Tabitha’s Tales

Wednesday - Today is Caroline and Jasmine’s last day with us. We are =
heading back to Portland and they plan to catch the 0305 coach to =
Boston airport tomorrow morning. There stay has been wonderful and we =
shall miss them.

Last night was especially good as we were anchored at a beautiful =
island called Jewell. The island is owned by the nature conservancy so =
were were able to explore the old fortifications and walk the length =
of the island. In the evening we had a camp fire ashore with BBQ =
burgers and baked potatoes.

The sun is shining again after a period of rather doubtful weather. It =
seems that Fall is approaching. When we have delivered Jasmine and =
Caroline we must turn our thoughts to heading south AND SUE’S =
BIRTHDAY!!. Matters are slightly complicated by various maintenance =
issues and deliveries we are hoping for. We are in the hands of =
courier companies and suppliers.

Friday - We are in another period without email. Our SSB radio which =
we use for sending and receiving email when we are out of range of an =
internet connection is not doing what it should. Or rather, the tuner =
that links it to the antenna appears to have given up. I have my =
suspicions that it has always been a bit dicey and that that is the =
cause of the trouble I have had including having to replace the =
original radio. I hope this problem with the tuner hasn’t damaged the =
new radio too. I have ordered a new tuner which should be at Portland =
when we arrive back there next week. In the meantime we will have to =
make do with ad hoc wi-fi internet connections when we can get them.

I am anxiously awaiting an internet connection so that I can see =
whether or not I have bid successfully on EBay for a replacement =
Navico auto-pilot. Ebay is probably the only source of spares for this =
excellent system which is no longer manufactured.

Jasmine and Caroline’s visit is going splendidly. We have visited =
mostly remote islands and anchorages so I think they will be due for =
some bright lights before long - at least a small general store would =
be nice. We stocked up well with food before we left but it won’t be =
long before the cupboard is bare again. The weather has not been as =
good as before they arrived but at least we haven’t been troubled by =
fog. In fact Maine is looking wonderful - very reminiscent of her =
native Cornwall says Caroline.

We are back at Small Point for a couple of days. It is convenient as =
there is an adjacent campsite where we can use the showers and also a =
beech within walking distance.

I have some successes and some failures with the fishing. We caught a =
mackerel on the way to Damariscove Island and then in the cove itself =
I managed to catch 7 other small white fish which provided a starter =
for one meal and a main course for another. Unfortunately this has =
been at the price of loosing quite a lot of tackle including our lucky =
spinner. This is a popular place for fishing and it is frustrating to =
see others catching fish while we can’t for want of the right gear. =
Especially as we could do with supplementing our supplies with a few =
fresh fish.

Friday - We are in another period without email. Our SSB radio which =20
we use for sending and receiving email when we are out of range of an =20
internet connection is not doing what it should. Or rather, the tuner =20
that links it to the antenna appears to have given up. I have my =20
suspicions that it has always been a bit dicey and that that is the =20
cause of the trouble I have had including having to replace the =20
original radio. I hope this problem with the tuner hasn’t damaged the =20
new radio too. I have ordered a new tuner which should be at Portland =20
when we arrive back there next week. In the meantime we will have to =20
make do with ad hoc wi-fi internet connections when we can get them.

I am anxiously awaiting an internet connection so that I can see =20
whether or not I have bid successfully on EBay for a replacement =20
Navico auto-pilot. Ebay is probably the only source of spares for this =20
excellent system which is no longer manufactured.

Jasmine and Caroline’s visit is going splendidly. We have visited =20
mostly remote islands and anchorages so I think they will be due for =20
some bright lights before long - at least a small general store would =20
be nice. We stocked up well with food before we left but it won’t be =20
long before the cupboard is bare again. The weather has not been as =20
good as before they arrived but at least we haven’t been troubled by =20
fog. In fact Maine is looking wonderful - very reminiscent of her =20
native Cornwall says Caroline.

We are back at Small Point for a couple of days. It is convenient as =20
there is an adjacent campsite where we can use the showers and also a =20
beech within walking distance.

I have some successes and some failures with the fishing. We caught a =20
mackerel on the way to Damariscove Island and then in the cove itself =20
I managed to catch 7 other small white fish which provided a starter =20
for one meal and a main course for another. Unfortunately this has =20
been at the price of loosing quite a lot of tackle including our lucky =20
spinner. This is a popular place for fishing and it is frustrating to =20
see others catching fish while we can’t for want of the right gear. =20
Especially as we could do with supplementing our supplies with a few =20
fresh fish.

