Day 169 - Sat 12 Sep 2015
Docked - Camden, ME

[photo: Camden is a great town, but it is all about the waterfront]

The lobstermen were out early in their somewhat loud, dry-exhaust boats, but I was already up. It was great to watch how they maneuvered their single engine boats to turn around in a tight space full of docked boats and then zip by us with barely 2 feet to spare with us on one side and a dock on the other. Most of the time on this long trip, our extra wide beam has not been a factor, but twice now it has crowded others a bit.

The weather is forecast to be clear today and except for Sun and Mon with some chance of rain, the forecast is for clear skies for the next 9 days. That is a real blessing, to be sure. As a bonus, the high temps on the clear days should be in the 70s. Diane defrosted more of the Maine blueberries and I made some blueberry pancakes. Yumm.

While Diane worked inside, I scrubbed the exterior of the boat, which it needed. The recent rain had washed off the salt, but boats accumulate dirt and grime like you wouldn't believe. It was mid-morning and we were just done with our chores when there was a knock on the boat. It was Ned Black, a cruising friend who has been following our blog and offering lots of great advice as we hit Maine. It is too long a story to recount, but their plans had been suddenly changed and while we could still have use of the mooring they were offering us, they would be gone on a last-minute trip. (More on that later)

When Ned left, we walked into town again and headed towards the public library where I viewed (at Ned's suggestion) some fabulous photos of Camden from many decades ago. It was very interesting to see how the waterfront has changed over time. We continued walking and found the Farmers Market. Everything we saw was really top quality, and priced accordingly, but we really didn't need anything they had there.

We strolled up and down many streets and were impressed how nice the properties were. Like other old towns we have visited over our travels, many of these homes have been expanded by 2-3 times in size, while still maintaining the same basic architecture. Near noon, we wound up at the local Rite-Aid where we got a few items we needed and then stopped down the street at French and Brawns, an upscale market, to buy some fresh bread and tenderloin tips for supper.

On the way back to the boat, we stopped at the famous Harbor Dogs shack where the hot dog varieties looked good, but Diane wanted to share a lobster roll. She was concerned for some reason about the condition of the lobster meat in the roll. The proprietor replied that, no, it was not chopped up chunks of lobster; it was the biggest pieces of lobster they could extract from the claws and knuckles. Well, he was not kidding. The buttered and toasted roll was piled high with huge pieces of meat and almost no mayo. Diane deemed it in the top 2 of her many lobster rolls. Since we were sharing, we also had some of the fresh baguette, Vermont 'seriously sharp' cheddar, and Hungarian salami. One could argue it was not the healthiest meal, but so good!

We relaxed on Diva Di for a bit and then set off again to walk in the other direction. I must report that the day's weather was spectacular - bright sun, 72F, low humidity and a light breeze. We wanted to pick up 2 things we forgot earlier, but neither one of us brought a wallet. No big deal; we can get them some other time.

Diane took a nap and I enjoyed making some phone calls from the flybridge and reading for a while. For supper we had the tenderloin tips, mashed potatoes, and green peas. For far less money, it sure was as tasty as any restaurant meal we have had in a while. After supper, we each enjoyed the waning light and the energy of the people still walking the waterfront. This is not a place to be if you cherish solitude, but a great place to experience waterfront Camden.

The plan right now is to head S to visit Rockport for a few hours, and then wind up in Rockland for the next 2 nights on a mooring Ned has arranged for us. Ned's last-minute plans got changed again, but we have committed to meeting with some other cruising folks in Rockland who want to learn more about our Down East Circle cruise tomorrow. Hopefully, it will work for us to visit with Ned and his wife on Mon, but we will work it out somehow. After 2 nights in Rockland, we hope to backtrack slightly to anchor/moor for a night in the Fox Island Thorofare. Next, we'll try for a night at Port Clyde (kinda have to go there, right?).