Boothbay Harbor

Steve, Riggs and I left Castine yesterday at about 9 am and had an easy, sunny ride down Penobscot Bay to Rockland where we took on 140 gallons of diesel (Journey's End Marina - best price around), and ate take-out lobster rolls aboard Spray. We then left at about 2 pm and rounded Owls Head enroute to Tennant's Harbor. That run exposed us to the open ocean and, especially the last 6 miles or so, was a bit rough. Riggs was especially relieved to pull into TH at about 5 pm

We rented a mooring for the night and dinghied to shore for some exploration. Riggs sniffed 5,000 items, peed on 200, and filled one poop-bag. What a good boy! Steve and I decided to have dinner at the East Wind Inn so we took Riggs back to Spray for guard duty and then had a pretty good meal (Steve raved over the potato-encrusted haddock).

It was a rolly night at the mooring as ocean swells were creeping around the corner into TH. Riggs and I were up and on shore in the rain at 6 am today where he did has business with admirable efficiency, then back to Spray. By 6:50 we were headed out of the harbor drinking coffee and planning on breakfast.

Breakfast never happened. The run from Tennant's Harbor down the Maine Coast is quite exposed and our morning consisted of 4-6' swells (occasionally an 8 footer) from the south with 2-3' of chop on top of that. At first we took most of this on he nose so it wasn't too bad but later we headed more west and took the swells from the beam which makes things pretty rolly. Spray held up wonderfully but Steve, Riggs, and I were getting kind of green. So instead of making for our intended destination of Jewel Island in Casco Bay, we headed for our main bailout option, which is why we find ourselves in post-tourist-season Boothbay Harbor. We tied up at the town dock and had lunch 'on the wharf' (yep, lobster rolls again) and then moved to a rental mooring at Browns Wharf (which has WiFi allowing me to easily do this blog). We'll relax this afternoon (its 2 pm now- nap anyone?), then dinghy back over to the town dock for exploration of the downtown. Dinner tonight will be pasta aboard Spray.

As the week progresses the conditions are expected to get calmer, so tomorrow we hope to leave early. If we get ambitious we'll shoot for Kittery Maine but could bail out at Jewel Island, or possible Portland. Stay Tuned!