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PENOBSCOT BAY |
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Penobscot Bay spreads 40 miles long and 15 miles wide, graced by more than 200 islands. Between them lie great stretches of open water and small, winding thoroughfares. Along their shores are bustling fishing communities, quaint villages, isolated outports, and uninhabited beauty. The winds are generally moderate and predictable, and the dangers are well marked. There are winding thoroughfares to thread, endless gunkholes to explore, and a hundred harbors tucked away. Arguably Maine’s best cruising grounds are Penobscot, Blue Hill, and Frenchman bays. The islands of Penobscot Bay are as interesting as its shores. At the western entrance lies the archipelago of Muscle Ridge, once important for its granite quarries, now sparsely settled by fishermen. Among these islands and ledges are two or three anchorages that have hardly changed since Indian times. |
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| In the center of the bay are the Fox Islands—the twin islands of North Haven and Vinalhaven. Separated by the narrow, winding, and altogether delightful Fox Islands Thorofare, they are separated also by a wider gulf. North Haven is a fashionable community settled long ago by Boston yachtsmen and summer people. Vinalhaven is a working island, where Carvers Harbor is the base for lobstermen and seiners and draggers. Around the convoluted shores of the Fox Islands are some of the best harbors in the bay—Pulpit Harbor, Perry Creek, Winter Harbor, and many more. At the entrance to the bay are the outlying islands, remote and hard to visit: lonely, sea-swept Matinicus Rock, where puffins fly between your masts at sunrise; Ragged Island and Matinicus, most seaward communities on the coast of Maine; Metinic, Green, Seal and Wooden Ball Island. They have their own rules, these distant islands, their own priorities, hardly part of Maine at all. The shores of Penobscot Bay form a variety of interesting harbors, from safe and welcoming Tenants Harbor to the very different towns along the western shore—the large industrial harbor of Rockland, small and charming Rockport, beautiful Camden nestled at the base of the Camden Hills. PORT CLYDE Port Clyde is home to many artists, and in the village you’ll find galleries and interesting shops. It also is home to a large fleet of working boats. There is a concrete public ramp with water at all tides. Overnight parking is available. The Port Clyde General Store (372-6543) has a few rental moorings. TENANTS HARBOR Easy to enter under most conditions, Tenants Harbor affords good anchorage, moorings, and plenty of room. The handsome bell tower at the seaward end of privately-owned Southern Island has been immortalized by Andrew Wyeth. Moorings in Tenants have proliferated in recent years, but there is good news—many of them are rentals. Town Landing (harbormaster, Ch. 09, 16; 207/372-6597). Just beyond Cod End are the launching ramp and town dock and float, with about four feet alongside at low. There is a concrete public ramp with water at all tides. There is overnight parking next to the ramp at Cod End Marina (372-6782). Next door to Tenants Harbor is tranquil Long Cove. The anchorage is broad and shallow but well protected in most weather. When the wind is blowing hard from the east or southeast, it is far preferable to Tenants Harbor. Owls Head is a working harbor, home to a fleet of lobsterboats and draggers and served by a large dock and lobster pound. The harbor is located just south of Owls Head Light and protected by Monroe and Sheep Island to seaward. Paddlers to Owls Head can put in at gravel beach that is part of Owls Head Light State Park. The Owls Head Transportation Museum features a unique collection of antique airplanes, cars, and engines that hiss, puff, creak, and fly. ROCKLAND Rockland, a major fishing port, is perhaps best known for its annual Seafoods Festival. Although the harbor is small and often crowded, harbormaster Chad Delima (549-0312) has moorings and dock space at the town landing. Rockland with 600 moorings has a complete spectrum of anchoring and docking options from anchoring out and using the dinghy to dockage with cable TV and phones. The area’s largest city, Rockland is full of commercial activity and, more recently, yachts. Fishing boats come and go, windjammers ply the waters, and the ferry departs and arrives from North Haven, Vinalhaven, and Matinicus. Tourists are the latest boon to Rockland, particularly the kind who arrive in boats. Some of the yachting activity here is a direct overflow from limited mooring and dockage space in the full harbors of Camden and Rockport. Snow Marine Park has an all-tide ramp, a large parking