Underway!

Thurdsay, August 18th

After another great sunset in Eastport, We got back underway again this morning.
Eastport Sunset

I’d already checked the engines and transmissions twice by the time we rounded West Quoddy Head, the most Easterly point in the continental US (East Quoddy Head is in Canada.)
West Quoddy Head Light

For the 37 miles to Roque Island, the transmissions performed flawlessly.

Eastport is still in the Bay of Fundy, with 20-foot tides typical, along with the associated currents.
Eastport dock near Low Tide

With help from a local charter captain that Dean knew, we’d timed the currents just right. We flew through Lubec Narrows and had between a one- and two-knot boost most of the way West along the coast, occasionally more.

The late start also put us offshore when the typical 10-15 knot Southwest wind kicked up mid-day. There were some bumpy spots where the current, running the other way, was strongest. Since the full moon was yesterday, the tides and tidal currents were at maximum. Also, the high tides break a lot of debris free from the shoreline. We passed a number of large logs and quite a few smaller boards and other things we’d rather not hit. Not to mention we’re back in Maine and are now dodging lobster buoys again.

Although it wasn’t an unusually long day, we were glad to get to the anchorage at Roque Island. This photo shows only a portion of the long, sandy beach. We’re at the far West end of the beach, where there’s likely to be better protection from the Soutwest winds.
Roque Island Beach

That white stick at the far right is a second sailboat at anchor, and there’s another power boat to the left of the one in the foreground. Two other sailboats have just arrived. A smaller cove on the way in held two other power boats. The harbor at Cutler, which we passed, looked full with a number of sailboats and what looked from a distance like recreation power boats, not fishing boats. It looks like cruising along the Maine coast is picking up. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen this much recreational traffic East of the Schoodic Peninsula.

  • Miles traveled: 2036
  • Engine Hours: 290.6