August 5 -- Bar harbor to Roque Island

A beautiful sunny sail today for the 41 miles from honky-tonk to pristine nature. We left our mooring at 7:15 and dropped anchor at 2:30. The wind was strong, from the north so we had to jibe south down Frenchman’s Bay. I made one mistake: setting sail under genoa alone at first. Because when I had to furl the genoa and turn north under motor to raise the main, I snagged a lobster pot and it took about five minutes of twisting before it came loose. I sure hope the lobsterman finds his distinctive blue float it in his new location. We rounded Schoodic Point

and Schoodic Island and headed east on a beam reach with full sails plus a tidal assist, peaking at nine knots and averaging over eight for quite a while.  The cruising guide says that that the southern end of Petite Manan Island is the foggiest place in America; but not today, its lighthouse visible for miles.

We were gradually passed by St. Roque of Newport RI, a beautiful gleaming 74 foot ketch using jib and jigger. We later spotted her at the destination. She is owned by a member of the Garner family, the owners of Roque Island and of the Marina in Newport RI.

We also passed Curlew Rock, huge with people standing on top barely visible.

Freeman Rock has no people, just birds.

Here is Moose Peak Light marking the entrance to the anchorage behind Mistake Island, where we hope to put in on our return trip from Eastport.

The wind gradually shifted from the north to the west, coming more aft of the beam and slowing us down, as did the tide, now hindering our progress, until we rounded north, after passing south of Great Wass Island, toward Roque.

Roque is correctly called an archipelago, a collection of several islands. It is in the shape of an “H” with protection from the westerly winds that were predicted in the part of the “H” open to the east. Getting into that harbor, called Great Beach Harbor is permitted via several passes between islands from the south and east, or through “The Thoroughfare” a zig zag or “Z” shaped passage from the west, which we took. Near low tide, when we entered, this is supposed to be difficult, but we made it easily and anchored with four other boats in 25 feet at low tide along the southern end of a magnificent sandy crescent beach, more than a mile long. Saint Roque, Sweet Dreams and ILENE.

Like Orchard Beach near home, don't you think.
This gull, atop his rock, thinks he owns the place; and maybe he does.

Bennett and I dinked to shore, and walked the length of the beach. Along the way I heard “Roger!” It was John and Angela, who we had met in South Freeport, sailing again after their fortnight back in England. They were with their sailing buddies, Al (a retired dentist like John and Angela) and Maggie (a retired psychologist). They sail at 53 foot Stevens Custom 53 to the Caribbean "Sweet Dreams" each year and live in Falmouth-Foreside, Maine. John and Angela invited us for cocktails aboarde "Galadriel Hamble" their Malo. I picked up a whole lot of flat stones, for use as place cards. The cocktails on Galadriel Hamble

led to an invitation to both couples to join us and Bennett for blueberry pancakes on ILENE. Bennett and I each had two gin and tonics, about ½ too many it seems. Then a steak dinner aboard and another good night’s sleep.