lot, and a portable toilet. There is no charge for hand-carried boats. Journey’s End Marina (594-4444) has dock space near the Coast Guard station. Knight Marine Service (594-4068) has moorings and dock space at the north end of town, by the ferry terminal. The Shore Village Museum has the largest collection of lighthouse lenses and artifacts on display in the United States. The granite breakwater protecting Rockland Harbor, begun in 1888 and completed in 1902, stretches out from Jameson Point for seven-tenths of a mile. This 17-foot wide breakwater is open to the public as a park. On Vinalhaven, Hopkins Boatyard (863-2551) has moorings in Carver’s Harbor. Boaters entering into North Haven Harbor are well advised to pass to the north of Pulpit Rock. Those passing to the south risk running aground. Vinalhaven’s shores have perhaps the most fascinating inlets and harbors on any comparable stretch of coast. Clam Cove, a little-used harbor between Rockland and Rockport, offers good protection from prevailing winds and is easy to enter. ROCKPORT At the head of Rockport Harbor there is a limekiln and Vulcan steam locomotive left over from the days when the harbor was a center for the lime industry. Here is Rockport’s marine park. Parking is limited; there is a launch fee for the all-tide ramp. The Rockport harbormaster (236-0676), whose office is at the marine park, has dock space at the town floats on the south side of the harbor available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is six feet of depth at low tide. Although Rockport is popular as a harbor, it often is not a comfortable one. Exposed to the south, the harbor gathers up the ocean swells. Rockport is an easy harbor to enter, the only danger being Porterfield Ledge, toped with a granite marker. Rockport Marine (236-9651) has rental moorings. Mark Island, which lies about 3 1/2 miles east of Rockport, is a Nature Conservancy preserve. The 36-acre sanctuary provides habitat for ospreys and other birds. Historically, great blue herons nested here. The island has no good harbor and little level ground; there are no trails. It is closed to visitors from February 15 through August 15, the nesting season. CAMDEN Camden is the beauty port of the Maine coast. Its blue hills—a series of hazily shimmering blue rock escarpments that show high over the city in all good weather— are world-famous, made so by poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. Camden is one of the four big yachting centers of the coast (Falmouth Foreside, Boothbay, and Mount Desert are the others.) During the summer, Camden and Rockport harbors are full of pleasure craft. Camden Harbor holds the largest fleet of windjammers on the Maine coast. The tall masts and gaff-rigged sails of these venerable vessels add immeasurably to the pleasure of cruising in the bay. Paddlers from the south entering Camden Harbor usually pass to the south of Curtis Island to avoid larger vessels. The island is named for Cyrus Curtis, a philanthropist and publisher of the Saturday Evening Post. There is a small town park at the island’s northwest end. A light tower and keeper’s house are situated on the southeast end. Float space can be hard to come by in Camden. Most of Camden’s outer harbor is filled with moorings. Anchoring is not allowed in the inner harbor. Boats up to 42 feet may lie along the outer floats at the public landing with permission form the harbormaster (Ch. 09; 236-7969). The Camden Yacht Club, P.G. Willey, and the town landing are on the west side of the inner harbor. Parking at the town landing is limited to two hours. There is also an all-tide ramp on Sea Street overlooking the outer harbor. Parking is very limited. Most of the moorings for transients on the east side are managed by Wayfarer Marine and are located in the outer harbor. To request a mooring, call Wayfarer (236-4378, channel 09). Wayfarer also has dock space and a launch shuttle service. Wayfarer’s moorings fees include launch service; they also will pick up non-customers for a fee. The yacht club (236-3014, channel 68) is open to the public and has moorings, inner harbor floats, and a launch shuttle service. Visiting yachtsmen are welcome to use the handsome old clubhouse, and the folks there serve an excellent lunch The club has a dinghy float, but the public landing, near the head of the harbor on the left, is closer to town. If you can squeeze in, you will be right next to the Chamber of Commerce, pay phones, and the heart of Camden.. P.G. Willey (236-3256) has dock space, outer harbor moorings, and inner harbor floats; they don’t monitor VHF. You can reserve dock space from the harbormaster (236-7968). The Megunticook River, which flows into Camden Harbor, teems with elvers in the spring. These are baby eels that migrate