As we sailed further up the coast, Maine continued to unfold before us, each port offering its own unique feel and flavor of rich coastline, working harbors, and authentic New England.
While I could say it was all brought about by Ubi’s particular magic that we seemed to land at every port in the middle of a full-blown festival, I had to remind myself this far up in latitudes, these three months of summer are all they really get for sailing and cruising. It’s their high season. The rest of the year the place is froze over. Only the lobstermen are getting out on the water in those frigid temps and conditions. So, they really jam a lot of waterfront activity into June, July, and August. Lucky us! : )
July, 2024
Rockland
After leaving Portland, we headed further up north and I was surprised when I saw Rockland coming into view. It looked like a tri-county fair, with red and white striped tent peaks everywhere and tons of people packed along the waterfront. Like we had landed in a circus!
Completely unbeknownst to us, we had dropped anchor right as they kicked off their annual Maine Lobster Festival. And, these people take their lobster seriously. Trust me.
This five-day festival—which completely takes over Harbor Park on the waterfront—honors the state’s iconic lobster industry and offers a wide array of attractions. Think food trucks, games, nightly shows and music, even a petting zoo! Annie loves little baby animals. I just melt.
We were also really surprised and pleased to find the area had such a rich Portuguese heritage, offering lots of linguica—an incredibly flavorful, smoky Portuguese sausage, often served with sautéed peppers—usually on their famous Portuguese bolo (bread). We stuffed ourselves silly with sausage and had a great time roaming among the tents and watching the Portuguese dancers put on a nightly show.
One other very cool thing that we happened to land upon in arriving in Rockland was this U.S. Coast Guard tall ship and a Navy guided missile destroyer, the Delbert D. Black that were anchored in the harbor, available to tour. We never say no to touring other boats, be it a 35-foot little sailboat like the 1985 Niagara Hinterhoeller we used to sail, or a 513-foot destroyer. The answer is “Yes, please!” We hopped on a little fishing boat turned ferry for the day and got us a tour. The ship was massive, impeccably maintained, with plenty of midshipmen and sailors aboard happy to tell us about the systems and show us all the cool toys. Such a treat!
Rockland also offered a few little quirky breweries and coffee shops that made our visit there even more memorable. We anchored just outside of Harbor Park, which was a quick easy in on the dink, but Phillip and I were surprised at how much rode we had to put out to get a 5-to-1 ratio in about thirty feet of depth and how much swing radius that gave the boats in the anchorage. After getting too close for comfort to a boat who was there before us (Boat Code gives the first boat to anchor deference, in Annie’s book at least), we had to move and re-anchor. It was our first lesson in the trickeries of anchoring in waters that deep. This was one of the reasons, going further into Maine, we often took a mooring ball when one was available. While there is a daily fee, of course, it does alleviate, entirely, the worry of another boat swinging and hitting you. We found it a price worth paying. The balls also come with a launch which can be pretty handy in cold or drizzly, wet weather.
Camden
For this reason, when we made it to Camden, we decided to call first to ask if a mooring ball was available. And, what did they tell us? “Oh, gees, it might be impossible this weekend as it’s the Camden Classics Cup.” We said: “The what cup?” Being completely new to this port, we were a little befuddled. But, the Lyman-Morse guy came right back with some very good news. “We had a cancellation. Looks like you’re in. Ball M14 is yours.” We said: “Whooo hooo!” Camden here we come. And, I must include a little shout-out here to the mooring balls in New England, many of which (especially in Maine) are rigged with what I call—hope you speak Annie—a “pick-em-up stick.”
They include this little lobster pot looking floatie with a stick that’s tall enough for you to just grab from the bow. No boat hook—or leaning way over the side of the toe rail—to grab the ball. Just grab the pick-em-up stick, which is attached to the bridal that goes right on your bow cleats. They’re often piled up on the mooring itself, so they’re usually dry when you grab them and fasten them on the boat. For those of you who have wrestled a wet, grimy, gnarly mooring ball line onto your boat know what I’m talking about. You look like you went a few rounds with a pig in slop when you’re done. But, in Maine, I felt like I could grab a mooring ball up there in an evening gown and (aside from washing my hands) you’d never know what I just did. The pick-em-up sticks were a thing of beauty.
So, once we got on our Lyman-Morse ball in Camden, we wanted to get promptly ashore to see what all this Camden Classics Cup was about. Ooooohhh boy. These were some of the most beautiful, exquisitely maintained wooden boats I have ever seen. And they’re right there on the dock by Lyman-Morse, just asking to be ogled. The Classics Cup features a sailing regatta and harbor parade all in honor of classic yacht racing and boatbuilding. We got to see the parade that runs through the little harbor there (one of our favorite, picturesque harbors in all of Maine) and listen to the entertaining, and impressive commentary provided for each boat. Many of the boats that passed us by during the parade boasted numerous round-the-world excursions and many had been sailing the waters of this planet for almost one hundred years, if not more. I was mesmerized thinking what incredible things each of those boats have witnessed and survived! What a testament to boat building.
In all, the Classics Cup was just mesmerizing, particularly against the backdrop of picturesque Penobscot Bay. We even dropped the ball (again, very easy to do, even in a high society ensemble) and took Ubi out to bob and sail around and watch them race around us. It was an incredible day.
