August 27 — Day 49 — Cliff Island to Cape Porpoise — 27 NM

We normally leave Casco Bay in Maine for Massachusetts with a stop in either Isles of Shoals or Portsmouth NH. But those are fifty mile passages and shorter hops are preferable when possible. And Lene has come to like going to new places, which Cape Porpoise was for her.

Underway from 7:30 to 12:30, with rather straight shots from Cliff Island to the turn at Cape Elizabeth,  

And then again from there to the entrance at Cape Porpoise.

We had a problem at first, but one that Lene easily solved. The chart plotter showed ILENE, her course and speed and the pink line, being the track we had made on our way in — so we could follow the breadcrumbs out. But the buoys were gone and the land masses such as islands were represented only by crude rectangles or triangles. I was the culprit! In switching from “North Up” to “Course Up”, like the GPS is on your car, Mr. “All Thumbs” pressed a button to use the software brand we do not have, rather than the one we do have. 

We put up the main and Genoa on port tack, though the wind was rather light. When it came directly behind us we put on the preventer and drove “wing on wing” for an hour while our tide assisted speed over ground fell gradually from five knots to three. Then the fun ended, we furled and Yanmar got a chance to work again. We passed Cape Neddick, a rocky knob of a peninsula sticking out into the Atlantic which is now fully or overly developed waterfront real estate.

Cape Neddick even has its own lighthouse. 

I had been in Cape Porpoise before, but for a different purpose and I had a completely erroneous negative image of the place. Last time I was with Jim and KC. We were heading from Casco Bay, Portland specifically, to Isles of Shoals. But it got stormy and we were beating into strong winds, with an adverse tide and going very slowly uncomfortable and might not make it into Gosport Harbor before dark. Was there an alternative, a “port in the storm”? Well yes - Cape Porpoise. It is well marked with buoys and the guide book said we might be able to find room to anchor in the dredged deep-enough area outside the fleet of moored lobster boats. We got in at high tide and anchored. At high tide the land around the cove is at or below sea level with the grasses rising above the land. Not much protection from the wind but great protection from the ocean waves that roared by outside.  The Guide mentioned some sort of restaurant a the lobster dock but it was a dark and stormy night, we had food, were tired and did not go ashore.  I imagined, in my prejudice a not-much place frequented by lobstermen who lived in shacks nearby.

I was completely wrong. Cape Porpoise is a very upscale suburb of nearby Kennebunkport. It is

 filled with big lovely homes, several fine restaurants (though the one we selected was disappointing— well, after eating a boiled lobster dinner at Lunt’s Deli, Frenchboro, all others pale in comparison). There is a gourmet deli, a good market, etc.  We met a lovely couple while carrying our groceries home. They are retired and have a pad in Boston where they stay two nights a week. They gave us a ride back to our dinghy. Thanks!

ILENE is the boat with the tall mast at the left, seaward of half of the moored lobster boats, on 70 feet of snubbed chain in 23 feet a high. The Atlantic is in the background. A calm, quiet night.