M/V MAERIN

Our crossing from Clark’s Harbor back to the US began at just after midnight Atlantic time. We felt our way out of Clark’s harbor, following our radar and our track from our entry some hours before. Once out past the reef line, we settled into our routine of an overnight, our first in many months. This particular crossing was a comfortable ride, we were easily able to catch some shuteye in our stateroom; on some previous overnights we found it nearly impossible to sleep with the pitching of the berth beneath! This time was a very gentle motion. We actually passed some other boats, fishing vessels moving in the night. With daylight, we were able to watch for whales and other wildlife. We did see a few whales, not close enough for photos, but we were able to spot them with binoculars. We believe they were humpback. We did see several blows and then some flukes. We also saw ocean sunfish, a strange-looking fish that lies near the surface and displays a fin above the surface. We also saw leatherback turtles, and our most exciting spotting was a tuna that jumped about a half mile distant, but clear enough to see. We didn’t see as many whales as we were hoping, but we didn’t come back without seeing any at all!

We arrived at Mt. Desert at 6:18 PM local time, a total of about 18 hrs. and 128 nm. We called US Customs when we were about 2 hrs out, and were told a Customs agent would come to the marina and check us in and inspect. He arrived about 7:30 PM, from Bangor. He was very pleasant, and made instant friends with Molly, checked our paperwork, did a perfunctory inspection, and spent a few minutes chatting before he headed off to his next call. He had been busy all day with additional arrivals due to the impending arrival of Earl. Many mariner were making landfall early to prepare. We enjoyed dinner out with our compatriots aboard Cronulla and Aries Too, all of whom had arrived the same day, although we hadn’t initially planned to.

Our concern was having a plan for the passage of the storm, and availability of travel, since Barb needed to fly home for her aunt’s funeral. After some juggling of plans and options, we finally connected with Mark, the mooring manager in the morning, and secured a fast-disappearing mooring that we would be able to secure to for the storm. We got the word from Mark, and quickly pulled the plug and fled the slip to grab the mooring. Northeast Harbor is a well-known hurricane hole, with excellent wind protection due to the high ridges surrounding the harbor, so spots were disappearing very quickly. So Barb will fly out Friday, and the skippper will stay aboard with Molly and Sammy for company while the storm passes. Projections have the storm passing over Yarmouth, NS – just north of Clark’s Harbor. No accurate predictions will be coming until the track of the storm is further north. We’ll wait and see, but we’ve got an excellent spot to hunker down and wait it out. At the moment, the weather is wonderful!

Richard on Cronulla made arrangements for a fuel truck, and with all 3 boats in our loose flotilla taking fuel, he was able to negotiate a very reasonable price. So today was refuel day, we took on 800 gallons. Between the three boats it was about 3,000 gallons. So we’re set for another 3 or 4 months! After all finished fueling, we hopped aboard Aries Too for a boat ride. So what do cruisers do for entertainment?? Go for a boat ride, of course! We enjoyed a very leisurely cruise up Somes Sound, billed as the only true Fjord in New England. Pretty, but no match for Baie Eternite or Saguenay! Lobster pot floats abound, they’re everywhere, and cruising into the sun makes it difficult to see them. Reminds us of crab floats in the Chesapeake, but much more dense!

Tomorrow we hope to hop the shuttle to Bar Harbor, and see some of Acadia National Park before Barb must leave.

Tags: Bar Harbor, Landfall, overnight