Royal River 43:47.7N 70:10W

Millybrown
Mark Hillmann
Sat 18 Oct 2008 04:02
From Peaks Island we went across to Portland, checked out Peggy' diner for breakfast and sent my brother Miles in a taxi on the start of his way home.
 
We then had a good sail back through the islands, looking for boatyards for winter storage.  We managed to get up to Walter Green's yard, famed (long ago) for very fast, light but simple and elegant multihulls (Do you remember the proa Cheers or the trimaran Three Cheers?).  There were still some lovely trimarans there, but they do not handle single hulled yachts. 
 
 It is up the top of an unmarked creek, but on a rising tide I was happy to feel our way up, reversing off each time we got stuck.  Wait ten minutes and you float anyway.  The creeks are pleasant with the trees colouring a bit and cormorants on the boats.
 
 After Walter Green's we went round to the Royal River yard in the next creek (but this one is buoyed).  The manager was just leaving as we arrived, but said there was room and he would see us in the morning.  After the usual wandering round chatting we walked through to check Yarmouth, the local village. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We were well impressed with the local diner there.  It had 12 televisions in the bar, with at least 3 different channels.  Extreme English pub style.  More TVs in the loos as well.     
 
The food was good and the drink must have been, as we got lost on the way back.  Walked round dark back lanes until we knocked on a door and asked the way.  We were soon back on the boat after that. 
 
Next morning going down river on an ebbing tide we rapidly accepted a tow from a fisherman after going aground on his oyster beds.  The book says the channel is confusing, it is right.  We would soon have been immoveable as the tide dropped.