FALSE START - Serendipity Strikes Again!

Morning fog after a spectacular sunset....can we make 40+  miles to Southport?

The coast is clear, but only for a couple miles out...

Waiting a bit for the fog to burn off on the advice of Melvin, a retired US Marine and accomplished local boat captain, we walked over to the HQ of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuges. We wanted to see their wonderful office and visitor center and get our Blue Goose Passports stamped. We were delighted to see a few familiar interpretive panels still in service that we had developed for the refuge long ago.







We took in their wonderful orientation video to wait for FWS staff  to access the ink stamps for the passports. Surprisingly, it was the Refuge Manager, Brian Benedict, who came to unlock the bookstore so we could stamp our passports. He'd been at the refuge for 27 years and logged enough sea miles working on the refuge complex to circle the planet several times. Props to him!

It was flattering that he was aware of our former company and kindly remembered that our company had once been connected to the refuge system. We felt a pang that we would like to still be in business and working on exhibits for their magnificent visitor center and the coastal resources they are stewarding. But the pang didn't last long as the fog was lifting and the boat was calling.

The visitor center architecture fits in so well with the community we assumed it was a renovated place under a GSA lease. But no, it's a purpose-built facility. They have excellent programming for kids, a nice art gallery space, and plans are underway to add more exhibits and outreach.

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Replica observation blind

One cool idea in the backyard created a children's learning play area. Crushed tire mats in different colors delineated ocean from land and in the center was a gunite rock island. On the rock island were sea bird models, like puffins, and fake vegetation to simulate Maine island habitat. Kids become wildlife biologists by donning the gear, climbing into blinds to census the birds and reaching in cavities for eggs. Very creative.

Brian explained their active education program 

Long ago, we had the pleasure to spend time with Dr. Carl Buchheister, then president emeritus of National Audubon Society. He and his wife spent summers working with birds on Matinicus Rock. He explained to us that all of the conservation work that has taken years to build was only one generation away from being lost. If the children and young adults are not exposed to the beauty, value, and importance of the natural world, they could grow up to be the leaders that would vote away the protections of a hundred years. This became a guiding light of our working career.

Built on the shoulders of giants...Marvin was so lucky as a kid to meet and be encouraged by some giants in ornithology - Roger Tory Peterson, Allan Cruickshank, Olin Pettingilll, Jeremy Hatch, among others.

 Restoration of these species owes much to the foundation laid by these conservation scientists.

https://hogisland.audubon.org/about/ornithology-hog-island

It was neat to talk to Brian about Marvin's experience on Petit Manan some 50 years ago and to get his insight on coastal conservation and seabird restoration. It gives hope that wildlife can be restored through what Aldo Leopold called intelligent tinkering.

With fog clearing we decided to head out at 12:30. Motoring out of the harbor we noticed the distinctive prow of a Shannon and whipped AQUAVIT around to catch a look. We hailed Polaris on the VHF to ask if she was a Shannon.  Indeed, she is a 53 HPS - a 60 ft. sailboat with power, space and amenities. (HPS stands for High Performance Sailboat.) Just WOW! We replied we were a little sistership - with our 32 shoalsailer. The owner graciously invited us over to take a look. We politely declined as we were heading south to the Boothbay area, but hoped to catch up later since they were heading that way the next day.

Fog catcher

Didn't want to leave the dock in this condition.

When we passed the Rockland breakwater, the fog quickly thickened to an uncomfortable soup. For us, after getting caught near Marshal Island, "uncomfortable" is anything we can't see that's a mile or so away. Consequently, we turned back and berthed at Yachting Solutions Boat Basin again. YS is such a wonderful marina for us to wait out the fog and get a perfect (or at least better) day to cruise. While the fog had cleared in Rockland, offshore remained foggy the rest of the day. We could see the fog that was obscuring the islands on the horizon and Owl's Head at the entrance to Rockland Harbor.


