Maine 2009 Note 1 - Yarmouth to Five Islands

This has been a somewhat more difficult year for our Maine summer cruising. Both June and July had more than twice the normal rainfall and the temperatures were considerably below normal until the last week or so. Each nice day is succeded by several of rain and fog. Apparently all Texas' rain came here, and what little heat there is in a Maine summer went south to increase the normal inferno there.

We also both have developed some medical issues that were not properly diagnosed until we got here. These are not life-threatening, but although quite different for each of us, both have affected our eye sight. The bad news is that treatment for these conditions has also delayed our getting on the water until the last week of July. The good news is that we have not missed but a couple of good days. There were also a number of maintenance issues with the boat that needed quite a bit of attention.

We have been "cruising" now for a week. We are not going as fast and won't get as far. The wather continues to be substandard. but we have had some good times. The first night out we moored at the Goslings in Casco Bay. A friend from the boatyard also sets some lobster traps in that area and was hauling them near us. When he finished hauling he came over and gave us two nice lobsters only minutes out of the water. Shortly thereafter they were in the pot in our galley. The meal was an outstanding conclusion to our first day.

Snow Island in Quahog Bay was a great place ot spend anther few days waiting for good weather. There are always a number of osprey, rafts of common eider, cormorants, and common terns to watch. Only a few miles further, the Basin on the Newmeadows River was another familiar stop which is always nice. It is is a nearly landlocked "lake" where much of the shoreline is in a large nature preserve recently donated to the Nature Conservancy.

Yesterday morning dawned clear and we made the long (for us) run around Cape Small and past the mouth of the Kennebeck River to Five Islands on the Sheepscott River. The Five Islands Yacht Club has the now quaint custom of maintaining a few moorings for visiting yachsmen to use free for a couple of days. However, it does not include an invitation to use the club facilities ashore. This mooring is particularly welcome as we awoke today to fog, about 200' visibility, which has contined with occasional drizzle.

We hope you all are having as much fun as we are - Jay & Jame on TROPICBIRD

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