from the Sargasso Sea of several rivers along the North Atantic. Elvers are prized in Asian cuisine, and an elver fishery harvests them. At 1,385 feet, Mount Megunticook is the second highest point—after Cadillac Mountain at Acadia—on the Atlantic coast. Between Camden and Lincolnville, the coast is rocky and uninviting. Along the mainland from Camden to Searsport, the coastline is fairly straight with few coves and no islands nearby. Kayakers should be mindful that there is a shipping channel not far offshore. The launch sites in Lincolnville and Belfast are largely exposed to winds from the east. The rocky shore between Camden and Lincolnville and the high bluffs of Northport offer few attractive landing sites. LINCOLNVILLE The Lincolnville town beach is north of the ferry terminal. Between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., parking at the beach and along Route 1 is limited to four hours. There are portable toilets here. At Lincolnville Beach there is a float and a public all-tide launch ramp at the public landing north of the ferry wharf, with three feet alongside at low, where you can leave your dinghy and go ashore. Public phones are on the ferry wharf. There is a fee for all-day parking. Thee is a sandy launch area just south of the pier. Warren Island, a state park, provides an agreeable lunch site. There is a day-use fee. There are designated campsites, picnic tables, a hand pump for drinking water, and privies. A network of trails helps you explore the island’s 129 acres. The state maintains a dock and moorings on the eastern side. The landing site is about halfway down the northeast side of the island. There is a day-use fee of $2 per person. Grindel Point Light on Islesboro marks the entrance to Gilkey Harbor. It was built in 1851, rebuilt in 1874, deactivated in 1934, and reactivated in 1987. Further north is Bayside, a charming summer community. NORTHPORT The Northport harbormaster may be able to help you find a mooring. Town wharf (wharfmaster, 338-1312; harbormaster, 338-3419). Water may be obtained at the public float, with 15 feet of depth at low. The Northport Yacht Club has its little clubhouse here and a vigorous sailing program, but there are no facilities for visiting yachts. The Passagassawakeag River winds its way south from Lake Passagassawakeag from Brooks to Belfast Harbor. The tidal section offers protected paddling along surprisingly undeveloped shores (about 6 miles round-trip from Belfast). Paddlers should start when a rising tide is near its height to get the most water, and watch for ospreys and bald eagles along the way. The water is stratified above he Route 1 bridge, with fresh water on top and salt water below. BELFAST Belfast has gone through several incarnations. In the early 1800s, it was a bustling shipping port, and in the 1900s it became a major chicken processing center. Waste water from the chicken processors was discharged directly into the harbor, creating a monumental pollution problem. The plants closed in the 1970s, and the town has become more attractive to tourists and sailors. The cleaned-up harbor is home to fishing boats as well as a growing number of recreational vessels. There is a harbormaster. Call 338-1142. Belfast’s waterfront has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with extensive new docks and floats, a boat ramp, and an ever-expanding mooring field. The city has some guest moorings, or you can tie up at the city landing. There are several finger floats for small craft, and large boats can come alongside the outer floats and dolphins, with 13 feet at low. The Harbormaster Kathy Messier, (Ch. 09; 207/338-6222) has a booth on the wharf. Attendants are usually present; they can arrange a tie-up or direct you to a mooring. Gas, diesel, water, pump-outs, and electricity to 50 amps are available. The also town provides restrooms, showers, ice, and pay phones. Belfast Boatyard also rents moorings and dockage. It is also possible to anchor near the moorings in 7 to 15 feet at low. The folks at the Admiral’s Ocean Inn provide a free shuttle service in and around Belfast and Searsport. Call 207/338-4260. Technically, the harbor of Belfast is in the Passagassawakeag River. The all-tide launch ramp is a busy place, so be prepared to unload promptly. There is a fee to use the ramp, but it is possible to launch at a small beach immediately south of the ramp without charge. If you are paddling in Belfast Harbor and are enveloped by a large bubble with a foul smell, don’t panic. The bottom of the harbor is the site of craters probably created by anaerobic decomposition. Evidently large deposits of some kind—possibly an accumulation of sawdust from area mills—lie below the harbor’s mud bottom. As this material decomposes, it releases