Sailing the Coast of Maine and Beyond

sv Oriane's 2025 run to Portland

We decided to take sv Oriane to attend the June 21st Jon Stewart show in Portland rather than just drive to the show in our car. It was a rare opportunity to travel west and visit the my old Casco Bay cruising grounds.

We arrived at Oriane late morning and after loading on gear and goodies left the Rockland public landing dock at 1200. The opportunity to go meant ignoring the foul current resulting from the incoming tide. The impact on ground speed ranged from .6 to 1.5 knots as we made the passage through Muscle Ridge with 1/10 mile visibility adding to the fun. But we soldiered on. Cold scattered showers ranging from mist to short intense bursts lasted for all of the 4hrs 20 minutes it took to cover the 19.7nm to the new Port Clyde Town Dock. Foul weather gear earned its keep.

That's the way sailing goes when you're out for a longer trip. Good weather/lousy weather it's all part of the game.

We spent a comfortable night on a friend's mooring.

Day two

Updated of plans for the day. Based on forecast of high winds on the nose on Friday, we decided to bypass Damariscove and make the 40nm, 7 hr hop to Little Snow Island in Casco Bay with a close pass by Eastern Egg Rock Island on the way to see the Puffins.
We dropped the mooring line at 0910 with the main raised to help dampen the southerly waves and headed out in 400' viz fog.
We passed through narrow Davis Strait with the nun buoy finally emerging from the fog 200' away as we passed it close by on the Starboard side.
Next goal was seeing Puffins at Eastern Egg Rock Island. 5 Puffins sighted with the island only looming as a darkened shape close to Port.
Pemiquid Point passed unseen with several boats showed on radar with a couple actually emerging from the fog.

Pemiquid is out there somewhere!

The mouths of the Sheepscot and Kennebec rivers were successfully traversed and we're amused at the 11 degree magnetic disturbance as we passed Ellingwood Rock. We continued along to Small Point then turned to the NW on final approach to Quohog Bay and the anchorage at Little Snow Island.
The main was dropped and the anchor was set at 1535. Two nights here nicely protected from the forecasted winds.

Beer time.

Day Three

A laid back day was enjoyed by the crew as we remained on anchor to wait out the high winds. The close by oyster farm was investigated as it was being tended by the workers. The process for growing oysters was explained as they scraped muscle growth from the cages holding the oysters.

Oyster farming

The crew braved a wet dinghy ride to Great Island Marina to find out that not only were the showers free but were the nicest facilities ever encountered in the 4 decades of cruising the coast. Even nicer than NE Harbor which is hard to beat.

Oriane was comfortable overnight with the wind dying off overnight.

Breakfast and coffee in the cockpit was enjoyed as we considered the upcoming final leg to Portland.

All this way to see the Jon Stewart performance only to get word yesterday afternoon that the show has been postponed until November. Oh well.

Onwards to the city!

Day 4

After traveling from Snow Island to Dimillo's we walked to Yosaku restaurant for lunch and then experienced the extraordinary Gay Pride Parade in the city with well over 10,000 people having a great time. We spent the night on the dock. I rediscover why it is a very rare thing for us to be on a dock overnight. I just don't like the noise, lights nor motion. We're 165 nm for the season and 81 nm for this trip.

Day 5

After Kathy got back from walking to Whole Foods, we got cleaned up and straightened out. Kathy's sister came on board and we sailed around and hijacked a mooring off Falmouth.

Kathy & Sue with lobster roll lunch

After homemade lobster roll lunch we headed back to drop off Sue passing through Great Diamond and take on 15 gallons of diesel back at Dimillo's. We're now sitting off the Eastern Prom for the night.

Sunset - Eastern Prom anchorage Portland

We're 183 nm for the season and 99 nm for this trip.

Day 6

We docked at Dimillo's again to pick up our friend Raetha.

Raetha

After the logistics of meeting and parking were done, we headed out bound for a night at historic Damariscove Island. I haven't been to Damariscove for around 20 years. We passed north of Halfway Rock Light and off Small Point the wind finally came up and sails were raised and we bubbled along making a delightful 6 knots. After securing Oriane in the narrow slot of harbor, the crew went ashore for a walk to the museum and Flat Ledge. We enjoyed a conversation with the Boothbay Harbor Land Trust caretakers before going back to the boat.

sv Oriane in Damariscove Harbor

Flat Ledge Damariscove Island

Dinner consisted of lightly seared Sushi grade tuna from Harbor Fish Market on a bed of lettuce with a delightful white wine.