Saturday was spent in a major budget blowing exercise. A hire car gave =
access to all sorts of spending opportunities which we are normally =
denied. Long overdue clothing replacements, a new deep sea fishing =
reel, two new watches (for Elspeth and Sue) and two full shopping =
trolleys of food.

Elspeth and I drove down to Boston to collect Jasmine and Caroline =
who’s plane arrived only one hour late with luggage intact including a =
replacement lifejacket for Sue and a new gasket for the bilge pump. It =
is a shame that I broke the Lavac toilet seat just too late for them =
to bring a replacement out with them! They also came bearing gifts =
from Sue’s family and a bag of school books which we gave them before =
we left the UK.

Sadly their introduction to life aboard has not been great with =
continuous rain and a lumpy harbor to contend with. We haven’t had =
such rain since our last guests from England! It is due to clear up a =
little today.

Yesterday we sailed only 8 miles to anchor west of Great Chebeague =
island where we visited the luxurious hotel and managed to make one =
drink each endure for 2 hours as we sat on the comfy sofas in front of =
a log fire.

As you can imagine, excitement is building aboard Tabitha as we =
anticipate the arrival today of Elspeth’s best friend Jasmine and her =
mother, Caroline who will be with us for 10 days. They are flying in =
to Boston which is two hours by car from Portland where we are now.

There is an excellent coach bus service from here to Boston but we =
have decided to hire a car and collect them personally. As we spend so =
much of our time struggling to live on thin air, to hire a car seems =
an extraordinary extravagance but with the cost of taxi’s back from =
the supermarket (for major re-provisioning) and from the coach stop it =
does make sense. Today’s outings will include a long anticipated visit =
to Walmart - an American phenomenon soon, no doubt, to arrive in the =
UK. They are vast, vast stores with an enormous range of stock at =
amazingly low prices. They are always located out of town so, having =
no mechanical transport, we rarely get the opportunity to visit them. =
It has to be said that we do have a bad conscience about this as they =
follow a business model which can be disastrous for small communities =
and suppliers and for the people that work for them but it is amazing =
how easily this is forgotten once you are in the store! and you see =
those prices. I suppose we have been doing our bit paying the high =
prices of local shops as we have sailed from one isolated community to =
another over the last four months.

One of the reasons we wanted a larger boat was so that guests could =
join us from time to time. It adds so much to the experience. The aft =
cabin with en suite ‘heads’ really comes into its own when guests are =
aboard. Unfortunately yesterday I managed to disable the aft (guest) =
heads by cracking the loo lid which on Lavac loo’s fulfills the =
critical function of creating a vacuum so that sea water is sucked in =
to flush the loo. It is the price of having an older boat that 30 year =
old plastic fittings do get brittle and fail from time to time. The =
situation was nearly resolved in miraculous fashion as the stock =
keeping system at the excellent ‘Hamilton’s’ chandlery in Portland was =
showing one spare loo lid in stock but unfortunately they were not =
able to locate it. It would have been a remarkable service if they had =
been able to supply ‘off the shelf’ such a spare for these British =
marine toilets.

Speaking of failures, regular readers and correspondents should note =
that we may be off the air from time to time until we have resolved a =
problem with the antenna tuner which allows us to use the HF radio. =
The HF radio is an important link for us and I have ordered a =
replacement tuner but unfortunately the suppliers have let us down.

Rather than continue our progress west and south, we plan to stay in =
Maine while Caroline and Jasmine are aboard. It is a more beautiful =
cruising ground with many small islands and interesting anchorages. =
Sadly the sea water temperature is much lower than just a little =
further south but some swimming should be possible. Air temperatures =
lately have been very pleasant lurking in the mid to high 70’s during =
the day. Unfortunately a bit of rain and stronger winds are due this =
weekend but should clear through soon.

Portland is hosting a large regatta today (Saturday) and tomorrow - =
much more interesting - a tug boat competition featuring towing and =
pushing contests between local tugs! However, the harbor is a rather =
choppy and we have little shelter here so we may choose to move on.

Tonight we find ourselves in yet another stunningly beautiful Maine =
anchorage.

We spent two nights in Boothbay which was very touristy and really of =
very interest to us. We did get showers and laundry done at the local =
yacht club. In fact we had anchored just outside their moorings to =
avoid there $30 per night charge but I asked the boatman about using =
their showers. ‘If anybody asks, I haven’t seen an thing’ he replied. =
People are so generous to us.

