Sailing on Casco Bay Maine

This was a two day adventure. My Swedish friend and I meet in S. Freeport Monday for a sail around Harpswell Neck back up to Zeke Island back of which is a beautiful hurricane hole with moorings. The trip out was in dense fog requiring the use of the mapping GPS and radar to avoid the numerous rocks on the way not to mention the floating forest of lobster pots. With all these pots it is a wonder that there are any lobsters wandering around the bottom. Compared to inland Massachusetts, the temperature was cool and of course, in the fog there was no problem with exposure to the sun. We motored all the way. Hans and I were to meet Jim and Tiger for dinner but there was no answering machine at their rented cottage and their cell phones did not work. We motored up to the Rt 123 bridge and picked up a mooring hoping that someone would show up. The pendants on the mooring were cover with gunk so whoever owned it had now used the thing in years and I am sure didn’t mind our brief stay. After about an hour, a guy appeared on the bridge riding a bright red motorcycle and started waving in our direction. We left the mooring and motored over to the bridge with some trepidation as the strong current could pull us under resulting in a rapid and catastrophic de-masting. It was Jim. After a brief conversation, he went to his cottage, retrieved his powerboat, and came out to lead us back down the river a mile or so to Zeke Island and the well protected mooring field. After a little wine, he left promising to return at 7:00 pm to pick us up for dinner. We took the dingy in to the dock with a short ride taking us to his rented house on the estuary. Jim’s wife Tiger prepared a delicious meal of grilled flank steak with salad followed by carrot cake lubricated with more wine.

Hans and I sleep on the boat. In the morning we had Rye Crisp and peanut butter with coffee for breakfast. Perhaps this is a Swedish thing. The weather report sounded bad with hail and heavy rain predicted for the afternoon so the four of us got an early start on the way back to South Freeport. Both Hans and Jim are good sailors so we did many tacks down the narrow channel entering the ocean past Bailey’s Island. The weather was beautiful with white fluffy clouds against a deep blue sky. The wind blew at 10 to 15 kts allowing the Windchaser to spend a good deal of time over on her side with the white foam splashing. After playing around outside, we headed back past Eagle island picking up a mooring in the goslings for an alfresco lunch. The sail back was short allowing us to reach the home mooring before strong winds would make it difficult. All in all it was a great trip.