Castine, Maine

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Tue 13 Aug 2013 00:08

44:23.2N 68:47.6W

 

Sunday 11th August

 

 

Another beautiful day, but very light winds so we ghosted along, sometimes at just 1.5 knots before we finally gave in and motored the rest of the way to Castine.

 

As we approached we were overtaken by a familiar motor yacht – ‘Blue Guitar’ and this time as they came past us we could clearly see the great man himself (Eric Clapton) with some friends on the rear deck. Sarah waved enthusiastically as a fellow British yacht and they all stared back, straight through us!

 

We picked up a buoy just off the quay in Castine as our anchor windlass is now on the blink and we have got some critical spares waiting for us in Camden for when we arrive on Friday. Almost as soon as we stepped ashore we got a phone call from Sid & Rebecca (Dovka) who were in the town staying with their niece Amy. Amy kindly came down to the waterfront and picked us up in a big red truck complete with blue lights and Fire Department plates and gave us a personal tour of the town.

 

It really is a wonderful town and being isolated it seems to be a the place to go for anonymity and peace, hence the generally wealthy and important residents! Everything is pristine and there is lots of carefully maintained evidence of its role in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 and in fact is the very last place that the British held prior to our departure from the USA in 1815.  There is no shopping and supplies are in short supply (well the local store does alcohol in vast quantities, crisps, soft backed live lobster and Duchy Originals from Waitrose!), but it has a relaxed and unhurried demeanour and we had a great meal out in the evening with Sid & Rebecca plus Amy with her two daughters Syra and Hannah. The restaurant (Dennett’s) is very quirky with dollar bills stuck to the ceiling (it cost you two dollars to find how this is done….) and a menu that boasts dishes including; same sex clams, organic lobsters and naked oysters. The Dennett’s Water Rat lager was very drinkable and apparently Sarah found the puddings very delectable as well.