OCC Rally - encore une fois

Slipped the lines from Maine Yacht Center at 07:00, a little later than planned but pretty good considering the jet lag and physical effort required to recommission Follyfin for sailing. Twelve hours of motor-sailing later, with fog descending towards the end of the passage, we dropped the ‘hook’ in calm, peaceful and sheltered Long Cove next to Tenants Harbour. Having anchored here twice last season we knew there would be good holding in mud, so we slept easy on Friday night. And boy - did we need it! Despite a leisurely start the following morning, Saturday 17 August, the fog (an unavoidable occurrence on the Maine coast at this time of year) had not lifted as we ghosted up the Muscle Ridge Channel, motor-sailing and keeping a sharp lookout for the red and green channel markers in this beautiful stretch of water winding between many small islands, especially important in the restricted visibility. Luckily the fog lifted towards the end of the short passage to Camden.

Follyfin needed to have her diesel tank filled, and last year the cheapest fuel we found was in Camden, our destination for this year’s OCC Rally. So, on arrival at Camden, a beeline was made immediately to the fuel dock. And lo! Wonder of wonders: the price per gallon is now actually lower by 30 cents than it was last year. Rarely does price reduction happen for anything, let alone fuel. You can imagine we were two happy sailors later that afternoon when we picked up the mooring which has been kindly lent to us by a Camden Yacht Club member who is away at the moment, and arranged through a fellow OCC member.

Saturday night saw us meeting up with our old friends Lee and Deborah, and the Ancient Mariners Ruth and Herb, referred to in a previous post, and Moira and Dick, the organisers of the Rally. We were all entertained to a fantastic lobster dinner at the home of Pat and Bob who live here in Camden. What a treat that was - two lobsters per head!

Today, Sunday, was spent at the Yacht Club in the company of 133 other OCC members, chatting with people we have met previously and making new acquaintances. There was a talk by a fellow member recounting some of his adventures as a ship’s doctor followed by (too much) good food whilst exchanging salty dog stories with like-minded people. Returning to our boat this evening, the scene was classic Maine: beautiful boats on glassy water in a sheltered bay protect d by pone-clad islands. Lovely!

Tomorrow we plan to join a few other OCC boats for a couple of days, sailing to beauty spots in Penobscot Bay and meeting up in the evenings. Then our plan is to sail further east, further than we managed last season, weather permitting.

South and West

Having beaten a foggy path to the door of Lunt’s Dockside Deli, in Frenchboro, where the flavour of the lobster is famed, profound disappointment overwhelmed us to find none available: by 14:00 on Wednesday they had run out! Had to be content with a crab roll and crab chowder instead. However, the very remoteness of Long Island and the town of Frenchboro made it worth the visit, despite the lack of lobsters. Frenchboro consists of a church, a museum and a school with 3 ‘scholars’ enrolled, plus houses for the entire community of about 70 year-round inhabitants who depend on the lobster industry. A walk through woodland to Little Beach and a swim in freezing cold water were achieved before heavy rain set in.

The following morning, Thursday 9 August, it was raining and we were enveloped in fog. Radar on, fog horn at the ready, dressed in full wet weather gear, we set off through the islands bound for Little Deer Isle in East Penobscot Bay. The passage was planned to take in Eggemogin Reach, said to be a wonderful sail in either direction because of its orientation in relation to the prevailing southwesterly wind. It was neither clear nor windy for our passage northeast along this (purportedly) beautiful 10nm stretch of water, bounded on both sides by pine-clad islands. But after a huge thunderstorm passed over us, the fog began to clear and for the last couple of hours of the passage we could appreciate why so many people return to sail these waters year after year.

Follyfin’s berth for that night on the coast of Little Deer Isle was kindly provided by fellow OCC members, Linda and Phil, who allowed us to tie alongside their yacht Antara. It is kept on a permanent mooring just off shore from their home. Having been cruisers themselves, they offered the use of their laundry facilities which we gladly accepted. This also gave us the opportunity to compare notes on places visited, discuss all matters nautical and admire the superb view they have from the deck of their home.

Yesterday, Friday, dawned bright and breezy. Maybe we would get to sail the boat instead of motor! And so it came to pass: our passage took us into Penobscot Bay proper, through the islands, sailing most of the way, with only occasional engine help. Anchored overnight off the southeast coast of Seven Hundred Acre Island, the only boat in a sandy bay. Skipper decided to see what the creel would catch overnight...

This morning there were about 25 crabs in there, a mixture of the invasive green variety and the native reddy-brown one, mostly too small to eat. But four of the native ones did make it onto our plates as a small starter this evening.

We are now moored on a buoy belonging to the Camden Yacht Club, in Camden, sailing capital of Maine. Masses of boats in here from the very large to the very small. Tomorrow, Sunday 12 August, is the start of the OCC Rally which we are joining. After a talk and a lunch and general chat, there is a jazz concert in the evening in Rockport just down the coast. From Monday to Thursday we will be sailing in company with about 20 other OCC boats, exploring Penobscot Bay. This will be a highlight of our trip: apparently the two best cruising grounds in the world are (1) Bay of Islands, New Zealand and (2) Penobscot Bay, Maine. At least we have the opportunity to try one of them.