The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder, but it’s the most beautiful season in coastal Maine and we’re soaking up every last bit of it before ending the cruise.
We bounced around between Portland, Boothbay Harbor, Camden and the islands of the Penobscot Bay. The islands are rocky and covered with pinetrees. After all, Maine is the Pinetree State.
Incidentally, the flag in the header of this post is not the official Maine flag. The pinetree flag is a replica of the official flag of the early 20th century, which was replaced by the blue one. However, there’s a referendum on ballot for the November 5 election to change back to the pinetree flag.
They say the best way to overcome the things you fear is to experience them. Last year we snagged a lobster trapline on our keel. It eventually worked itself loose. This year, we topped that by catching a trapline on our propeller and wrapping it around the shaft. The buoy must have been sucked underwater by the current, rendering it invisible. And you know what they say… “don’t text and drive”. Well that also applies to sailing in trap-infested waters. Anyway, we quickly shifted the engine to neutral to minimize the additional rotations wrapping the line. Tightly wrapped lines can cause damage to the prop or shaft. One of the unique ideas of Amel is to put a window in the hull allowing you to see the propeller without diving in frigid Maine waters. This allowed us to assess how badly the line was wrapped around the propeller. We reversed the engine for a few rotations to try to unwrap the line. It helped but it was still stuck. We have a line cutter on the prop shaft but it didn’t do much! Dan put on a wetsuit, mask and fins and, knife in hand, dove into the “refreshingly cool” Gulf of Maine. He was able to untangle the line, except for one stubborn strand, which he cut with a knife. It took three dives because it’s hard to hold your breath when you’re both nervous and cold! Anyway, we freed the line with no damage to vessel or crew. And the line remained intact so the lobsterman will be able to continue to retrieve his/her traps normally, unlike the 30,000 traps that are lost each year due to cut traplines.
Next year’s acquisitions: a warmer wetsuit and an Air Buddy.
The experience didn’t dampen our love for this region and the delightful scenery and experiences it offers cruisers. Some cruisers we know swear to never return to Maine because of fog and lobster traps carpeting the waters. Not us. It might be bravery or it might be foolishness, but Maine will continue to be our summer home!
26 Responses
Where did you settle for the winter? Camden? Congratulations on a fabulous trip on a marvelous boat. You both are living the dream.
We chose Lyman-Morse in Camden. We like the people at Yankee Boatyard and its proximity to Portland. But L-M provides more capabilities and more professional project management. As it’s our first annual haul-out, there’s a lot we want done. We’re thinking of moving back near Portland in subsequent years for more routine service.
Beautiful!
Thanks for being part of the adventure!
Did you visit your old stomping grounds from college? I guess Orono might be too far from the water…
Nah… can only get to Orono by canoe :-).
Scenery reminds me of the 1000 Islands
Very similar, Jim.
Appears to have been an ambitious and rewarding hike with that view. And, glad to see the CYC burpee flying. Suspect it might be the only one in Maine. Have a great few next weeks as you settle back into land life. Look for Greaters in the ice cream isle. You have to look carefully!
Tom, Keeping a sharp lookout for Greaters. Enjoy Annapolis. See you soon. D&S
Thanks so much for sharing your travels! They bring back wonderful memories of Bill’s and my sail from Annapolis to Rochester when we purchased our boat there. We also had fantastic experiences (both good and scary), including some of the challenges like the motor not starting as we headed into a harbor.
Thanks, Linda. Hope you’re doing well. Sorry we weren’t able to come to the memorial. Best, D&S
Beautiful pictures. Smelling the pine trees during our trip this summer will be one of my treasured memories…that, and I fell in love with the seals 🥰🦭
Can’t beat it! Hope you and Larry come back someday.
Thanks for the desk chair adventure! Your blog was a wonderful read. My daughter went to UNH and Lynne and I loved to visit Portsmouth and on up into Maine. Looking forward to your next year adventures.
Best…
Thanks, Don. Good to have you along!
Hi there
It has been a pleasure to get an insight in navigating the US East coast. Lots of nice happenings and joy to be remembered.
For us the season is also coming to an end, this weekend we sailed to Danish island Læsø just 30nm away and enjoyed a sunny beach day. Best regards Björn
Hi Björn, Glad you had a nice season. I have to say that the Maine Coast reminds me much of the west coast of Sweden, with the rocky shores and pine trees. Hope you had a good season too. Best, Dan
What am I supposed to do now with no beautifully written blog episodes to savor ‘and much more so the gorgeous and plentiful photos of places (and lighthouses) both seen and heard about to remind me what a wild and wonderful country I left behind but will never forget!
Dad, It’s indeed a wild (in more ways than one) and wonderful country. See you soon in CH. D&S
Dan and Sandy,
What a great trip! I bet you had a great view from the top of the mast! Looking forward to seeing you guys soon.
Peter and Linda
See you soon in Rochester!
Bonjour les amis ! Quelle aventure cette ligne de homard et que dire de votre voilier avec une fenêtre dans la coque, wow on s’avais pas que ça existait. J’aurais bien aimé être là pour voir Dan dans l’action haha. Votre saison se passe super bien sur Fregata. On a failli aller vous voir ce week end et finalement nos plans ont changés et nous sommes à Tadoussac à observer les baleines. Le 7 octobre nous irons préparer Amuleto qui est à Deltaville pour son périple vers les Bahamas. On vous embrasse ! Helene et Benoit
Chers amis, C’est dommage que vous ne soyez pas venus ! On aurait eu grand plaisir. Cette aventure a été exceptionnelle, sauf que nos rencontres avec vous nous ont manqués. Saluez bien les baleines de Tadoussac pour nous. Amicalement, D&S
Thanks for sharing your summer adventures. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Carol
Thanks, Carol. Meeting up with you in HH was a highlight. We’re back in ROC now. You?