32.6 nm for the day, 132 nm for the trip 215.6 nm for the summer.

Day 7

After coffee and breakfast in the cockpit the crew went ashore to hike to the wooden navigation monument on the SE arm of the island. I stayed behind to get the water system working (it turns out that the prefilter was clogged), dishes were washed, dried and put away, the propane stove burner elements reamed out, luggage rearranged to clear up the cabin, and the port lights washed.

Upon the crew's return we headed out, put up sails and had a dashing sail with the bow pointed to the Sheepscot River to anchor in the Sawyer's Cove on the Back River. A light lunch was enjoyed along the way. Herds of seals were spotted basking on rocks and cooling off in the water.

A downwind wing on wing course up the river brought us to the time to douse the sails.

Wing on Wing up the Sheepscot River

We turned the boat into the wind and the sails were dropped smartly. Oriane motored into the narrow winding entrance to the anchorage. Anchor down, snubber line attached and its beer time.

Sawyer Cove

Morning fog Sawyer Cove

The nightly Cribbage Tournament continued. 11.2 nm for the day, 143 nm for this cruise, 226.4 nm for the summer.

Day 8

The forecast of rain and thunderstorms never materialized overnight but heavy fog did. As the day broke, the fog lifted and coffee before breakfast to start the day was enjoyed in the cockpit.

Today is crew change day. The route and timing was calculated to determine anchors up at 1010 to make the 1100 Southport bridge opening then complete the passage to Boothbay. Kathy and Raetha will be leaving and my friends John Tidd and Kelly Kahler, both fellow cross country ski industry pioneers, will be joining me for the balance of the cruise.

Turns out that it's Schooner Festival weekend in Boothbay and the town is completely clogged up including the closure of the town dock.

There are schooners circling Oriane as she sat on the guest memorial mooring just off the town dock. Deafening cannon fire from the Lynx and fife and drum band on a circling cruise boat added to the hubbub of the schooner parade. We finally figured out a change of crew plan with the generosity of the Tub Boat Inn allowing us to use their dock to offload/onload gear and crew.

With crew change complete and navigation calculations complete we are off.

A fine passage past Pemaquid with puffin sightings at Eastern Egg Rock Island and a glimpse of the Wyeth village on Allen island, we continued on to Tenants Harbor for the night.

33nm for the day, 176nm for this cruise, 259nm for the summer.

Day 9

After breakfast we raised sails and departed Tenants and headed for Perry Creek on Vinalhaven. The crew enjoyed a sparkler of a sail all the way until the "noon shift" when the wind dropped to nil and we drifted for a half hour in the Two Bush Channel. We decided to fire up the iron jenny and get to the anchorage and to enjoy seeing the summer cottages along the Fox Island Thorofare along the way. Coming in, I showed the crew how the red and white sectors of the Browns Head lighthouse worked to help boats from going onto the rocks without having to relying on any nav instruments.

We arrived to find one of my favorite coves nearly empty. Only three other boats were in the anchorage instead of the normal fifteen to twenty or more.

We arrived at 1535 and it was time to relax. John cooked another delicious meal we played cribbage and Rummycub and reminisced about how each of us were involved with the creation of the American cross country ski industry.

Another 33 nm day and 209 nm for the trip

282.0 nm for the season.

Day 10

After a quiet and cold night John and I worked on replacing a failing head sink faucet.

With that accomplished we motored to Winter Harbor to sightsee. There was no wind to sail we proceeded under power and we took the sharp turn to starboard to enter Seal Bay where we enjoyed lunch. In the return through the Thorofare we were able to sail. Destination: Long Cove. We arrived to find it completely empty.

Sail cover on. Bimini/dodger connector reinstalled. General deck cleanup. Another delightful dinner, more games and conversation all while enjoying the magical environment of Long Cove.

22 nm for the day, 231nm for the cruise and 303.9 nm for the season

It's been a good day.

Day 11

The crew got up later than planned but that was okay by all measures of civility. Oriane's interior got a good "sparkle" cleaning in preparation for our leaving the boat. The sail back to Rockland was rather uneventful except for the rain. It was coming down hard when we tied up to the dock. Final cleaning and organizing of gear took time and lo and behold when we finally got ready to offload the rain had ceased. Our preparation for waterproofing everything turned out to be unnecessary. After all gear was transferred into my car, John and I put Oriane back on her mooring and rode the launch ashore. Only the drive home remained of Oriane's adventure to Portland.

It was a good trip.