Devil Island to Frenchboro and Southwest Harbor

Hi everyone,

Two great 12nm sails over the last two days, from Devil Island to Frenchboro to Southwest Harbor.  The latter is on Mt Desert Island - our departure point for Canada.  We spent a night on a rental mooring in Frenchboro - free since the managers haven't opened for the season yet.

Into the Forest

Both short passages were in light-moderate SW winds.  These are the normal summer afternoon breezes in Maine so perhaps summer has arrived.

Here are the usual plots for the passage to Frenchboro (Lunt Harbor)...

Track

Arrival

Graphs

It was a great little sail.  On arrival we looked for room to anchor in the harbour but the moorings were a little too closely spaced.  We then tried anchoring between Harbor and Long Islands in the shallow area but that appeared to be boulders.  So finally we picked up a rental mooring festooned with kelp.  After 5 minutes - happily in light winds - we extracted the pennant and its loop from the kelp to secure the boat.

Great Sail!

Kelp forest on mooring

We launched the dinghy and headed ashore.  A couple in a dinghy advised us the well known lobster restaurant wasn't yet open for the season.  This explained the state of their moorings.  We pressed on into town and found the dinghy dock.  From there we walked through the village and out onto a trail across part of the island to S side.

View S from mooring

Dinghy dock

View N

Amazingly this was our first walk through the Maine 'bush'.  Very scenic and interesting.

On the Trail

Little Harbor

Frenchboro Sunset

Today we sailed from Frenchboro to Southwest Harbor on Mt Desert Island.  It was another great sail slaloming between the lobster pots.  Zen Again loved the 15G18 SW breeze, hitting 7 knots under reefed main and furled yankee.

Here are the usual plots...

Track

Arrival

Graphs

On arrival we unsuccessfully sought a Hinkley Yacht Services mooring close to shore.  In the end we picked up their furthest out mooring.  Happily it appears newly serviced and is kelp free.  We'll be paying US$45/night but understand that includes free toilets, showers and laundry.  Given we haven't had a shower for three weeks and laundry usually costs about US$15 that seems like a good deal.

Mt Desert Island ahead

Approaching Southwest Harbor

On a Hinkley Yacht Services mooring

We'll be fueling, watering and provisioning here at Southwest Harbor.  Hopefully we'll take the bus around the island and perhaps do some trail walking.  At present there's a good weather window for us to depart for Nova Scotia on Wednesday.  If that holds we'll take it.  If it doesn't we'll do more exploring of Mt Desert Island.

Trust all's well where you are!