Saturday morning, and we're coming to you from the public library in Bar Harbor, Maine!
Finally, we're offshore. Wednesday and Thursday, the forecast was sounding promising -- not to much wind (though always, of course, in the wrong direction) and the sea state was getting flatter. We had dinner with Dad and Mary at Rudders and then stowed our stuff and grabbed a few hours sleep. (Just a note for other cruisers -- Rudders charged us almost $60 per night to tie up at their dock, and there were no services on offer. Stay clear!)
Randy got up at around 11 and he and Tom got us underway at about midnight. By the time we were clear of the harbour, it was getting very bouncy in the forward cabin, so I got up and lurched into my long johns (thanks Mary), sweaters, various fleeces and foulies and took up my usual position under the dodger. I got a few hours of chilly nap later on the dinette, Tom got an hour around dawn, and spelled Randy several times, so nobody burned out too early.
Just after dawn it was very grey, and I was looking out across the water (you can get in a lot of that kind of activity on this kind of crossing) and I saw a small plume of steam, and though, "why would the ocean be venting steam?" As I watched the small vertical plume move eerily off over the surface, I though "I've seen a ghost. I'd better not say anything about this to the boys." Then, there was another plume of vapour, and a telltale shiny black curve underneath it, and with some relief, I shouted "whale!" It didn't surface again, but it was way better than seeing a ghost. In my humble opinion.
The seas did flatten out almost completely during the day -- just a small chop, but the breeze was a little stronger than forecast, right on the nose. We motored the whole way with the main up. Generally very comfortable. Randy made Canadian hamburgers for lunch (can't take Can. beef into the states), and we ate molasses cookies imported from Port Maitland (thanks Abbie!) and drank tea. Very civilized.
Randy sighted Cadillac Mountain around 11 am, and we motored into Bar Harbor just as the sun was going down. We travelled through the beautiful lobster fields of Maine for about two hours on the way in. RS wondered how any lobster has a fighting chance with that many traps to avoid. We managed to avoid them, and the tenders for the bloated "Sea Princess" cruise ship, and pulled up to the town dock right in front of the Harbor Master's office. He called customs for us, and they gave us clearance over the phone, and an officer came down from Bangor this morning to check us out and give us a cruising permit.
So that's a very big hurdle out of the way, and it went very well, thanks to the Capt. and the Able Bodied Seaman who kept us on course. We had champagne and curried chicken soup last night to celebrate, and got rather silly trying to say "let's find a bahber in Bah Hahbor..." And yes, we hit the bunk about 8:30 local time.
Things to address in Bar Harbor: The furnace (do we build a pyre and torch the bastard, or do we try to hunt down an Espar dealer?), and the Lectrosan doesn't seem to be working, the camera battery needs charging (no pics this post, sorry) and we all need warmer socks. It's cold down east. No kidding, the first American who greeted Randy on the dock said, "cold enough for ya?"
Finally, we're offshore. Wednesday and Thursday, the forecast was sounding promising -- not to much wind (though always, of course, in the wrong direction) and the sea state was getting flatter. We had dinner with Dad and Mary at Rudders and then stowed our stuff and grabbed a few hours sleep. (Just a note for other cruisers -- Rudders charged us almost $60 per night to tie up at their dock, and there were no services on offer. Stay clear!)
Randy got up at around 11 and he and Tom got us underway at about midnight. By the time we were clear of the harbour, it was getting very bouncy in the forward cabin, so I got up and lurched into my long johns (thanks Mary), sweaters, various fleeces and foulies and took up my usual position under the dodger. I got a few hours of chilly nap later on the dinette, Tom got an hour around dawn, and spelled Randy several times, so nobody burned out too early.
Just after dawn it was very grey, and I was looking out across the water (you can get in a lot of that kind of activity on this kind of crossing) and I saw a small plume of steam, and though, "why would the ocean be venting steam?" As I watched the small vertical plume move eerily off over the surface, I though "I've seen a ghost. I'd better not say anything about this to the boys." Then, there was another plume of vapour, and a telltale shiny black curve underneath it, and with some relief, I shouted "whale!" It didn't surface again, but it was way better than seeing a ghost. In my humble opinion.
The seas did flatten out almost completely during the day -- just a small chop, but the breeze was a little stronger than forecast, right on the nose. We motored the whole way with the main up. Generally very comfortable. Randy made Canadian hamburgers for lunch (can't take Can. beef into the states), and we ate molasses cookies imported from Port Maitland (thanks Abbie!) and drank tea. Very civilized.
Randy sighted Cadillac Mountain around 11 am, and we motored into Bar Harbor just as the sun was going down. We travelled through the beautiful lobster fields of Maine for about two hours on the way in. RS wondered how any lobster has a fighting chance with that many traps to avoid. We managed to avoid them, and the tenders for the bloated "Sea Princess" cruise ship, and pulled up to the town dock right in front of the Harbor Master's office. He called customs for us, and they gave us clearance over the phone, and an officer came down from Bangor this morning to check us out and give us a cruising permit.
So that's a very big hurdle out of the way, and it went very well, thanks to the Capt. and the Able Bodied Seaman who kept us on course. We had champagne and curried chicken soup last night to celebrate, and got rather silly trying to say "let's find a bahber in Bah Hahbor..." And yes, we hit the bunk about 8:30 local time.
Things to address in Bar Harbor: The furnace (do we build a pyre and torch the bastard, or do we try to hunt down an Espar dealer?), and the Lectrosan doesn't seem to be working, the camera battery needs charging (no pics this post, sorry) and we all need warmer socks. It's cold down east. No kidding, the first American who greeted Randy on the dock said, "cold enough for ya?"
posted by Susan at 12:35 PM
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