hydrogen sulfide and methane. Every now and then, bubbles of these gases burst from the mud and rise to the surface. If you’re into shopping, Bennett’s Gems & Jewelry offers an interesting and varied assortment of gemstones, minerals, and fossils. Open year round, Bennett’s is the place to find affordable gemstone jewelry from Maine and the world. Here you’ll find Maine’s largest assortment of polished stones. There is always a good selection of Maine tourmaline appealingly priced. You can spot the place by the pink dinosaur out front. Owner Kim Dunn is both knowledgeable and friendly. Also in the main business district, the Downtown Jewelry & Engraving Shop deals in used silver, jewelry, antiques and various collectibles. Call 207-338-2663. SEARSPORT Searsport Harbor is wide open, exposed from the southwest to southeast, and the view is dominated by elevators and oil tanks. Still the town has a fascinating history of bustling shipyards and as the home of more than 200 ship captains who roamed the globe. Searsport has a dock and an asphalt all-tide ramp. Just west of downtown, turn south on Steamboat Avenue at the Public Boat Access sign. In Searsport, one mooring belonging to the Penobscot Marine Museum and one belonging to the town are available at the town landing. You can land your dinghy at the town landing floats. Call the harbormaster at Hamilton Marine: Ch.09, 10, or 16; 207/548-2985. If you plan to visit the Museum, call ahead (207/548-2529) to reserve their guest mooring, a big granite block often used by the windjammers. Otherwise, you can anchor anywhere near the moorings, in 15 to 23 feet at low, in good mud holding ground. Searsport Shores Camping allows non-patrons to launch from the beach ($5 per person, subject to availability of parking). The campground is on the right about 5 miles east of Belfast on Route 1. Tim the Toolman Taylor is far from alone in loving hardware. Silkweeds has expanded to become a major gift emporium—three two-story buildings providing 7,000 square feet of floor space. Things you’ll find include wreaths, Boyd’s Bears, rugs, Yankee Candles, dried & silk flowers, country furniture, jams & jellies, and a complete Christmas Shop. Call 1-800-711-1136. At MAKING SCENTS GIFTS, Jenifer White markets her own exclusive line of Little Witchy bath and beauty products. There are only two islands in this section of the coast and both are fun to circumnavigate—Sears island as a half-day trip and Verona Island as a full-day trip. If the wind is blowing and you are looking for a protected area, check out the South Branch of the Marsh River, which is managed by Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Sears Island has been spared several dubious developmental plans and remains a beautiful, undeveloped wooded island. Maine’s Department of Transportation, under whose jurisdiction the island falls, sometimes allows access to the Sears Island Causeway. When the No Parking signs are absent, boaters can park their cars and launch from the causeway. Long Cove is one of the most industrialized areas in Maine, with cargo piers, conveyors, warehouses, and oil tanks. There is nothing here to attract yachtsmen except adequate protection. The approach to Long Cove west of Sears Island is deep and well-buoyed for the use of oceangoing vessels. You can anchor in the middle of Long Cove, in 10 to 20 feet at low. STOCKTON SPRINGS East of Sears Island, Stockton Harbor is larger and better protected than Long Cove. Fisherman use the launch site providing access to the harbor. Pilings and ruined wharves line the east side of Stockton Harbor, but they present no dangers. Fort Point State Park provides a rather difficult place from which to launch since it involves a carry of about 100 yards and no ramp. The Point has a commanding view of he lower reaches of the Penobscot River and the Castine Peninsula. North of Fort Point, at the entrance to the Penobscot River, Fort Point Cove is a large, open bay with good anchorage. Many sailors choose to wait here to wait out the ebb tide before heading upriver. The Penobscot Bay Art Gallery in Stockton Springs has a good selection of Maine art, fine art, portraits, and seascapes of Penobscot Bay. Women and the Sea is a specialty. If you want you can arrange to have your portrait painted. Vits Knuble’s permanent collection also is housed here. Open seasonally; call 207/567-4098. Sandy Point Beach lies on the western shore of the Penobscot River between Fort Point and Verona Island. The 100-acre recreation area, managed by the town of Stockton Springs, includes an extensive sand and gravel beach that is used for swimming, sunbathing, picnicking, and other water-related activities. Sea kayakers may launch or visit from the water if they do so carefully. Fort Knox harkens