Great Cranberry Island

We woke up to a calm morning with many options of where to go next.  The views from the harbor of the mountains invited us to head for Mt. Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula was visible in the distance, and right next door was Great Cranberry Island. We had never been ashore at Great Cranberry so we went for a dinghy ride to the island.

Stepping ashore visitors are greeted by a tree festooned with lobster buoys framed against a backdrop of the dramatic scenery at the entrance to Somes Sound. 

The Cranberry General Store is located near the public dock and has an astonishing variety of groceries along with coffee, ice cream, and a cafe. The delicious smells from the cafe made us regret that we had already had breakfast. We were very proud of our willpower in resisting second breakfast. 

The paved road leads past beautiful houses with great gardens and interesting lawn ornaments to a trail leading to a rocky beach. 

We stopped in at the museum where they host a wide variety of community events from lectures, book signings, readings, art shows, movies, and and karaoke.  The island has a rich history of quilting and I asked for permission to photograph the intricate stitching on one of the quilts on display.  The amount of work and artistry on display was impressive. 

 

Little Cranberry Island

The trip from Buckle Island to Little Cranberry Island was calm so we had to motor the entire way.  The schooners without engines use a yawl boat to push them when the weather is calm.  

It was a treat to see Bass Harbor Light on a clear day, most of the time when we have made this passage it has been foggy. 

Little Cranberry Island has a few guest moorings. This is a popular harbor and they were all taken so we anchored just outside the mooring field. The town of Islesford on Little Cranberry Island is a mix of year round residents and summer visitors and tourists. The wharf and the lobster boats co-exist with the water taxis and private boats. There is a barge/ferry for vehicles that brings some fairly heavy equipment out to the island. 

We went for a walk around town to admire the houses and flowers. The islanders take great pride in their gardens. Wandering around town is as good as a garden tour. 

At one point the island had cranberry bogs and a huge mosquito problem. A drainage project eliminated most of the cranberries, but the mosquitos survived. Signs throughout town warn of the resilience and determination of these insects! 

In the evening a dramatic fog bank started rolling in to the harbor. 

The fog held off long enough for us to enjoy yet another amazingly beautiful evening.  One of the nice things about being on the boat is that we have the leisure to spend time to watch an entire sunset. 

The next day was rainy and cold so we spent the day on the boat reading, doing miscellaneous boat chores, and relaxing.  I decided to bake bread in the afternoon but it was so chilly inside the cabin that the dough would not rise.  I ended up filling all of our coffee mugs with hot water, placing them in an insulated box,  and balancing the pan of bread dough on them. This worked and we had fresh bread with our dinner. 

Buckle Island

We had a chilly, but comfortable, downwind sail under mostly cloudy skies to Buckle Island, one of our favorite places.   We arrived in time to settle in and enjoy a beautiful sunset. 

In the morning we woke up to dense fog.  

The fog cleared up mid morning so we made the most of the improved visibility to go kayaking around the small islands near Buckle.  We were entertained by a flock of common terns fishing under the watchful eye of a bald eagle. 

After kayaking we went ashore to walk around the island.  Buckle has a magical feel with dense woods, trails that wind around fallen trees covered in mushrooms, and hidden surprises.  There is a door in the middle of a stand of trees, and the fairies have houses scattered throughout the island. 

The view from the harbor frames the mountains on Mt. Desert Island and beckoned us on to our next adventure.

Perrys Creek to Rockland

 Another calm day on the water.

After breakfast we dinghied over to North Haven and explored the Sage Woods trails. These are beautifully maintained trails just outside of the village. The 26 acres have a maze of trails winding through the forest. The owners of the property have spent years creating the paths and managing the forest. We feel incredibly fortunate that there are places like this to enjoy. 

The trip back to Rockland was calm, chilly, and overcast. Rounding the monument at Fiddler's Ledge we could see the Camden Hills through the haze. 

A solitary red boat provided a splash of color in a monochrome scene. Yet again we feel like we are living inside of a painting. 

A somewhat boring boat ride became interesting courtesy of the Coast Guard.  A HC144 was flying training operations outside of Rockland Harbor. (Thanks Eric for the plane identification!). They were flying low, slow, circles and dropping objects with parachutes attached for a Coast Guard boat to find and pick up. Watching them fly with the rear cargo door open was fascinating.  

Camp Island to Perry's Creek

We woke up to a calm and peaceful scene with mirror like reflections on the water.  A song sparrow on Camp Island sang a beautiful song. His back up singer was a tern with a very high pitched squeaky voice.  The tern was fishing next to the boat and finding plenty of small fish for breakfast. 

We motored past Stonington with its houses tiered on the hill. This is a working harbor and most of the lobster boats were already out fishing.

Crotch Island has an active quarry. Someday we would like to see the gantry crane in action loading stone onto a boat. 

The trip to the Fox Island Thoroughfare was an uneventful motorboat ride.  There were a few other sailboats motoring, some lobster boats hauling traps, and the occasional curious seal.

The windjammers and Goose Rock Light are icon Maine scenes. 

We anchored in Perry's Creek, one of our favorite places, and went for a paddle in the kayaks. Exploring areas where we cannot take the big boat makes taking the kayaks worthwhile.

On our way back to the boat we saw a small seal trying to eat a big fish.  It tried flipping the fish up in the air to swallow it head first but that didn't work, so it tried biting it but could not chew it into small pieces. Then it tried shaking the fish, but that didn't help so it tried throwing it again. Eventually a seagull solved the problem by stealing the fish.  The seagull could only fly a few feet above the water in short hops because of the weight of the fish.  The seal didn't try to get the fish back, it just dove and hopefully found a more suitable portion size.