day.  Weather advisory for fog in this morning.  6AM until 8AM.  No problem for us as no plans to leave until 10AM.  Slight haze when we first get up, but burning off as expected by 8.  Light wind and sunshine pops up.  Seems like a good day for a relatively short cruise.  Biggest concern is the projected 2-3' seas for the short time we head out into the sea to work around Cape Small.  Anchor comes up with soft mud that washes off fairly easily. Work our way back through the narrow entry - made a bit narrower as we're leaving at low tide.  Plenty of lobster traps here to navigate. 

We're seeing an occasional seal like this fella in the anchorage.
They just seem to be camera shy.

Sort of hard to tell, but this is a seal leaping out of the water

Yes, we had to navigate our way around and through all
these lobster pots to get out of the anchorage

Perfect Maine scenery.  Old wood sailboat at anchor. 
The narrow channel out is behind him and going right

Out the last of the channel and into open waters. 
 Looks like a lovely day for a cruise

Out in the main channel with depths of 125-150' we have clear cruising down the New Meadows River.  Seas as we head into open water aren't bad.  There are 2-3' swells but with a good period so we're gently being lifted and lowered.    Round Cape Small with its long arching sandy beach anchored by the narrow passages at Bald Head and Small Point.  We see a slow moving fin sticking up off the port side.  Can't figure it out so shift the boat into neutral.  It continues heading for us at a leisurely pace and we're able to see one of the ocean's weird fishes.  An Ocean Sunfish - aka Mola Mola, comes right alongside the boat before giving a splash of his fins and dives deep under the boat.  We learn that while our fish was maybe 2-3' across they commonly grow up to 5-6' across and weigh up to 800 pounds. Certainly one of the stranger creatures of the sea as it appears to be all head without a rear body or fins.  

Lobstermen working their traps as we head down river

The last bits of fog wafting up off the beach at Cape Small

Our strange visitor - the Ocean Sunfish- laying on his side and basking in the sun

Fuller Rock Light off Small Point appears a bit hazy further out to sea. We're making a slight turn to port away from it and headed towards Sheepscot Bay. Sky above is filled with clouds and blue sky but ahead the surface is obscured.  It's noon now and there should be no more signs of fog but that certainly isn't the case. In fact, it quickly goes to virtually zero visibility.  We're in fairly open water, but shallower water and lobster pots have reappeared. Worse, we passed numerous lobster boats out working New Meadows River and have to assume they're out in these waters too. 

Fuller Light Rock looking a bit fuzzy

Sunny skies above but looking a bit mysterious at sea level.

Back to instrument navigating.  Navigation lights on, radar on, AIS working, we throttle back to idle speed.   As we slowly proceed, I'm watching the radar. Blip from a known small island shows as expected about a mile ahead but another small blip in between also makes a mark.  Double check the charts and no navigation buoys around that would ping back so make the assumption it's a boat.  Just not moving.  We continue to advance trying to stay off to the starboard side and inching closer.  We're literally no more than 200' away when the white hulled lobster boat appears through the fog and we pass within 100'.  Nerve wrecking to say the least.  Happens a second time but this time we've got a bit more distance between us and a more visible blue hulled boat.  We maintain our heading for the main channel up Sheepscot Bay where a sailboat going upbound is showing on AIS.  At idle we're still catching up to him but at least I know he's there and he us.   We're closing slowly on him and keep wondering when we'll see him.  Our AIS vector line has us passing on his starboard side so I feel no collision is imminent but would still like to see him.  Finally, his big white sails slowly make their appearance. We stay clear passing and then just as quickly they disappear in our wake like some ghostly mystery ship in a horror movie.  

Even at idle speeds it's amazing how quickly boats appear out of the fog

Catching up to the sailboat as we travel up the Sheepscot River

We're approaching the area we'll need to cut in for our anchorage, so I head a bit closer to the shoreside.   Amazingly the rough outline of the shore comes into view.  Not clearly, but visible.  Up ahead is a red buoy designating the entrance.  We idle through and the densest fog lifts, leaving a somewhat viewable anchorage.  This is another place we utilized on our Down East Loop. We pick a spot in 15' with good protection from the next several days of northerly winds.   By the time the anchor's down and secured the anchorage is fog free although it's still laying hard over the Sheepscot River. By 2 PM even that is gone!!   August and September are supposedly the best cruising months here in Maine as the chance for fog is diminished.  But it sure is a fickle thing.  Comes and goes as it pleases.  Thick as the buttercream frosting in a whoopie pie at times.  Other times just a light haze softly wafting about.   Hoping that will be our last foggy cruising day, but somehow feeling very doubtful.  

From inside the anchorage the fog still hangs over the river.

Martha got the drone up for a bird's eye view

No more fog but looks like a bit of rain in the distance.  Never got to us.

That shoreline gives us nice protection as the winds swap around to the north

Finally saw our first loons on this trip

Not the best sunset, but after a day like today, we're simply glad it's over.

Clouds keep messing with our sunset pictures.  This was Sunday evening's

Journey for Sept. 4, 2026