August 26 — Day 48 — Robinhood Cove to Cliff Island — 23 NM

 It was foggy at dawn but when it cleared it, I lowered the dink and we went ashore to pick up Lene’s package, take showers and make the traditional deposit and withdrawal — a bag of trash in the dumpster and water into our gallon bottles. There is a restaurant, but we had dined aboard, and a cost “Library” with internet that we could have used. But we remained aboard. We were told that a whale was living in the Cove, but we did not see him (or her). And then we were off! In light winds but with favorable tide. The seas had moderated but after the storm, big rollers remained. Rolling up the Sheepscot River they slowed our exit.

We passed Five Islands where we have been before and had lobsters. Rounding Cape Smell, the eastern edge of Casco Bay, we crossed most of  it. Here we saw that we had only about eleven miles to go and the weatherman revised his prediction of 2 pm rain —  not coming until evening, so we took it slow, under sail in the light wind.

We took a route that managed to go almost all the way across Casco Bay without having to dodge rocks, islands and reefs. We passed south of this mess called Bald Head Ledge: 

Cliff Island is adjacent west of Jewell Island where we have been so many times, including on this cruise. The Cruising Guide gave Cliff a good review. It is “H” shaped, creating coves both north and south of the horizontal. So if north winds are expected one can shelter south of the horizontal and vice versa.  But the only winds expected that night were, as the meteorologists say, “light and variable”. Thus, we figured that the ocean rollers, coming from the SSW  were the  greater problem, not the wind, and elected the northern cove. Yes there are a few charted, but not buoyed shallow spots, but we had no problem dodging them. I had looked at the satellite view of the island on the map application to confirm that our target spot was not filled with moored boats. On arrival, however, we saw a dozen moorings, all but two empty, and took one. One boat was a day sailing powerboat which left well before dark and the other was a sailboat, without a crew or dinghy present. In other words we had the place to ourselves. In the morning we noted that another sailboat had come in during the night. 

There is a market of the west side of the west vertical of  the “H”. It could be reached by dinking to the beach shore and walking across the island. We did not need provisions that badly so we remained aboard. The only problem, and it moderated greatly at bed time, was that the rollers coming from the SSW, managed to change direction and make our anchorage rolly, with what wind there was holding our beam to the waves. The Cruising Guide had not mentioned this wrinkle. The sound of surf crashing about us was our bedtime music. Good old Jewell Island would have provided a calmer night.