Leaving High/Dix, we sailed around the islands and Two Bush Light on our way to Tenants Harbor. The wind was fickle, but with a short hop, we were in no rush. I love seeing so many lighthouses up close, and we also had a great view of Tenants Harbor Light as we entered the harbor. We anchored off High Island, well protected from the ocean swell… at least at low tide. Fortunately it was a calm couple of days, so even when the tide rose, it wasn’t too bad.
Sunday morning we’d hoped to explore High Island, but it turned out to be closed for the day. While we were there, we struck up a conversation with a local who explained that a memorial was being held for the for the local woman who had been tragically killed earlier this summer. We chatted for a while and he told us about some other spots in the area to check out. I say it often, but meeting so many interesting people is one of the best parts of cruising.
Instead of hiking, we took a dinghy mission with Williwaw, then headed into town – our trash was practically ready to take itself out, and we were low on veggies. Despite a limited selection at the general store, we were able to get enough to hold us over. Beyond that, there wasn’t much to “town”, though we enjoyed a low-key lunch at The Happy Clam.
Back at the boat, we were surprised to find the lobster boats from the memorial anchored around us. We felt awful for intruding – had we known, we would have chosen a different spot to anchor, and we stayed below until they left, out of respect.
Monday morning was perfectly still and beautifully foggy. The fog lifted by the time we headed into the island, but it still drifted in wispy patches between the islands. High Island is covered in spruce, lichens, and moss, while rockweed and bladderwrack cling to the rocks below the waterline. The trail lead us to overlooks on the harbor-facing side of the island, complete with a field of black-eyed Susans. Nesting herons at the center of the island cried out as we wound our way inland, sounding like something out of Jurassic Park. The trail took us to an overlook with a beautiful view of the lighthouse and back to the beach through the woods.
With stronger easterlies in the forecast, we decided it was time to move on after work, before the anchorage got too rolly. Our next stop: Port Clyde, a quaint, working lobstering village. We anchored in a beautiful spot off Blubber Island (which you may recognize if you follow SV Delos). Sure, we got a fair amount of wake from the lobster boats, but I’ve come to love the sound of their engines, and the wake was a small price to pay for an otherwise perfect spot.
The general store, once the heart of the village, sadly burned down in 2023, but Port Clyde still had plenty to offer. We enjoyed coffee and to-die-for cinnamon rolls at Squid Ink, grabbed dinner from Dip Net, enjoyed drinks at The Barn, and capped the evening with ice cream from Village Ice Cream.
Our morning walk took us to Marshall Point Lighthouse, the lighthouse from Forrest Gump. There was beautiful, low fog and we had the lighthouse and grounds entirely to ourselves. We lingered, watching the lobstermen steam out to sea, the sound of their engines fading into the mist.
This morning we motored through Muscongus Bay, passing the Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge and its lighthouse on our way to Boothbay. But first, we had a mission: Eastern Egg Rock, an Audubon sanctuary and summer home to nearly 200 pairs of puffins. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity but tried not to get my hopes up since they leave mid-August.
As we circled the island, we saw lots of cormorants, gulls, terns, eiders, an adult and juvenile bald eagle, and guillemots (which look similar at a quick glance). I scanned the rocky shoreline where the puffins nest and thought we might be out of luck, but Chris finally spotted one in the water off the eastern end of the island. From there, we spotted 8 more fishing for breakfast around the island. As we made our/ second pass, a tour boat arrived, so packed with passengers that she listed visibly toward the island. I was grateful for our quieter view, and it was a bucket list experience to be able to see them from Windara.
