A Week on Mt. Desert Island

We did just what we had planned initially and took a mooring in Northwest Harbor on Mt. Desert Island.  Our arrival was midmorning on Friday 8/4 and we spent too much time filling with much needed water (one tank on dry and the other very low!) and pumped out the yucky stuff!  Then we were escorted out to a floating dock by the friendly launch captain.  The floating dock set up allows 2 boats to tie up to each mooring.  It was our first for this and ended up kinda nice because we met a couple on a sailboat who joined us as dock neighbors. They have sailed the area every summer for years so provided us with lots of good anchorage information.  Our first order of business was to catch the free bus to Bar Harbor to buy Al's lifetime senior National Parks pass at the main park visitor center.  Then we boarded a bus to enjoy the sights around the park loop and visit Jordan Pond.

But the fog settled in and there were no views of ponds or the surrounding waters!  Jordan Pond is well known for its restaurant where they have served tea and popovers since the 1890's on the hillside overlooking the majestic pond. We just got our walk in for the day and made a plan to return another day for lunch.  We were chilled and damp and just wanted to settle into our warm boat.

Saturday was a cool and sunny day.  While Al stayed on the boat to sort through some Medicare issues (still getting things in order for automatic payments), I took my walk up a long hill to check out the Asticou Inn and then a much longer trek up a winding trail to the Thuya Gardens that were breathtaking.  Flowers sure do like the moist, salty coastal air!  This was just one of thousands of brightly colored flowers! In hindsight, I should have taken a shot with a wider view but there were too many people to really see mostly flowers! In the afternoon Al and I spent the rest of the day finding good internet at the Bar Harbor library so he could further complete his payment plans for all the of parts of Medicare.  Such a complicated system for old folks!        

Sunday was cool and sunny so we returned to Jordan Pond and this time could see the beautiful views.  Behind us is the pond and the "Bubbles" which the mountains are called.  We had a wonderful walk on carriage trails that were created by the Rockefeller family and then donated to the nation as a park.  They are open to walkers and bikers only.  Then we enjoyed a delicious lunch including popovers and blueberry lemonade.  After cleaning up back at the marina, we walked to the Asticou Inn to have a drink and appetizers on the porch over looking Northeast Harbor.

The Asticou Inn is a truly lovely place with a terrific view. 

We stopped to take this shot of the harbor on our walk back down the hill to our marina.  Note the two shirts needed to ward off the evening chill.  So much cooler here than what we experienced last summer on the Chesapeake! On Monday 8/7 we cruised out of the harbor a short 5 miles up Somes Sound to pick up a private mooring ball that we were told about by our recent sailboat neighbors.  The rule of thumb in Maine is that private moorings can be used for free as long as the owners don't return and want their spot back.  This mooring was one of many placed here and there for Mount Desert Yacht Club members.  We were lucky to have no one come to claim it and chase us off!  

This was our view from our spot on Somes Sound.  We were treated to eagle sightings but all too far away for photos.  We needed our binoculars to watch them and finally after much watching, we witnessed one take a dive for a fish.  (Which he missed!) 

On Tuesday we traveled a few miles further north to Somes Harbor at the end of the Sound.  Somes Sound is referred to as "the only fjord on the East Coast".  It runs up the middle of Mt. Desert Island and is 175 feet deep at its deepest point.  We anchored in 35' of water at low tide so with a 10' tide, we had to put out lots of anchor chain for safety.  But it is tricky to judge just how close that would put us to other boats as we would swing with wind and current so it took us 3 tries to get it right!   We took Victory Lap to a town dingy dock to take our exercise walk and to find internet at the tiny library in town.  Note in the foreground is the dingy and in the background is InSpeyered 2. 

Here I sit, hooked into the library wifi doing the previous blog post on harbors looking at yet another  beautiful harbor.  

This is looking south down Somes Sound.  We were treated to another eagle sighting and watched a seal off in the distance roll around on some rocks.  Sure do wish we had a camera with a long distance lens!  

As the sun lowered and the chill set in, the harbor was beautifully lit! 

Then the sun lowered to pink up our sky.  Not a ripple in the water! 

Yesterday we struggled to upachor because the chain was loaded with thick, sticky mud and the (longer than is typical for us) chain kept getting fouled as it dropped into the chain locker.  But we managed and left Somes Sound to head to another harbor on Mt. Desert Island, Southwest Harbor.  We have had problems with the "house batteries" that run the 12 volt system and also start the engines in the morning.  So we have come to this harbor to access an electrician through Hinckley Marine. Unfortunately no one was available for us yesterday so we will stay two nights.  

On my walk of the town today, I found this view of the harbor which is home to lots of lobster fishermen as well as pleasure boaters.  

Far across the harbor is Dysart's Marina where we are presently tied up while our problem of draining batteries is being diagnosed.  Sounds like some new batteries are in order!  Spending the kid's inheritance as fast as we can!!  But enjoying these blue sky days and cool nights in Maine!!