back to the time of lingering tension between the United States and England. During the War of 1812, the British sailed up to and captured Bangor, then a prosperous timber-rich city. When a border war with Canada broke out in northern Maine in 1839, Americans feared British intervention. Plans for a fort got snarled in red tape, and construction didn’t begin until 1844. By the time it was completed, 25 years later, it was utterly obsolete. Troops were quartered here during both the Civil and Spanish-American wars, but saw no action. It is possible (but not easy) to visit Fort Knox by boat. You can anchor in the basin just north of the tunnel that emerges from the green embankment, north of the fort itself. The basin is about 120 feet long and has a flight of stone steps at the end. At low, the basin is almost dry, so anchor just into the river from it, in about 30 feet. The bottom is rocky, and the river currents strong, so it might be wise to leave someone onboard while you explore. At high slack, it is possible to bring your boat in to the basin and tie up to the iron rings in the granite walls, though you have to be brave. THE PENOBSCOT RIVER The Penobscot is a grand, wide river, 24 miles long from Bangor. There are splendid miles of river with scarcely a house, almost unchanged since Verrazano’s time. Most of the river traffic is small powerboats and occasional tankers. The prettiest stretch is Crosby Narrows, lined with cliffs and cedars. There are two fixed bridges on the main channel, both with ample clearance. The first carries Route One across the river to Verona Island, just south of Bucksport, and frames the town in a picturesque, Grandma Moses view. The second is a new bridge routing I-95 just south of Bangor. The Penobsoct has a two-layer circulation system, with less-dense fresh water floating over denser salt water. Lobsters are caught as far north as Bucksport, so the leading edge of a wedge of salt water must move at least that far north. The dominating feature of the river is its relentless current.. Flowing south from Bangor, it twists past Fort Knox, funnels down the main channel west of Verona Island, and speeds past Fort Point. Here at last the current decreases as it becomes diffused in the open waters north of Islesboro. The Penobscot River and its tributaries drain about one-quarter of Maine and contribute one-fifth of all fresh water that enters the Gulf of Maine. In March, April, and May, the Penobscot’s flow is two to five times that of the rest of the year. According to the Coast Pilot, currents of three knots are not unusual between Orrington and Odum Ledge west of Verona Island. When the current is at maximum ebb, it can pull buoys under. When a powerful river current meets the incoming tidal surge—especially with a strong onshore breeze—paddlers should exercise extreme caution. Along the river, the best source for fuel or repairs is the yard at Winterport, the head of navigation during winter months. Below Winterport, the river widens and is more vulnerable to onshore breezes. The lumbering business has left the legacy of deadheads, waterlogged logs which have sunk to the bottom and periodically refloat to lurk dangerously at the surface. Winterport Marine (Ch. 09; 207/223-8885) was once a ship dock, and the floats have 13 feet of water alongside at low. Gas, diesel, water, ice, electricity, pup-outs and marine supplies are available. It provides a launch service as well as 30 heavy moorings, or you can come alongside. It is possible to anchor in the river, but the current can run 3 knots or more, so you are likely to be more comfortable on a mooring. A new facility 2 miles farther upriver, Mid Coast Marine also offers dockage and moorings. The river between Bangor and Hampden is urban and industrial; paddling here gives you a unique perspective on a bustling city. The prettiest part of the river lies between Hampden and Winterport, where the shoreline is steep and mostly undeveloped. Watch for ospreys and eagles. In Hampden, the public boat launch has two all-tide concrete ramps, toilets, and picnic tables. BANGOR Up the Penobscot, 24 miles past Fort Knox, lies Bangor, once a brawling frontier town and lumber capital of the world. The city has a number of guest moorings in the river next to the town landing. Due to the current, anchoring is discouraged. Contact the harbormaster at the Bangor Landing (Ch. 09; 207/947-5251). There is water and a sewage pump-out station at the floats and electricity at the top of the ramp (you need a long cord). Restrooms, showers, and a phone are by the harbormaster’s building in the parking lot. The Landing is less than ideal as a launch point for small vessels. You can carry a boat to the point where the Kenduskeag Stream meets the river, although there is