We had a small adventure on the way here. Close tacking through a =
channel we managed to pick up a lobster pot (one of the two or three =
million deployed in Maine to trap lobsters and unwary sailors), which =
became firmly wrapped around the propeller (we were sailing). The wind =
was pretty gentle but we were off a lee shore in 60′ depth. We noticed =
a dramatic reduction in speed which became a full stop. We tried =
various sailing maneuvers to try to dislodge the obstruction but in =
the end had to drop the anchor and the sails, launch the dinghy and =
thankfully the pot became free with not too much use of the boat hook =
from the dinghy. These are just the kind of incidents which can start =
a sequence of events which lead to much greater difficulties.

We have picked up pots twice now, both on slowly executed tacks =
(today’s was more of a missed tack). The first time we had no choice =
but to cut the pot free. We retained the colorful pot marker as a =
souvenir. They really are a menace to navigation frequently laid right =
across a main channel.

Beside’s today’s pot incident we had a wonderful sail. We still have =
no autopilot but the Aries wind vane does an excellent job. We use it =
as much as we can as I want to be sure of its performance (and more to =
the point, my ability to make it perform) before I set off across the =
Atlantic next spring.

The river Deben at home where we have our mooring is a really =
beautiful river but it has nothing on the magnificent beauty of the =
countless anchorages we have enjoyed in Maine and Nova Scotia. Tonight =
we are anchored (fore and aft to ensure we stay in the channel) in yet =
another stunning setting surrounded by high hills covered in dense =
pine trees which come right down the water. We have our full mosquito =
defenses deployed - fly screens on all hatches and cetronella candle =
as, for a few hours at dusk, the area is thick with the little pests =
but otherwise it is nothing short of idyllic.

We had another moment of interest (not really excitement) as we =
navigated into the river shortly before high water. We had nothing to =
suggest that the bar at the mouth of the river required a pronounced =
zig-zag and just motored slowly in to the shouts of more than one =
party from ashore (why do people shout oy! and then fail to follow it =
up with any useful instruction?). ‘Lucky you came in now’ shouted a =
man fishing from the bank - but as is often the case, what may have =
appeared as luck was also a consequence of good planing.

Tomorrow we will row down to the mouth at low water and survey the =
route we should take on our way out.

———-
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As we make our way back west towards Casco Bay and our rendezvous with =
Caroline and Jasmine we have been hopping along the coast from island =
to island.

The experience of visiting the islands is very different from that of =
visiting the mainland and each island is quite different.

You can tell the level of sophistication of each island by how far it =
is before the road ceases to be tarmaced and becomes a dirt track. On =
Isle au Haut where were were a few days ago the road was metalled for =
about 1/2 mile from the landing then it became dirt track. At =
Matinicus - our most recent island, there was no metalled road at all. =
Matinicus is the most remote of the permanently inhabited islands in =
Maine with only a small number of fisherman and their families living =
there year round.

It was immediately apparent that we had arrived on something of an =
unusual day as the small harbour was crowded with visiting lobster =
boats doubled up on moorings with the local boats. A wedding =
celebration was well underway and boatload after boatload of merry =
fishermen and their families came out in dinghy’s to board their boats =
and make their way home to their own islands.

Later ashore we found on the noticeboard the wedding invitation =
inviting all islanders to the celebration. Ancient 4 by 4 vehicles and =
more modern quad bikes passed by each heavily laden with multiple =
passengers all waving cheerily. We walked the dirt tracks. Being =
Saturday afternoon, the island store was closed and we got back to our =
dinghy just intime before the retreating tide left it high and dry.

There is little more to say about Matinicus. It has an airstrip and a =
ferry which comes out only once a month!

At Ilse au Haut we were in time to meet the boat - a high social point =
in the life an island. First off came the people - mostly visitors =
coming to stay at the island’s expensive B & B ‘The Lighthouse’ then =
pallet after pallet of luggage and supplies of every kind - provisions =
for the store gardening implements by special order and timber for =
house maintenance.

One of the most extraordinary things about the islands are the =
vehicles. The MOT regulations are obviously rather more lax on the =
islands than on the mainland and this leads to an amazing collection =
of relics form a bygone age still in daily use. With ‘gas’ (petrol) at =
$3.80 per US gallon, it is a good thing the islands don’t have many =
roads.

