In my previous post I vented my spleen over the idiocies of bureaucracy and rampant, unregulated lobster fishing. There are some upsides...

On Saturday, once we'd got our Cruising Permit and the fog cleared enough to see the exit, we headed out of Jonesport. It was a sunny day, but dodging lobster pots and a significant wind-driven chop on the bow produced a very rough ride. The scenery was awesome, but trying to get to Mount Desert Island we had a few cases of Mal de Mer aboard.

In order to get some shelter I tried ducking behind some islands near Schoodic Point. This was a mistake as we had to fight tide and breakers to claw our way around the headland at one knot.

We set course for Mount Desert and were making slow progress towards SouthwestHarbour when a strong squall line appeared on the horizon. We made a quick decision to divert to Bar Harbor, getting in just before the front passed.

Our head tank was full, the last available pinpoint having been Lunenburg. The service dock was closed so we took a dock at The Dockside Spa, Resort and Marina. $3/ft but what a place! I took my now mutinous crew out for pizza, then walked around the tourist Mecca of Baw Habbah. Back to the resort for long, luxurious showers.

As we were a day ahead of schedule, we took a shore day on Sunday. The resort had a free laundry, so Heather did our laundry and used the workout facilities, Cara spent the morning on the net and I did a reprovision shop at the local grocery with a long stop for good coffee....
In the afternoon we took 2 1/2 hour trolley tour of Bar Harbour, Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain. Back to the boat, we fueled-up, pumped out and then moved to a cheaper (and more comfortable) mooring ball in the harbor.

Dinner was BBQ'd land and local swordfish with salad and good bread accompanied by some great local brew from the Altalntic Brewing Company of Bat Harbor. Then we took the dog and piled into the dinghy and went shopping in downtown BH. Books, beer, some Mount Gay... and fudge....

Monday dawned sunny and we headed out around Mount Desert Island and across Penobscot Bay. The wind, such as it was, was, as usual, on the nose, so we motored. The sea was like glass and we arrived at North Haven around 5:30 and grabbed a mooring. It was beyond picturesque. Happy hour with great cheeses and some Bar Harbor brew followed by fresh mushroom Alfredo pasta and we are back in cruising form.

Currently we are bashing our way across Muscongus Bay hoping to make Boothbay Harbor tonight. The weather is clear and sunny, the lobster pots have thinned out, I just wish the wind-against-tide chop would settle down. Life is good.