August 25-September 7, 2012
Left Portland Yacht Club and headed to Quahog Bay winding through and around one island after another after another!! Our destination was Snow Island, just south of Sebascodegan Island. Maine is full of small and medium islands, scattered and nestled throughout the waters…..quite breathtaking to see the tree-covered rocky-ledged lands reaching to the shore. Pristine and isolated, yet touching the souls of those who pass by……so we asked ourselves, "what if"?
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| Look like "fingers" stretching into the water from the mainland (hence "Maine") |
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| See Snow Island nestled below Sebascodegan Island? We anchored just south of Snow I |
Maine, for me, is just different from any other place along the Atlantic coast. The look of the ocean even seems different!! I’m reminded of the fishing trade constantly with all the pots. Wherever we sail, either close to the shore or venturing further out, the lobster pots are “thick”……there’s no other way to describe them! They are everywhere where you want to go! The challenge comes with avoiding them at all costs because they can cause havoc with your propeller, especially when you’re motoring. If you do get “caught” with the lines connected to the lobster pot, someone has to dive and cut the lines free.
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| What an obstacle course this is!! You can't "relax" for a moment when sailing in and around these pots! But, oh, their catch is so very tasty |
Upon reaching our destination, Chandler Cove was swarming with kyakers gently skimming over the calm water exploring the coastline up close and personal. The key to enjoying the water and being on the water in Maine is layering your clothes. My attire recently has been to wear a swimsuit, covering next with a long sleeved shirt, than later adding a sweatshirt. The state bird is comically called the mosquito. That being said, the evening attire is much the same with the addition of long pants to protect against their bites. We have even noticed their being out during the day causing us a little grief!
Having seen homes and cottages that looked so inviting, we considered “what if” we spent the winter months here in Maine, along the coastline? Why not winterize the boat here, and further enjoy this lovely area for the next three seasons, some of which may get a bit colder than we’ve become accustomed to in the recent past! It’s only one winter, and we’ve chosen a cottage with a wood burning stove, wrap-around deck, and lovely views of the water from all the rooms. Also ordered a cord of seasoned wood! One of our neighbors is a lobsterman, and the other neighbors have an art studio, where painting and furniture making is their passion. Our home-away-from-home will be in this area known as the Linekin Bay.
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| This "cottage" is just across the lane from ours; mutually owned by the same folks we're renting from, and thus able to use this dock and beach area, as well as the kayak |
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| Linekin Cove at low tide....see all the exposed rocks by the shore? It's a necessity to use navigational charts or else you'd be in for a rude awakening, even with the high tide adequately covering them! |
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| Church on the water downtown Boothbay Harbor |
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| Remember these? |
The tourism was evident in Boothbay Harbor, especially over the Labor Day weekend, but still nothing like you would experience elsewhere along the mid- Atlantic coastline. The town reflects a certain calmness that matches the nature surrounding it. The Boothbay region is known for it’s spectacular natural beauty, rocky shores, coastal islands, and river corridors.
There
are plenty of restaurants and Inns to accommodate the out-of-town visitors, but
by mid-October the majority of businesses will close for the season since
they’re not winterized. It’s good to know that we have dear friends in the area. We have found our little favorite places though: a coffee shop, bakery and a small Town Marketplace with the best
bread. Atwaters, watch out!
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| Love Cove, one of many of my favorites in Maine |
We always keep coming back to Love Cove for a night or two. This is what we enjoyed while sipping our coffee. It doesn't get any better than this, and the serenity/silence is almost overwhelming. Wonder why we want to experience more of this natural beauty?
Fog lifting off the water early in the morning
It’s here that we have spotted an osprey nest high atop a tree…….in the Chesapeake Bay they often nest on the channel markers and pilings. Interesting to see one in it's natural habitat for a change.
Not long ago, Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” was published (1962) which had a tremendous impact on the diminishing population of the ospreys and the bald eagles of Maine. Her outcry was the evidence she gathered pointing to the negative effects of chemical pesticides and herbicides on the environment at that time. Within ten years of her publication, the EPA was created, The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act were passed. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall claimed this legislation was a direct result of the voice of Rachel Carson. She had gathered together all of this compelling information, all this data, and presented it in a way that anyone could understand. And politicians listened, and the federal government acted. In 1972 DDT was banned in the US. Ninety percent of the Maine and New England population of ospreys were decimated by DDT. The ingested chemical resulted in thin eggshells, causing them to breed unsuccessfully.
At
the same time, there were less than 500 pairs of bald eagles, and when they
were eventually taken off the endangered list there were more than 5,000 pairs!
Near
where we’ll be living this winter is a Salt Pond Preserve, an area that
inspired this editor-in-chief of the Fish and Wildlife Publication, to write
about her findings. I fully intend to go explore this area……..anyone want to
come join me for a nature hike?
has numerous trails to explore, in fact Tim and I just did a two mile hike the other day on Indiantown Island. We dinghied over to their dock and went ashore to walk the forested land.
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| Tim made it to Lookout Point......I must have too since I took his picture!! |
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| Another delightful beach I'd like to call my own..... |
Another interesting spot we discovered by water, was the Isle of Springs, which you can only approach by boat. Like so many of the inhabitants here in Maine, these islanders winterize their cottages and leave the island for the winter. One apparent reason is the water supply. It’s run over the soil through tubing and would only freeze with the dropping temperatures to come.
P.S. I'll just have to get through the long winter months first before thinking of beaches and swimming:) Spring will come before we know it........
