21.9 Nautical Miles | Witch Island, Johns Bay

The weather forecast was calling for increasingly strong southwesterlies as the day went on--exactly the direction I would be going in all day. After toying with a few options, I narrowed my choices down to two: Harbor Island or Witch Island, depending on just how strong the wind had gotten when I reached Davis Straits.

Swamped!

After lazing about until 0630, I got up and made coffee etc, etc. Do I really need to mention the coffee every day? I guess it just gives me a way to get started talking about the day...

By 0730 the boat and crew were ready to go and I hoisted the main motored out of the cove. The wind was light at no more than five knots out of the south, but it was almost absurdly cold. I was bundled up with a rugby shirt and a wool fisherman's sweater. I powered into the light breeze down past Mosquito Island and into the channel that leads past Port Clyde and on toward Davis Straits, where, of course I had foul current to contend with.

As I rounded Mosquito Island I heard a throaty rumbling astern and looked back in time to see the classy Port Clyde lobster boat Whore Afire bearing down on me. The Whore careened by close enough to hand me a jar of Grey Poupon, her wake chasing green water over the foredeck, and her sternman cheerfully scrubbing bait and lobster goo off her hull.

The captain of the Whore was nice enough to wave, though.

Decisions Made

I continued on through Davis Straits, past one of my favorite islands between Portland and Mt. Desert: Davis Island. This island has almost everything I want in an island: nice house, toepaths through a wide variety of island habitat, a boat barn, a small tasteful guest cottage, dock and floats, and reasonably protected deepwater moorings. I decided to buy it.

The more important decision made however, was the decision to continue on past Harbor Island to Witch Island on Johns Bay. The wind had built a bit, and was now blowing at 10-15 knots, and a slight chop was developing, but it somehow didn't seem too insistant, and I wanted to get further along than Harbor Island in Muscongus Bay.

I powered directly into the wind until I reached Pemaquid Point on the far side of Muscongus Bay. I then cut the engine and enjoyed a nice broad reach up Johns Bay to Witch Island. As I approached I rolled the jib and rounded up to drop the main, then powered in and found a spot to drop the anchor in about 20 feet at low.

Busy, But Kind Of Nice

Once settled on the anchor with the boat put away, I turned my attention to the important business of the afternoon: relaxing. While lounging about, I discovered that my nice anchorage was actually more of a thoroughfare. The afternoon was filled with boats on their way to or from South Bristol and The Gut. Still, the anchorage was nicely protected from the southwesterly wind that continued to blow all afternoon, and most boats slowed down as they passed by.

Except for the cigarette boat that plowed through at probably 50 knots.

As evening came on the traffic subsided and the anchorage actually proved to be very quiet and peaceful overnight. I spent the afternoon and evening reading, catching up on these logs, and rowing about the anchorage. This turned out to be the first (and only) truly warm night on the cruise, and I found that I didn't even need blankets for sleeping!