Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Day 32- Roque Island, ME

We finally left Somes Sound after 5 days there. Somes was a great place to stay for a few days. There were many places to see and explore by dingy and land. Mount Desert Island has very convenient free bus service that connects the various towns such as Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor. We were able to pick it up a few hundred yards away from our anchorage. Ground transportation is a huge treat for us. We were able to pick up items at the store on a whim, well almost, it was about a 2 hour round trip due to bus schedules, but it felt nice to have the option. On a rainy day we were able "zip" into Bar Harbor and spend a good half day at the library (library time is something we miss very much). We got pretty comfortable in Somes but left as soon as the rain and fog lifted. Pablo had the anchor up before 6am, unfortunately it was under another boat and we made quite a ruckus getting out. Need to work on our stealth skills. We got caught up on our first lobster pot buoy. We have glided near/over several in the past weeks but this was different. This one was brought to our attention by a short shudder from the engine, after which we noticed pieces of a chewed up buoy pop up behind us. It looks like it came out on its own but we need to make sure parts are not still wrapped up in the prop. Pablo is very reluctantly planning to take a dive to inspect further tomorrow. I am told it is a Maine rite of passage to get hung up on a pot and surprised this has not happened earlier given the shear density here. In fact, the density of pots has gone down but in this area they use two floats per pot due to the high currents. The two floats are connected by a toggled line (ie keel/prop/rudder trap) that connects the two. A huge pain, as often the distance between the two is large and one of the two floats becomes submerged making it, impossible to see. If one were to invent a device to specifically foul props, keels and rudders, no need to look further than these toggle style traps. After shedding the pot parts, we had a beautiful sail along the coast in 10-15 knot winds running 7 knots for most of the way. The scenery has changed dramatically since the Acadia area. The rocky coast has a pink hue and a very remote feel. We heard that Roque Island had a mile long white sand beach. Sounded too good to be true for Maine. It is true and makes me feel like I've died and gone to heaven. A preview of what's to come when we head to the Caribbean, except for the 53 degree water. My feet hurt after standing in it for a bit. Didn't seem to affect the girls as they both swam. I am looking forward to watching Pablo dive on boat to check the prop. My guess is that it will be quick inspection!
Anchored next to Calypso in Somesville

Successful crabbing

Sunset in Somesville

Beer and pie with the Dicksons

Napping in the nook of the windshield

Catching the MDI bus

Exploring in Bar Harbor

Visiting horses with Julie

Sunset in Somesville


Sunrise in Somes Sound







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