[/caption]At 9 AM, we hit the trail and begin our ascent to Duck Harbor Mountain. At 314 feet above sea level, the summit offers a commanding view of Penobscot Bay. The top of the mast of Cutter Loose is barely visible from this vantage point. The trail descends through the lush forest floor to Squeaker Cove on the southeast coast of Isle au Haut. Here, the granite boulders have been reduced to smooth pebbles by the nor'easters that ravage this coast in winter. Incredibly, driftwood has been deposited on a shelf 40 feet above the high tide mark, evidence of storm surge. We return to the harbor by way of Goat Trail and a park service road, a total distance of about 3 miles.
After lunch, we sail north in tandem with Island Spirit towards Merchant Row, a well-marked east-west passageway amongst hundreds of ledges and small uninhabited islands that leads from Penobscot Bay to Jericho Bay. The shoreline of the islands in Merchant Row are a gleaming white marble, giving the appearance of sunny beaches. A 12 knot southerly wind translates to a liesurely broad reach through this pristine passageway. This afternoon's sail through Merchant Row will be one of the most memorable experiences of our journey.
Our destination today is the Wooden Boat School at the eastern entrance to Eggemoggin Reach near the tiny crossroads community of Brooklin on the mainland. This is a school that teaches the art of wooden boatbuilding. New Englanders are fond of classic wooden sailboats and this school promotes the preservation of traditional watercraft through education and through the publication of Wooden Boat magazine.
[caption id="attachment_1119" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Classic wooden yacht nearing the finish line in Eggemoggin Reach"]
[/caption]The Wooden Boat School is the host of the Eggemoggin Regatta, a series of races for classic wooden boats scheduled for this weekend. This will be a good opportunity to observe a large armada of classic wooden sailing yachts. As we draw closer to our anchorage, a loud voice from astern urges us to bear off. It finally dawns on us that a sailboat race is already underway and that Cutter Loose is in the middle of the race course nearing the finishing line. Once at anchor, we look on as one classic yacht after another passes the finishing line. It is a treat to be in the company of these elegant vintage sailboats.
No comments:
Post a Comment