The Sailing Club, Inc.

Penobscot Bay Castine Isle au Haut Pulpit Harbor September 2007

Summer Sailing on Maine’s Rocky Coast It’s a beautiful, beautiful bay! Spruce-covered headlands jut boldly from its shores, Jewel-like islands float on its surface, And the gentle, glacier-rounded contours of the Camden Hills Look down on its broad reaches. Louise Dickenson Rich Coast of Maine When glaciers sculpted Maine’s shoreline into sheltered inlets, deep, broad bays and coastal hills, they created one of the loveliest sailing areas in the world.  Penobscot Bay is a crown jewel amongst Maine’s coastal regions.  It is pristine and spectacular, with over 200 rocky islands set against the backdrop of Mount Megunticook, Mount Battie, and the rolling Camden hills. In September, The Sailing Club embarked on a seven-day adventure to explore Penobscot Bay’s coves, islands, lighthouses, harbors, and historic sites.  The Bay’s harbors have a delightful mix of New England Yankee charm, scrumptious seafood, and shopping opportunities that exhibit Maine’s finest craftsman and artisans.  September is by far the best time of year to sail in Maine.  The summer fogs have given way to the autumn season’s brisk winds, the lobster catches are in full swing, and the tourists have gone home after the Labor Day holiday! We had reserved five boats from Johanson Boatworks in Rockland, Maine.  After final checkout we went up the coast a short distance to Cradle Cove on Seven Hundred Acre Island, just off of Islesboro Island.  It was a beautiful anchorage; we all picked up mooring balls, enjoyed the Maine Sunset, and cooked dinner.  The next day we sailed about fourteen miles to historic Castine.  We found space at the Town Dock, near the Maine Maritime Academy.  All hands went ashore to see the sights, visit Dice Head Lighthouse, the Academy campus, or to take a walking tour of some classic Victorian architecture.  The gastronomic highlight of the trip was the lobster dinner at Dennett’s Wharf Restaurant, where we had a wonderful view of the harbor.  Watching twenty-eight lobster dinners come out of the kitchen virtually all at once was a treat! On Tuesday we went about twenty-five miles to Moore’s Harbor, Isle Au Haut.  Most folks got ashore for a walk.  Only fifty-five people live on this remote island all year round.  There is a one-room school for K-8 children.  High School kids take the ferry to the mainland.  We spent the next day as a layover day at Isle Au Haut.  On Thursday we sailed up the Fox Island Thorofare channel between Vinyhaven and North Haven Islands.  We found moorings in the small town of North Haven.  The members of the crew who went ashore were welcomed by the people who live on the Island, some of whom took our folks into their cars for guided tours of the Island. Next we sailed over to Camden to go ashore and see the sights and have dinner ashore for our last night out.  Camden’s season does not end until Columbus Day now and the harbor was crowded.  Three of our boats got space at the town dock; the others were on moorings in Camden Harbor.  Camden is a great town for sailors and our crew did the town well.  Saturday it was back to turn in the boats at Johanson’s.  Some left Saturday, most stayed on the boats that night and left for home Sunday.  We all had a terrific time. Maine is a super spot for cruising and we look forward to going there again as a Club.