Thursday, August 11th

The precipitation has moved on, but a thick layer of clouds cover the area today.  Our destination is nearby Southwest Harbor.  Unlike Northeast Harbor which is narrow and very well protected, Southwest is broad and exposed to the east.  Since the weather is settled today, the exposure should not be a factor.  Cutter Loose is bobbing on a mooring  at the Hinckley Boat Yard, custom builder of high end sailing and power yachts. 

Shortly after our arrival in the harbor, we witness a dramatic rescue effort.  It begins with an impassioned plea for emergency assistance transmitted on VHF 16.  A sailing vessel in nearby Western Way is hailing the Coast Guard here in Southwest Harbor.  The vessel in distress reports that it is quickly taking on water and that four inches of water now cover the cabin floor.  The captain and four passengers are preparing to abandon ship.  We listen in to the conversation between the Coast Guard and the panicky skipper.  Within minutes, the Coast Guard musters a 40 foot rescue vessel which passes at full speed within 100 yards of Cutter Loose en route to the vessel in distress, a distance of about a mile from the harbor.  

In the meantime, we take the dinghy into Hinckley's dock to pay our mooring fee.  While we are in the dockmaster's office, the Coast Guard delivers the shaken passengers to the Hinckley dock.  The Hinckley yard crew springs into action by preparing its travelift to accept the stricken vessel.  Under its own power, the sailboat approaches the lift, its bow riding very low in the water.  Coast Guard personnel are on board operating portable pumps and helping to guide the boat into the slings of the waiting travelift.  Seawater is pouring from the hull when the boat is hauled into the yard.  It becomes apparent that water entered the boat through a four inch round hole in the hull where the knotmeter transducer was previously located.  The crew is very fortunate that this potentially catastrophhic event occured in calm seas and within a mile of a Coast Guard station.

[caption id="attachment_1181" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="View from Valley Peak"][/caption]

It is a long dinghy ride from the Hinckley mooring to the town dock.  We have budgeted time for one more hike before we leave Acadia National Park.  The island bus takes us north on Route 102 to the St. Sauveur trailhead.  We hike to the twin peaks of St. Sauveur and Valley Peak.  For a brief moment, the sun makes an appearance just as we arrive at the summit of Valley Peak.  Our descent takes us to Fernald Cove where we return to town by way of the footbridge over Norwood Cove. 

We are hoping for clear weather in the morning to continue our journey west.