August 2 and 3 -- Frenchboro to Northeast Harbor and Day Sail from NE Harbor

Our sail from Frenchboro to Northeast Harbor was short and unpleasant. It rained most of the way, with zero wind, so we motored, but visibility was adequate. We left early, at 7:30 and arrived at about 9:00,in order to avoid later adverse tide and predicted heavier rain. We had not been in this ritzy sailing port since 2002 and that year we spent only one night and visited the Japanese garden created by and maintained by the Rockefellers and the Asticou Inn, where folks like them would frolic. Upon arrival we learned that our slip had not yet been vacated and were directed to a mooring to wait. There, it was chore time. Once on the dock, we went to town: to the food market, to check restaurants and to check out the local chi-chi shops.

I also checked out the Great harbor Maritime Museum.

Like Seinfeld, it was about nothing. But still one learns. We have noticed the greater prevalence of seals on this trip. They are so common that I don’t mention each sighting. Calm water (which we have had too much of) helps sighting them, because in these conditions their heads stick out from the water, though a seal head can easily be mistaken for a lobster float. The museum stated that their resurgence is threatened by man. This time it is not the clubbing and killing of them directly for their fur, but that the cod fishery has been made commercially extinct. Cod is the seals’ food. So if what was written is correct, we are looking at hungry seals. The museum also had an account of the controversy over whether or not to allow automobiles on the island or restrict the island to non-motor vehicles --the horse drawn type.

We had both lunch and dinner aboard and a good night’s sleep. I have been sleeping almost nine hours per night, a whole lot more than at home, and no, it is not a sign that I am depressed.

Next day Lene did a small laundry and I cleaned the interior, washed the deck, filled the starboard water tank and got ready for our guests: Simone, who is a friend of Lene from New York, and Todd, who is a friend of Simone.

They spent the weekend in Todd’s house in Blue Hill but drove over bringing lunch in anticipation of a day sail. Simone’s parents had a boat and they have chartered in the Caribbean, so have experience with sailing.

But it looked bleak when they arrived at 11. True, the fog had lifted; but the skies were grey, the winds nonexistent and about ten drops of rain greeted them. Undaunted we headed out, motoring out of NE Harbor into The Great Harbor of which NE Harbor, SW Harbor, Somes Sound and the bay between the Cranberrys are offshoots. There we were met by light winds. We went south, out into the Atlantic, through the Western Way for what turned out to be a counter-clockwise circumnavigation of the Cranberrys and Baxter Island. And the wind came up, gradually, enough to move us at up to 7.4 knots with the sun shining during our close hauled beat back west, a beautiful day sail and a thrill for our guests, which gave me a thrill too. I had never met my new friends before but enjoyed them. Next time out of City Island!

Back at the NE Harbor Municipal Marina we went to both of the events scheduled for that day: a boat show put on by Morris Yachts, and an art show with perhaps fifty booths rented by artists, clothiers and jewelers.

Then they drove us to a favorite restaurant of Todd’s, Cleonice,  in Ellsworth (219 Main Street), owned by a friend of Todd’s  from High School, where we shared a whole lot of small plates.

These scenes of the sunset, looking southeast and northwest appeared on the drive back to Northeast Harbor.

Now on to Bar Harbor to greet Bennett. We may not be able to post for the next week or so, due to lack of internet, so please stay tuned.