A blessing and a curse

A blessing and a curse

Friday 4^th Sept 2020

 

We are gradually making our way back down the coast of Maine with the goal of getting back to Rhode Island during the third week in September. It’s part of my personality to plan things, so I’m trying to figure out where are the most attractive places to visit, do they have decent anchorages and how do our travel plans match up with the weather forecasts. I like thinking about these things, so in some ways it’s a blessing, but at times it seems like I am so focused on planning whatever is coming next that I don’t take the time to enjoy the moment and that’s a curse. The last couple of days illustrate the down side of my perpetual planning as the weather forecasts started to indicate high winds from the south and big seas after the weekend. We do need to prepare for these things but even I know that weather forecasts five or six days out are unreliable to say the least. However, that doesn’t stop me fretting about where we are going to be and when, rather than enjoying the beautiful experiences that we are having at the time. As is often the case, the dire forecasts from earlier in the week have moderated and it now looks like Monday may not be a great travel day but won’t be so terrible. Naturally, we have a plan, but a lot of my angst will probably be in vain. Honestly, I wish I was a little more laid back about these things.

 

Spending time in the Birch-Dix anchorage yesterday afternoon / night was a great experience. It feels so remote but is actually relatively well protected by nearby islands, but the currents are squirrely and you definitely wouldn’t want to drag your anchor. The fog this morning only added to the atmosphere, but thankfully cleared out by 8 am. An adult bald eagle flew by about 50 feet from the boat just as we were preparing to leave. We had an uneventful trip down the “Muscle Ridge Passage” (what a great name!) and then across Muscongus Bay (which translated from the original means the “Bay with a zillion lobster pots”). We are anchored in the harbor between Hall Island and Harbor island (the third island of this name we have encountered in the past week!). It is beautiful and we rowed ashore to walk around the island this afternoon. From the sandy beach on the east (harbor) side of the island we crossed enchanting mossy forests to arrive at spectacular granite cliffs. “Active Captain”, a free web based cruising site, rated it as one of the finest coastal walks in Maine. Gloria particularly enjoyed carrying the dinghy back down the beach after the tide had gone out.

 

Mike

 

43 54.712 N, 69 22.545 W

Foggy morning in the Birch-Dix anchorage

A friendly part poodle pup that belongs to a boating couple who were also visiting the island. The dog was super friendly, but was immediately distracted by the opportunity to splash around in a manky puddle

Fungus and ferns in the forest ... aka ... "nature's heavenly hard-on"

Our neighbors in Harbor Island anchorage having dinner in the cockpit

Another great sunset ... barely a ripple on the water