Goodbye Maine
August 11, 2013
With some regret, we left Portland yesterday and sailed back to Kittery/ Portsmouth. That means we have now left Maine and all the wonderful islands and inlets. Truly, the destinations east of here are a cruisers paradise at least during the summer. In the areas we just left, the best of the sailing season is about two months. In essence, the dock masters we have met along the way say that most do not get their boats in the water until Memorial Day and, for the most part, walk away from them on Labor Day. The yards are then left to winterize and haul them. So, we enjoyed being here at the best time of the year.
As August 2013 heads into history, we try to imagine places like Northeast Harbor in the winter. Some cruisers are starting to think as we that it is time to ease west. A few will push on toward that part of Maine we did not see, the islands east of Bar Harbor where we are told that even in the height of the season, one might be hard pressed to see another cruiser tucked into the spectacular places. Imagine a place where you are the only boat anchored in the lee of an island where the water is loaded with lobster and the temperature is in the 60s during the day. To us southern sailors, that is a real treat in August.
Of those we left the Solomons with, one is still heading east and the other caught up with us today. They plan to do a long push tomorrow from here to Plymouth or Duxbury. We may be here another day if the mail does not come early. Maine is in our memories and our logbook now. We are soon to be back in Massachusetts and points east. More memories in the making.