The most dangerous thing on a boat is a calendar. Traveling to meet a date fosters risky decisions. We have a September 1 date with the Who at Madison Square Garden, but we will not "get fooled again" into traveling in less desirable conditions.






When we arrived back at Rockland we saw two Shannon HPS motorsailers at the town docks and walked over to meet the owners. Bernie and Loraine were with Mike, a friend, on the 53 HPS Polaris. Bernie graciously gave us a tour of their magnificent yacht. The other HPS is a 55 HPS and was the last one that Shannon made. She is owned by Carl, the engineer that had a role in designing the Shoalsailer with Walt Schultz at Shannon. The HPS is a natural evolution of the Shoalsailer design. Clearly our 32 is the baby sister-ship in the family.

Hiking the breakwater

We used the nice new loaner car at the marina to drive over to the trailhead for the 7/8-mile (4,364 feet) breakwater of Rockland Harbor. It is constructed of huge granite blocks quarried from nearby Vinalhaven and put together like a puzzle. Started in 1881, it took 18 years to build the breakwater with over 732,277 tons of granite. At the end of the breakwater is a scenic lighthouse, built in 1902.

Walking the stone mosaic path out to the lighthouse requires attention to avoid the large cracks. It is a popular trek for locals and tourists alike. Some folks even jog, or rather, hop on the puzzle path.

Marvin adding to our sand collection

After cooking dinner on the grill provided by the marina, we completed our last blog and set plans to try again for Southport. We have a route planned to see puffins at Eastern Egg Rock. The island is owned by the state and part of research and restoration of seabirds, by Audubon's Puffin Project and the Maine Coastal Islands NWR.

Waking to a beautiful, clear day we set out. What a difference a day makes and we are glad we waited. Seas were large swells and the scenery between islands of Muscle Ridge Channel and later, as we approached Southport, Townsend Gut was Maine eye-candy for us.


We caught up with the Shannon yachts along the way. They must have departed early to get 20 miles ahead of us. Chatting a bit and a photo op, we moved on toward Eastern Egg Rock. We passed Port Clyde and the St. George River, near the areas where the Wyeth family lived and painted. NC Wyeth lived at Port Clyde, Andrew lives and paints along the St. George River.



We detoured to go to Eastern Egg Rock. As we circled the island, a mega-yacht sailboat must have had the same idea. We went in as close as we dared to this small island. On rocky shores with a grassy top, we observed a number of birds, mostly gulls and terns. At one end, near breaking waves, we saw Puffins! Groups of a dozen or so were swimming in the water amid baitfish springing out of the water. What a special treat. A life-bird for us both and a long-time dream of Lee's!


  Ernesto, we need your camera!



Lobster pot buoys surrounded the island, but we managed to avoid another entanglement even in our excitement at seeing these cute birds that have been restored to the coast through a lot of hard work and dedication. Thank you to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Audubon, donors and partners in the Puffin Project.



Happy that we made it to Eastern Egg Rock, we resumed our trek up toward Boothbay. There we took a course under the Townsend Gut swing bridge, heading to the Sheepscot River and, specifically, Ebenecook Harbor. Since the bridge has a listed vertical clearance of 10 feet, we were concerned whether we can navigate under it or we would have to call for an opening. The gauge at the bridge read 12 ft, and our air draft is 10 if we lower our antennas, so we were able to get under it without requesting an opening. Again, the coast scenery - wild places, cottages, estates, and boats - was beautiful on a beautiful day.

Our destination in Ebenecook Harbor was Hodgdon Yacht Services in Southport. Hodgdon Yachts has been building boats for 200 years and are the nation's oldest boat builders. Ebenecook Harbor is one of their three Maine locations. In the museum in Boothbay Harbor, there are historic photos and stories about Hodgdon-''built boats.  

Arriving at the  marina in Southport, we fueled, docked, cooked dinner on the boat, showered and reflected upon the serendipity of meeting people and visiting places we would have missed had we not changed our plans.

 How did we deserve these rewards for wimping out in the fog?

Thanks for reading!

08.20.2019