Position           44:18.51N 068:18.99W

Date                Tuesday 31 July 2012

A combination of a wonderful anchorage, some boat issues and a WiFi connection from I know not where conspired to keep us at anchor in Valley Cove for six days.

When we furled the main on arrival there was an ominous graunching noise from the furler mechanism.  This appeared to be a seized bearing in the manual override box which in turn appeared to be a workshop job to split.  Having diagnosed the problem we had to wait until Monday when AMEL came up trumps with a replacement that was paid for and shipped on Tuesday.  In the meantime I managed to wash out the interior with solvent, spray corrosion releasing agent into the interior and eventually introduce some new grease through a very small gap into what I think is a roller bearing.  Anyway, the result is that we have a working unit, for the time being and a replacement on the way.  A redesign incorporating some grease nipples is on the to do list.

In the meantime we applied ourselves to the trails ashore which are well marked and have varying degrees of challenge.  ‘Mountains were climbed, shores negotiated and a visit made of Man of War Cove where warships used to anchor to take on water from the stream that flows into the Sound.

The Mate in action

We broke out of the wilderness to find the main road from Southwest to Bar Harbor and made use of the excellent and free Arcadia Park bus service for an outing to Bar Harbor

And on another day an outing to Bass Harbor and a good lunch in a restaurant overlooking this working harbour (harbor) and the Arcadian Mountains.

The weather is definitely more mixed than during our visit last year with glorious sunny warm days interspersed with the sort of pervasive rain familiar to those who have holidayed in North Wales in their youth.  An outward bound boat from the Hurricane Island base spent a day at anchor near us and their appearance says it all, shrouded in a cover with the gaps filled refugee style with sheet polythene to keep out the mist and rain. 

Good character forming stuff!  We will stick to our home comforts.

To complete our days here we were joined in the anchorage by an Ocean Cruising Club couple, Peter and Carol on their yacht Five Bells who gave us hospitality having waited for us to return from our outing to Bar Harbour.  We had a very pleasant time with them made more fascinating by Peter having run the Outward Bound Centre at Hurricane Island for many years and being very knowledgeable about the area.

For family members and to prove that genetics work here is the Mates submission for the ‘Bob Wilson Memorial Headless Photograph Competition’ for 2012.

Most of the Skipper in action