The Salty Dawgs have held a Maine Rally from the Chesapeake Bay for the last two years. We were able to join them for their Safe Arrival Party at Rockland Yacht Club on Tuesday evening and then the two-day mini-cruise to a couple of choice places in Penobscot Bay.

Leaving Rockland Harbor on Wednesday afternoon, we were greeted by a dense fog bank.....brings to mind the sailor's warning about it being more comfortable to see lobster boats instead of just smelling them. Lobster boats tend to be wood or plastic and don't make very good radar targets. They are busy pulling traps, so pay minimal attention to other watercraft as they zig zag around their lines of traps. None have AIS, so we spend a lot of time in the fog watching for wakes and listening for engines. Luckily, this time, the sailing was lovely, so, without our own engine noise, we could hear the fishermen pretty easily.

We joined the Salty Dawg Fleet on the Fox Island Thoroughfare and anchored just outside Perry Creek on Vinyl Haven. Archer hosted the Happy Hour, listening to the lively exchange of information between those who have cruised Maine before.....and those that haven't. Stories of favorite anchorages, best service yards, and the inevitable snagged lobster pots filled the evening.

A second stop at Buck's Harbor on Eggamoggin Reach followed a lovely sail with great visibility. The wind was light and gentle, the seas were flat, so we broad reached lazily to our destination.

From Buck's, the Dawgs are on their own.....most heading toward Acadia National Park and Mt. Desert Island. We left the group and headed back to Rockland. We'll be here a few days before heading off to Nova Scotia with long-time cruising friends....Bill and Sandy Donaldson on Lucille.