Corret: Rockland to Camp Island

The Blues Festival returned to Rockland this year. This is great for the city and all of the music lovers although it does make getting to the boat more of a logistical challenge than usual. Luckily we had loaded most of the provisions on the boat already so we had very few things to carry. I dropped Bill off on Main Street close to the dock and he walked in with the gas tank for the dingy and I drove to the Snow Marine Park to park the car. Walking back through the neighborhoods on the south end of town was interesting. This is the part of Rockland where I grew up and seeing the changes in housing, landscaping, and the transition from an industrial area with warehouses, fish processing, and run down houses to one that is almost completely residential, full of flowers, and more prosperous shows the evolution of the area.

The docks were crowded with Blues loving boaters and their friends. One very large lobster boat had a pop-up canopy in the cockpit, a tent on top of the cabin roof, and a Great Dane on board. The boat was so big and beamy that the dog was in proportion to the boat!

The wind was light leaving the harbor, but there was just enough to sail since we were in no hurry to be anywhere. We sailed up to the north end of North Haven where the wind died completely so we had to motor. The beauty of calm days is the ability to see dolphins easily. I also saw a lions mane jelly fish. Rounding the top of North Haven we passed the Lewis R French and enjoyed seeing her with sails up (although she was being pushed along by the yawl boat).

The wind came up on the east side of North Haven and we had a surprisingly good sail to Merchants Row.

The area around Stonington and Merchants Row is beautiful with many islands, ledges, rocks, and about a zillion lobster pots. Sailing through this area requires concentration!