Starboard Island, Maine

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Wed 31 Jul 2013 02:11

44:36.3N 67:23.5W

 

Monday 29th July

 

The scenery ‘down east’ in this far part of Maine is simply stunning, but sadly we are only getting the most wonderful glimpses of it as the fog lifts and then thickens and swirls around us. Certainly it is quite impossible to capture any of this properly on film as the clarity is so poor most of the time.

 

We awoke to the sound of lobster boats checking their pots around us and we were quietly expecting a polite enquiry (!) to know if we knew where the missing one might be. We were surprised on rising to find that they had for the most part, removed the pots and buoys leaving the area around us virtually buoyless. On reflection we rather think that this was a defensive measure and that they removed them to avoid further losses when we left.

 

Dolphin Dream left mid-morning and in parting, he repeated his admiration for Sarah’s heroics and admonished James and myself for failing to do the job ourselves (he called us slobs!). The low tide had exposed lots of rocks and ledges and the pool was a lot smaller than when we had arrived. The nearest outcrops were covered in seals, but again the fog and poor light spoilt all attempts to capture them on film.

 

Given that the fog was every bit as thick as yesterday, we opted to change our plans and headed for Starboard Island which was considered less scenic, but afforded us an opportunity to dinghy over to one of the beaches here renowned for its stones. So with no wind, we motored the 10 miles, using the radar to good effect to dodge random lobster boats and Mark 1 eyeballs to dodge the ubiquitous buoys.  We approached the protected area between Starboard Island and the mainland which forms this small anchorage (again there is a ledge that keeps the surf out – but this becomes a causeway at low tide for the handful of residents to drive to the mainland) but in truth we saw almost nothing at all at this stage, with just very occasional ghostly glimpses of the tree covered landscape and rocky shores with a breaking surf. We anchored in 7 metres of water to allow for the 4 metre tide and immediately set about launching the dinghy to take Sarah to her pebble beach.

 

This also required us to dig out a handheld GPS unit as there was no chance of safely finding our way back to Serafina in the fog without it. We set off and sped across the open water until we found ourselves approaching the long beach with the waves breaking gently on the steeply shelving stones. James spotted a small river entrance at the extreme east end and so we made our way cautiously up this narrow waterway and landed.

 

Sarah was then given time to explore the beach and search for treasured stones, whilst James and I whiled away the time. We met a couple of Americans from Boston on holiday and they were very confused and surprised to find two English yachtsmen standing on the beach there, with the mist swirling around them. (Probably not helped by us asking if this was Dorset?) The man seemed interested in our travels and when his friend arrived and was introduced to us, the man explained that we had sailed across the Atlantic from England. She raised her eyebrows, looked at our inflatable dinghy and exclaimed, “ what …. in that!”  We tried to explain that our proper boat was out in the bay, but she merely stared out into the dense fog and looked very sceptical.

 

The GPS steered us unerringly back to Serafina and we settled down to a quiet evening with the promise in the weather forecast for sunshine and wind – and no fog tomorrow. We shall see (or not!).

 

Sarah has asked me to mention various occurrences that do highlight the differences between the Americans and self-effacing Englishmen:  firstly we saw a huge yacht (which later limped back into port having run badly aground – on granite – with an injured crewman) which flies its own house flag: a dollar sign with wings. We have also listened to another yacht on the VHF spending a lot of time trying to contact some friends, but the name of their own vessel was ‘ Courageous Couple’. Perhaps there is a story to tell?  But Sarah does feel that the English might approach it slightly differently.