3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

My friends are vacationing on their 20 ft powerboat in Penobscot bay
for 3 weeks starting this July 15. They are planning to put in in
Belfast and they need to be at Vinalhaven on July 19. We may join them
in our 25 ft powerboat for 2 of those weeks. I know that the area is
beautiful as I have been there a couple of times and was wondering
where people would recommend to cruise if you had 2 or 3 weeks to
spend between Belfast and Bar Harbor.

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

On 19 May 2007 20:48:39 -0700, richard
wrote:

My friends are vacationing on their 20 ft powerboat in Penobscot bay
for 3 weeks starting this July 15. They are planning to put in in
Belfast and they need to be at Vinalhaven on July 19. We may join them
in our 25 ft powerboat for 2 of those weeks. I know that the area is
beautiful as I have been there a couple of times and was wondering
where people would recommend to cruise if you had 2 or 3 weeks to
spend between Belfast and Bar Harbor.

A cruise through Merchants Row and Deer Island Thoroughfare, both on
the south side of Deer Island is a good start.

I would follow that up with a run through Casco Passage and an
overnight stay in Mackerel Cove on the north side of Swans Island.

A stop at the Wooden Boat School at Brooklin, east end of Eggemoggin
Reach is also an interesting way to spend an afternoon. They have a
small dock and some moorings there, also room to anchor.

Hopefully your friends have a good chart plotter and maybe radar. At
the very least I'd recommend a radar reflector.

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

On May 20, 10:59 pm, Wayne.B wrote:
On 19 May 2007 20:48:39 -0700, richard


Hopefully your friends have a good chart plotter and maybe radar. At
the very least I'd recommend a radar reflector.

thanks for the great info. they do have a good chart plotter but no
radar. I will remind them (and us) to be sure to have a radar
reflector. The last two times I went in this area was in a 42 ft and
55 ft sailboat(under power)and we did get fogged in. I think that was
earlier in the season. Is late July and early August just as likely to
be foggy as May and June or more so? thanks again

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

Richard,

Tell them to buy Taft's guide to the Maine coast.

July and August are foggy months. Tell them that they need to be comfortable
with piloting in the fog and know how to deal with lobster trap lines.

There are so many nice spots to stop. Which ones you pick are only
determined by your abilities and your inclination to anchor out rather than
to tie up to a float.

Ansley Sawyer
SV Pacem
Rockland, Maine

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

On 21 May 2007 04:19:43 -0700, richard
wrote:

I think that was
earlier in the season. Is late July and early August just as likely to
be foggy as May and June or more so? thanks again

The fog in Maine is difficult to predict but you frequently run in and
out of it during July and August. You can be in sunny clear weather
one minute and a dense fog bank the next.

It's part of the charm... :-)

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

* Ansley W. Sawyer wrote, On 5/21/2007 7:48 AM:
Richard,

Tell them to buy Taft's guide to the Maine coast.

July and August are foggy months. Tell them that they need to be comfortable
with piloting in the fog and know how to deal with lobster trap lines.

There are so many nice spots to stop. Which ones you pick are only
determined by your abilities and your inclination to anchor out rather than
to tie up to a float.


The problem with the fog is that there is no way to easily predict it.
There is a high probability of fog, but the local conditions can
hold it a few miles off the coast, or bring it in close. Also, its a
fair bet that the morning will have reduced visibility on any given day.

As for lobsta pots, they should understand that the Penobscot Bay (and
further east) traps lines include a "toggle" which is a second float
that is on a line about 15 feet long. Crossing between the main float
and the toggle float is a sure way to catch a line. And there are
places where the traps are placed 15 feet apart, making it almost
impossible to avoid snagging one. In my catamaran I power on one
engine, with my hand on the shift lever. One should have a good plan
for how to deal with a fouled line when the inevitable happens.

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

As for lobsta pots, they should understand that the Penobscot Bay (and
further east) traps lines include a "toggle" which is a second float
that is on a line about 15 feet long. Crossing between the main float
and the toggle float is a sure way to catch a line. And there are
places where the traps are placed 15 feet apart, making it almost
impossible to avoid snagging one.

That's right. I had completely fogotten about the toggles up there. we
don't see those around Boston. just luandry soap bottles!
Thanks for the reminder!

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

See my lobster pot disentangling method. Works great!

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Pots.htm

--
Roger Long

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
See my lobster pot disentangling method. Works great!

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Pots.htm

--
Roger Long

I may not be up to date on this post.
Where can we purchase this disentangling tool kit. Or how can we make one.

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

* wrote, On 5/22/2007 2:35 PM:
I may not be up to date on this post.
Where can we purchase this disentangling tool kit. Or how can we make one.




There's one sitting in my locker - I almost can't wait until I get
snagged! (Actually I hope I never need it, but that's like saying I'k
never run aground.)

http://captnhooksolutions.com/

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

Thanks for the link.

"Jeff" wrote in message
...
* wrote, On 5/22/2007 2:35 PM:
I may not be up to date on this post.
Where can we purchase this disentangling tool kit. Or how can we make
one.




There's one sitting in my locker - I almost can't wait until I get
snagged! (Actually I hope I never need it, but that's like saying I'k
never run aground.)

http://captnhooksolutions.com/

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

3 weeks in Penobscot Bay
 

* Dave wrote, On 5/22/2007 4:54 PM:
On Mon, 21 May 2007 09:27:11 -0400, Jeff said:

As for lobsta pots, they should understand that the Penobscot Bay (and
further east) traps lines include a "toggle" which is a second float
that is on a line about 15 feet long.

Any idea what the purpose of that second float is?

They are to keep the line from snagging on the bottom.

http://www.mainecoastguide.com/sidebars/buoys.html

One more thing: The book that this link comes from, "A Cruising Guide
to the Maine Coast," by Hank and Jan Taft and Curtis Rindlaub is the
definitive guide to the coast. Its well worth the price.