a steep bank and a riprap, or you can launch from a dock, but it is high off the water. Ask the harbormaster for advice. The approach to Bangor is easy and clear, passing under the fixed bridge for I-395 (vertical clearance 78 feet) to the head of navigation just beyond at the fixed highway bridge. Bangor has four town floats, two of which are available for transients. Both have about 15 feet of depth alongside at low, water, and free pump-out facilities. Use caution in approaching the docks. Although the view from the waterfront still encompasses oil tanks, railroad cars, and expanses of pavement, efforts are being made to improve the waterfront with new floats, landscaping, and riverside walks. Current generally floods at 3 or 4 knots and ebbs at six or seven, with a tidal range of 10 to 12 feet. Kayakers can launch from the concrete ramp in South Orrington in all but the lowest tides. Thistle's Restaurant offers gourmet dining and classic international cuisine at attractive prices; this is a really friendly, family-owned establishment; a standout here is the lovely dessert tray. BUCKSPORT Recently, Bucksport rediscovered its waterfront. It built a spiffy waterfront park and walking path and the historical society is housed in an adjacent railroad station. Restrooms and a pay phone are at the park, and almost everything else you may need is within a short walk. The Bucksport Waterfront Walk is a scenic brick walkway that runs from the Bucksport/Verona Bridge to Sprague point, overlooking the harbor with fantastic views of Fort Knox. Visitors will find docking, historical markers, picnic tables, gazebo and restroom. Supplies and provisions are available, but facilities for yachts are minimal and the anchorage is exposed. At the Landing, there is 8 feet alongside the floats at low. The maximum tie-up is limited to one hour, but the harbormaster may allow you to stay overnight. The Marina primarily rents seasonal slips, but may have rooms for transients. Gas, water, ice, and electricity are available on the floats. The American Cruise Line vessel American Eagle regularly stops at Bucksport as part of its series of six-day cruises. When the ship is in port, Main Street shops stay open later than usual and the town provides shuttles to Fort Knox and promises "guided tours, demonstrations and entertainment." MacLeod’s Restaurant combines excellent food with reasonable prices. Also on Main St., check out the floral displays at Sheehan's. These guys have won awards for their designs. Rosen's has been outfitting Mainers with good-quality clothing for 90 years. For lodging easily accessible to the Town Wharf and with terrific views of the river and Fort Know, it’s the JED PROUTY MOTOR INN. The View Restaurant in downtown Bucksport derives its name from its terrific view of the Waldo-Hancock, suspension bridge, Fort Knox, and the Penobscot River. The food is good and reasonably priced; you also might want to visit the sports bar downstairs. The Sail Inn Restaurant on Verona Island has open-deck dining and a high elevation, affording great views of the Waldo-Hancock suspension bridge and surrounding countryside. Whales sometimes appear this far up the river. You’re more likely, however, to see a good-size barge or tanker heading for Bucksport.. The restaurant has been in the Dyer family since 1948. Down East Magazine called the place "as down-home as whoopie pies, strawberry shortcake, and hot biscuits fresh from the oven…The atmosphere and décor are throwbacks to a simpler time when no-frills American diners were commonplace." It might also be said that the prices also hark back to happier days. The most expensive item on the menu is a one-pound Porterhouse steak for $13.95. You’ll want to save room for Luanne’s blueberry cream pie, layered high with berries and piled with fresh whipped cream. The place is a bit oddly named: It’s not an inn—you can’t spend the night—and you can’t sail in—there are no docking facilities. But oddly named or not, the place has an extremely loyal clinentele. There is a concrete, all-tide ramp on Verona Island. Morse Cove is a broad bight on the eastern shore of the Penobscot River, near its entrance, opposite Fort Point. Rental moorings, mostly 200-pound mushrooms, are available from Devereux Marine, or there is plenty of room to anchor. Morse Cove is exposed from the north to the southwest. CASTINE Castine is perhaps best known to sea kayakers as the site of L.L. Bean’s Atlantic Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, an extravaganza of outdoor workshops, class room seminars, and boat demonstrations held at the Maine Maritime Academy. Near the eastern head of the bay, the Bagaduce River empties past Castine, once a stronghold of the French, then later the British, site of America’s