A Fall Cruise of Casco Bay

Autumn is near its peak, warm (sort of) days and chilly evenings and brisk northwest breezes, perfect for cruising the Maine coast. With my friend Chuck from Wisconsin aboard, Whisper set sail from her Portland berth for a cruise of Casco Bay.



Casco Bay is not the DownEast of Penobscot Bay, Mt. Desert Island and Roque Bluffs. Yet, within a few miles of Portland Harbor, are islands as wild as they were a century ago, pristine anchorages and coastal villages whose only economic driver is fishing.



Chuck had promised his colleagues in Wisconsin lots of photos so, with camera at the ready, we wended our way through the islands past Portland Head Light before reaching off towards Halfway Rock, a lonely lighthouse outpost out to sea.



From Halfway Rock one is able to set course for anywhere in Casco Bay. Destinations are chosen by favoring winds, and there are dozens of fine anchorages to choose from.



Being chilled to the bone, we chose West Harpswell and the Dolphin Marina restaurant. A bowl of their famous seafood chowdah, my mother's all-time favorite, awaited. Warmed to the core by this rich broth loaded with haddock, clams, bits of crab and lobstah Whisper transited the narrow, hairpin channel into Merriconeag Sound.

Whisper played lobster pot slalom en route to Harpswell Harbor, a gem of a Maine coast harbor protected from all winds with excellent holding ground and SCENERY!! Ahhhhhhh........this is what I came for.

Saturday brought rollicky breezes so we adopted the time honored Maine tactic of sailing under the lee of the innumerable islands. Tacking out through Potts Harbor, we reached off down the east shore of Whaleboat Island, around the Goose Islands staying well clear of the Goslings, tacked up through and reached through to the lee of Chebeague Island. In all we sailed 15 miles through the water, only 4 miles as the crow flies and exchanged one spectacular anchorage for another. THIS is Maine sailing at its best.

Dawning clear and cold, Sunday demanded our return to Portland. Adopting the previous day's tactic, we sailed under the lee of the islands until off southern Maine's yachting capitol, Falmouth Foreside, Whisper bore off on a starboard tack and roared all the way to Portland......and the end of her sailing season.

Is there still time to head south? Oh, the temptation! Is that snow I'm seeing? Damn, it is!