Although we had exhausted the island’s possibilities in the first walk =
ashore, we planned to stay another night to wait for the wind to make =
round to the SW. However, after a frustrating morning trying to bring =
the auto pilot back to life, I made the decision to press on. This was =
not a good decision as it was clear when we got out from the shelter =
of the island, that there was a good deal of west in the wind. We =
motored quite a long way but were rewarded with a new anchorage for =
our top five anchorages here at Allen Island. A really knock-out =
setting with shelter from 4 small islands in close proximity. If this =
was anywhere near our home cruising ground there would be fifty boats =
here tonight instead of the three or four that ghosted in as dusk fell.

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Last night we slept ashore for the first time in four months.

We retuned for one night to COA (The College of the Atlantic) in Bar =
Harbour to find ‘Coral Moon’, an English boat we got to know in =
Shelburne. Their offer on a house in the town was accepted so they are =
hurrying south to leave their boat in the Chesapeake Bay in time for =
the completion. They propose to spend the summers at their house in =
Shelburne and the winters sailing in the Caribbean.

I dashed ashore to complete various provisioning tasks before was =
sailed from Bar Harbour. These included the impulse purchase of a new =
fishing rod which came with reel and tackle for only $30. It has =
already begin to pay for itself as we landed four small mackerel on =
the first evening - Elspeth even managed to catch a fish on her second =
ever cast!

A wonderful full moon set over our anchorage at South East harbour to =
complete and excellent day which was to be follwed by an even better =
one.

Andrew, (Marine Superintendent at the College) had invited us to go =
out and visit him at the Great Duck Island Research Station about 7 =
miles offshore. He and his Assistant, Pheobe will be living and =
working out there for the next month. We picked up a mooring at the =
north end of the island and were immediately rewarded with lunch in =
the form of masses of mussels harvested from the mooring’s pick-up =
line. Andrew and Pheobe came out to pic us up in their zodiac.

The adventure began with a the landing which is achieved by shooting =
the boat in from the ocean onto a trolley which runs up a steep ramp. =
The boat is made fast to the trolley and a diesel winch hauls the boat =
about 80′ up a steep ramp and into the boathouse - a reverse of the =
way lifeboats are sometimes launched in the UK. Elspeth and Peta =
later enjoyed shooting down the ramp ‘roller coaster’ fashion when we =
launched the boat.

The research station is based in the old lighthouse keepers cottage at =
the southern end of the one mile long island. Various scientific =
projects are conducted but the main one is the study of Petrels about =
whom little is known because they only come in from the sea at dusk =
and then into burrows underground. Areas of the island were populated =
with coloured flags indicating the presence of remote underground =
sensors which monitor and records conditions in the nest/burrows.

We went up into the lighthouse and had a tour of the whole island =
including several log cabins which are now used as accommodation for =
researchers who camp out on the island for around six weeks at a time. =
The island also has an old airstrip which Andrew uses when he flys his =
plane out to the island.

Most of the island is owned by the College and the Nature Conservancy =
Council but it has a colourful history including subsistence farming =
and trade with passing ships and use as a psychiatric clinic. One man =
deduced that it was the site of Black Beard’s treasure and bought the =
whole island on the basis of his theory. Andrew has met the man’s =
niece who says that he did indeed find the treasure but her account =
was somewhat suspect.

We didn’t have to think for long before accepting the invitation to =
spend the night in one of the log cabins and Andrew took us back to =
the boat for bedding and other things. We took with us our mussels and =
several liters of wine.

We really enjoyed sleeping ashore. The beds were rough bunk beds each =
with a mattress but nothing else. Light was provided by an oil lamp =
and the toilet was a outdoor latrine. A real ‘loo with a view’ with a =
magnificent aspect over the ocean. The tradition is that a closed door =
means that the facility is vacant and an open door means that someone =
is inside enjoying the view.

We spent this morning helping Andrew which his work. All supplies =
including fresh water are bought in by boat. Transferred by chain =
winches and transported on the island in the tractor and trailer. One =
of their tasks for the next month is to build a new store so I spent =
the morning helping Andrew to load and transport the lumber whilst Sue =
helped to organise the medical kit at the research station.

We were relieved to find that Tabitha also seemed to have had a =
comfortable night when we returned later today and sailed here to =
Buckle Harbour on Swan Island. Right now a thunderstorm is passing by =
over and what was a comfortable anchorage is fast becoming less so.

———-
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New pictures have been added to the website at http://www.audience.co.u=
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