[/caption]What a difference a day makes. The rain has finally come to an end and skies are clearing. We travel the short distance from Little Cranberry Island to Northeast Harbor where Cutter Loose is sharing a float in the harbor with friends Hayden and Radeen Cochran aboard Island Spirit. The term float does not refer to an ice cream concoction, but rather a 30 foot section of floating dock that is secured to the bottom of the harbor with a series of mooring anchors. One boat uses docklines to tie along one side of the float and the other boat does likewise on the opposite side of the float.
The afternoon evaporates in the local laundromat. In a harbor town, the public laundry functions in part as an environment for swapping information with other transient sailors. Northeast Harbor, in particular, is an interesting place to wash and dry clothes because it is the first stop for sailors returning to the U.S. from various Downeast and Canadian destinations. Today we learn about the sailing adventures of an Ohio couple who recently arrived in Northeast Harbor from St. Johns, New Brunswick where they spent the summer cruising inland lakes. They are also veterans of a transatlantic crossing and several years of cruising in Europe. Four crewmembers of another boat anxiously provide a detailed account of their recently completed cruise to Nova Scotia. Sailors enjoy nothing more than describing their accomplishments with anybody that will listen. These conversations help to pass the time waiting for clothes to dry and inspire us to think about more challenging destinations.
We end the day by visiting with friends of Hayden and Radeen that own a summer home in Seal Harbor, just a few miles away. They have been visiting Mt. Desert Island for over three decades and are familiar with most of the hiking trails in the Park. We use their insights to plan tomorrow's adventure. The night sky is crystal clear and filled with constellations. Tomorrow should be an excellent day to sample the trails of Acadia.
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