Damariscove Island
19 July 2011 | Damariscove Island, ME
Cap'n Monty
When the sun rose and we weary sailors hoisted our tired bodies from our berths, we readied the Song to get underway, pumped out using the local honey boat which we had scheduled at 7:30, slipped our mooring, and came alongside the nearby dock to take on water and allow the Admiral a hot shower. By the way, Austin was at the helm when we slipped our cable and he brought the boat alongside the dock like a good'n. Once all was laid along, we pushed off and headed away from Boothbay Harbor bound for Damariscove Island.
Damariscove Island is a long narrow island only about 5 nautical miles from Boothbay and right on the Atlantic. It is rumored to have been visited by the Mayflower and became a busy port of call in the 1600's. The island is managed by the nature conservancy and is not populated save for an island caretaker and his girlfriend. The harbor is small and narrow, with barely room to anchor inside. It is used by local lobsterman and is also the sight of an old USCG lifesaving station being restored there. There are hiking trails on which you can hike all around the island. It proved to be a really cool spot.
Upon inspection, one would assume that the harbor has too much southern exposure and that it would not provide adequate shelter, but those who have been there share a different opinion and we do now as well. The harbor is very sheltered in all but S to SE winds. As we turned and made our entrance into the narrow harbor mouth, we kept good soundings throughout. We were 75ft plus for most of the way and the soundings went up to 10ft at the farthest end of the anchorage, 2 hours prior to high water. The place was busy with several lobster boats tied to the dock or to one of 3-4 floats on which they kept their unused lobster pots and gear. There was also a taxi boat and a handful of small power boats or sailboats which came for short visits to hike ashore before they returned to the mainland. These visiting boats tended to take the moorings for a short time, however a visiting yachtsman might only wait for a bit on a lunch hook and keep watch before one of the moorings becomes available. You cannot tie off to the wharf or to a float as they are for the sole use of the lobsterman. There is however a floating dock at which you can load and unload passengers or tie off your dinghy inside, but you cannot stay tied off there with your vessel. Therefore you must take a mooring or anchor. The bottom is mostly solid mud with very good holding characteristics. Getting a good anchor set is no problem. The main problem you must deal with in this harbor is swing room at low water. At high water, there is ample swing room for up to a 40ft boat, however there are rock shelves that line the outer edges of the harbor and show themselves at low water. It is almost a certainty that a 40ft boat's hull or rudder will be at risk when swinging to the east or west.
There are three basic options for the cruising sailor to secure his boat at this anchorage:
1. Take one of moorings or anchor nearer the mouth of the harbor where the harbor is wider and allows sufficient swing room. However, the harbor is less protected here and tends to be a bit "rolly" out near the mouth. Once you come deeper into the harbor, the water remains remarkably calm and sheltered throughout.
2. Use two moorings in mid-harbor to moor head and stern. This has been done by others we are told, however this method might incur some wrath by other visiting boats. I would not recommend this method based on the amount of weekday traffic and visitors that I witnessed. Others would appreciate leaving the second mooring available to them.
3. Use a mooring and a stern anchor to moor head and stern, thus keeping the boat aligned north and south in any wind. This is the method we used and it worked great. The only issue we had was swing room with a boat on the other nearby mooring; however we adjusted our lines and made sufficient room for all to clear. I would recommend that the stern anchor be set away from the other of the two moorings so that swing room with the other mooring will not be an issue. The holding ground was perfect for my Fortress stern anchor which I deployed with the dinghy and tensioned with a headsail winch. I also deployed a kellet (a heavy weight sent down the anchor line) in order to set the stern rode deep and out of the props of all the visiting boats that came and went in close proximity.
There is another mooring deep in the harbor which has good soundings at higher water, but will shoal to 4ft at low water. We originally moored head and stern here, but we then moved the boat after talking with the caretaker whom advised us of the 4ft low water depths. This deeper location would work for a small boat or for a temporary visit, but it would not suit for an overnight sailboat. The multiple anchoring by the Song combined with intel from the caretaker and other boaters reinforced that the holding ground is indeed good, although swing room is very limited - even more so than at Jewel Island. Many boats come and go during the course of the day and each time a new captain makes entrance, it's entertaining to watch him decide how he is going to integrate himself into the environment. There is also more than a modicum of hope that he will do so in such a way that does not "mommick" (this is a Carteret County, NC colloquialism - look it up) those already there.
The location was also prime for swimming and many folks did in fact swim, alot. The caretaker was often seen towing his beautiful girlfriend about with his rowboat while she floated blissfully astern in an inner-tube. Austin & I fished some in the harbor, but we did not catch any stripers.
We met a nice couple aboard m/v Dolphin Dream, whom were sailors for most of their lives but have moved to a trawler in later life. Bill and Sandy Reinecke invited us aboard the Dolphin Dream and we spent the afternoon talking about boats, sailing, school, kids, government, life, etc... We enjoyed ourselves immensely and in no time it was 7pm, time to start dinner. We missed hiking ashore that afternoon, but we gained a more valuable experience in new friends afloat and life education.
The Song's day ended with dinner and movies as is typical for us. It is worth mentioning that the prudent sailor should make sure that "all" of his hatches are screened or closed at this anchorage, as the mosquitoes here are quite large and very friendly.
Cap'n Monty
s/v Song Of The South
Moored at Damariscove Island, ME