Belfast, Maine to Plymouth, Mass.
on board Euphrosyne
August 1998
On this trip I crewed for Bob and Betts Carpenter. I had previously sailed with them from Tortola to Chesapeake Bay. My purpose in making this trip was to experience sailing and navigating in the waters of Maine for myself and to pick Betts' brain for the little things that make extended living on board easier for all members of the crew. I have put together her advice in The Best of Betts.
Bob is a careful and thorough coastal navigator. The trip was a great opportunity to experience Maine without having to be concerned about doing stupid things. We talked a lot about what we were seeing and why we were avoiding certain passages. In conjunction with what I learned from Bob, the Cruising World article about Maine will be invaluable in planning our own trip 'down east'.
Maine is a land of many famous lighthouses. My only regret is that I didn't photograph them more carefully and keep notes so that on my return I would know which was which. Be that as it may, what follows is my record of a fun trip.
Use the maps below to get to the places we visited on this short voyage down the coast. Just roll the cursor over the ports of call and give a little click when it changes to a hand.
We started in Belfast on Sunday. Since the
wind was on the nose we motored down to Camden under clear skies. The next day we
motored on to Boothbay. The weather was a mixed bag. It started with a light
wind and was clear enough, but by mid-morning we had a good bit of fog and no wind.
Later in the day the fog burned off and the wind built steadily, still on the nose.
We stayed in Boothbay for a day to have the mechanic change the oil and listen to Effie's
alternator.
From Boothbay we went on to Biddeford Pool. Another day of motoring
with the wind on the nose.
From Biddeford Pool we went on down to Portsmouth. We actually did
some sailing and motorsialing on this leg.
From Portsmouth we continued
south through the Annisquam canal, past Glucester and on to Marblehead. In
Marblehead we were snubbed by the Eastern Yacht Club.
The last leg of the trip was across Massachusettes Bay to Plymouth, home of the
mayflower and the pilgrims.
