Wandering in Maine’s Penobscot Bay again

Wandering in Maine’s Penobscot Bay again

Rather slowly we headed south with a few westerly detours to enjoy more of the nautical wonderland that is coastal Maine.  Leaving Mt Desert, we stopped in Frenchboro – a small island with a vibrant fishing community.  Most of the island is protected and laced with easy hiking trails offering views of the rocky shore and neighboring islands.  The locals also maintain a charming museum with artifacts of the islands history.

We spent several days in Seal Bay below Vinalhaven Island exploring the protected waters at low tide and even harvesting a few muscles.  It was a good place to hide from some unfriendly winds.

Heading west we stopped in a spacious anchorage behind Rams Island off Castine.  The friendly Dock Master in town took our trash for a mere $1.50 and also provided a handy dinghy dock for a walk in their town. Not every place takes trash as most of the places we have been visiting are islands where disposing of refuse is a major problem.  Also shore access that does not require getting our feet wet is an added incentive for a shore excursion.  We tried to show our appreciation by making a deposit in several local shopsJ

Blessed with favorable winds, we anchored off Searsport at the top of Penobscot Bay.  This anchorage is reportedly very rocky if the winds sweep up the bay, but we were lucky on our visit to enjoy a quiet night.  This allowed us to walk their Main Street and check out the local Hamilton Marine store, several antique malls and the impressive Penobscot Marine Museum. The museum is housed in a cluster of vintage buildings grouped along Church Street – so the nice weather enhanced our tour.  Their collection includes an impressive array of small boats – dories, canoes, and skiffs. The jaunty yellow sea captain’s house was decorated in 19^th century style and informed us that at one point 10% of all sailing captains called Searsport Home. Perhaps most impressive was the display of paintings on the second floor of the Merithew House. These ranged in size from tiny to massive depicting sailing ships in port and on the sea as well as in calm and stormy weather. 

EB White's sailing skiff from the museum collection.

Our last stop in the bay was Hurricane Island - first home to Outward Bound and a former stone quarry for the likes of the Metropolitan Gallery and NYC Public Library. Great hikes and scenic views make a wonderful place to spend a day and night.