As was this! Climbing Mount Battie in Camden! This was one of our first tastes of hiking elevations in Maine and man, oh, man, what an exquisite treat. The ground is so lush and rich. I felt like the moss covering the ground was as thick as carpet. Every shade of green you can imagine. And, cool enough to need a light fleece at the start, but you shed the layers as you make your way up to the reward of such an incredible view. It overlooked the mooring field, so we could see and wave to Ubi from up there. Also, roughly 800 feet of elevation is nothing to sneeze at. It was a perfect way to earn an appetite for the many incredible restaurants Camden has to offer.
While the hiking on Mt. Desert Island, which boasts Acadia National Park, was our favorite—those stories and photos are coming here next!—Mount Battie, being our first taste of it, holds a special little place in this hiker’s heart. In all, Camden offered beauty, an eclectic shopping/foodie scene, and some of the most well-preserved wooden boats I’ve ever seen in person. Camden was one of our favorite stops in Maine.
Boothbay Harbor
But, our good-landing luck must have run out by then, because we hit Boothbay Harbor in the middle of dense fog followed by three days of drizzle and hard rain.
We didn’t see it as problem, though. The weather is going to do what it’s going to do. And, I took solace in reminding myself that’s how the earth gets so rich and green up there, the waters so clean, the air so fresh, because of the frequent fogs and rain. We stayed on a ball at Carousel Marina and they were very good to us. I enjoyed walking by this friend every day and saying hello.
Made me chuckle they have a huge rod propping him up in the back as I guess he’s taken a spill or two over the years. Seeing him laid back like he was going under a limbo bar would have been a funny sight to see. In all, Boothbay Harbor is a really picturesque stop in Maine with wonderful thick woods all around to walk through and a great little eclectic downtown full of shops worth poking into.
We had fun despite the rain, however, attending an interesting little science talk at the Opera House there and enjoying several fine dinners at both the Carriage House Inn and Ports of Italy. I also enjoyed the nostalgia of the footbridge—that has been around since 1901 if you can believe it?! Believe it. The footbridge made our frequent walks through town and around Boothbay Harbor even that more enjoyable.
Botanical Gardens
But, of course, I saved the best for last. This easily makes the top ten of the dozens of fun, memorable things we did while in Maine: the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The gardens span over 300 acres along Maine’s midcoast and feature ornamental gardens all showcasing flora and fauna native to Maine as well as miles of trails that run through forests, wetlands, and along nearly a mile of Maine’s rich shoreline. After our stay in Boothbay Harbor, my official tour guide (Phillip) had planned for us to sail over and anchor near Indiantown Island so we could dinghy in and explore the botanical gardens.
While I was expecting beautiful flowers and lakes and trees, birds, and butterflies, and guided natures paths, I had no idea these lovely tree trolls were in store.
I tell you, I’ve been traipsing through the woods since I was about three feet tall. Proof! : )
So, a hike through the forest is always high on my list—skinned knees and all—but what we encountered in Maine just surpassed any forest or wooded environment I have ever had the pleasure (nay, privilege!) of walking through. These guys were a real highlight for me. Walking up to them you feel a bit of a presence. Like the big guy is looking down at you and wondering what stories you have to share with him, as he’s got plenty for you. They were quite majestic. Here’s the story:
These giant trolls (five total in the Botanical Gardens) referred to as “The Guardians of the Seed” were created by a Danish artist, Thomas Dambo. He makes these mammoth-sized trolls all from recycled materials. Great way to reduce, reuse! But don’t let me rattle on about the amazing trolls. Here’s Dambo himself on them:
The project was intended as an open-ended fuse that initiates wonder, inspiring people to see the natural world through a whimsically different lens that reinforces the value of using what we have to create something new, while also pulling together people of many skills and backgrounds from throughout our community.
So, check them out and let us know which one is your favorite! It’s time. Meet the Trolls!
Roskva
Stands for the trunks
Roskva is the heaviest, hardest, and strongest of the trolls. Every day, Roskva climbs towards the sky, and every year she grows taller and wider. If a troll forgets something, they can always ask Roskva—she counts the seasons and remembers everything that happens around her.
Lilja
Holds the scent of the flowers
Just last summer, Lilja came out from her hiding place. The youngest of the trolls, she’s still just a child. She loves the colors and the scents of the flowers and when bees and butterflies fly among branches.
Birk
Holds the roots
Birk is the wisest and most mysterious of the trolls. He hides in the shadows and listens to the whispers of the soil. He knows everything that happens in the wild, and every day he tells tales to all the other creatures of the forest.
Søren
Sticks up for the branches
Søren is a very curious troll; his head is always turning and twisting, searching for places ever higher. He dreams about drifting around on a cloud in the sky, and when the wind is blowing, he loves to celebrate with a dance.
Gro
Smiles with the leaves
Gro is the wanderer. Every fall she disappears, but the trolls are not worried because every spring she returns to the forest. On her return, Gro walks around to make sure every friend of hers is fed. After hurrying to catch a few sunbeams and a handful of raindrops, she creates a feast for the forest.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this fun romp through a few of our favorite stops during our first summer in Maine, in and around Penobscot Bay. Next up, I’ll share our absolute favorite place that we visited in Maine this past summer: Sommes Sound and Acadia National Park. Stay tuned! This is the Maine Event! : )