first great naval defeat during the Penobscot Expedition, and now home of the Maine Maritime Academy. There are two lights on the northern entrance to the Bagaduce. The prominent white stone tower and keeper’s house were built in 1829; the town now owns the property. The active Coast Guard tower stands nearby, 27 feet above the water. Dennett’s Wharf (207/326-9045) is primarily a restaurant, but also have a rental mooring and 120 feet of dock space with 11 feet at low. Electricity, water, showers, and heads are available. Eaton’s Boatyard (Ch. 09 or 16; 207/326-8579) has a fuel dock with 16 feet alongside at low, gas and diesel, pumpl-outs, ice, and water. There also is a marine railway that can handle hull and engine repairs. Castine Yacht Club (pay phone: 207/326-9231) has several well-marked guest moorings available to members of yacht clubs with reciprocal privileges, but the moorings are limited to yachts up to 40 feet for 24 hours. Dockage is also allowed on the west float, weather and space permitting. There is water at the float, with 20 feet of depth alongside at low. Contributions for dockage or moorings are expected. Castine Harbor Lodge (Ch. 09; 207/326-4335) rents several moorings and deep dock space on their large T-shaped wharf. Each Summer the Maine Maritime Academy sponsors the Retired Skippers Race, for male and female skippers aged 65 to 92 in boats from 27 to 60 feet. The current in the Bagaduce River is particularly fast at the Narrows at Jones Point, a few miles northeast of Castine. The Coast Pilot recommends passage only at slack water. The logical way to paddle the Bagaduce is with the current, starting up through the Narrows on a rising tide and returning after the tide begins to ebb. The Bagaduce River empties out past Castine, and the current is swift. This, and the extreme depth, make it impractical to anchor off Castine. Upriver, the abatements of the ME 176 bridge squeeze the Bagaduce, creating a reversing falls. Whitewater kayakers and canoeists sometimes practice in this narrow rapid, so sea kaykers may want to turn around below the bridge. The bridge is a dividing line for tidal current. When the tide is dropping, water is still pouring south under the bridge. Because there is no public portage around the bridge, if you decide to run under it, you may be stuck there for a while. The Bagaduce River is a neutral embayment, meaning that it is an extension of Penobscot Bay rather than a river with a major source of fresh water. There are unusually large areas of mudflats and marsh. Due south of Castine, Smith Cove provides a convenient and secure anchorage under most conditions. Holbrook and Nautilus Island form a beautiful harbor cradled in the northern tip of Cape Rosier just south of Castine. Not only is there good protection, but you will be treated to glimpses of the Camden Hills, Islesboro, Castine, and Dice Head Light. Although it offers less protection than neighboring harbors to the east, Weir Cove, on the southeast side of Cape Rosier, is a lovely anchorage in settled summer weather and a good harbor if the wind is from the north. Horseshoe Cove is a slot on the eastern side of Cape Rosier, not far from the entrance to Eggemoggin Reach. On the chart, it looks impossible to enter. But once inside, this beautiful, unspoiled harbor has almost perfect protection. Large, granite-block moorings are set out by Seal Cove Boatyard. Hang on a vacant mooring and check with the yard. Orcutt Harbor, on the east side of Cape Rosier, is just west of Bucks Harbor. The harbor is attractive, easy to enter, and well-protected except from the southwest. In a northerly it would be a wonderful refuge. Orcutt is little used by yachtsmen, who perhaps prefer the amenities and security of Buck Harbor next door. Holbrook Island Sanctuary has a beautiful launch or landing site along with sand beaches, undeveloped shores, and a 120-acre island.The Sanctuary has two heavy guest moorings off the southeast flank of Holbrook Island, at the northern edge of the cable area shown on the chart. Use the southern entrance and beware of the rock farther to the north. Smith Cove is a place for quiet paddling and birding, while the Bagaduce River has very fast currents challenging to even the most experienced paddlers. Many yachtsmen choose to anchor for the night in Smith Cove or Holbrook Island Harbor. ANP / Appealing Places / Cybermall / Directory / Diruni / Discover Downeast / Home / Queries |
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There are two places to launch in Stonington, at the town landing and at a tiny ramp. The landing is next to Bartlett’s Market in the center of town. The dock is 18 inches off the water; there are several portable toilets on site; and there are two telephones out by Main Street.