Pentail and I arrive in Rockland, Maine, the planned put-in.  Rockland is the "gateway to Penobscot Bay," and a straight shot to Vinalhaven and North Haven Islands.  But it's also open to weather from the Gulf of Maine.  The clerk at "Rockland Boat" predicts, with local confidence, a week of fine weather so in we go at Snow Marine Park.  The ramp is south of town next to the Outward Bound school and has long-term parking.  It's a comfort to know that they confidently launch open boats full of kids into the Bay all summer armed only with oars and a few sails.  The demon of Maine summer cruising is here today… fog.  It's a light one and over the week I came to treat fog like a shipmate.  High fogs and patchy fogs like this have interesting shafts of sunlight that add interest to navigating among the islands.  When the thick, wet ones come however the local advice is to leave the water to the big guys and break out a book or go ashore.   As I leave Rockland, a brigantine from Wood's Hole comes in followed in by a line of Friendship sloops with topsails set.  The vision was from another century.

 Go to Page 2

 Return to Home Page