Tag Archives: Great Chebeague Island

South Portland Hiatus!

Posted on August 23, 2021 | Comments Off

Friday (8/6) – Part B – Spring Point Marina, South Portland, Maine

At 9:15 am we left the mooring at Great Chebeague Island and headed through the waters of Casco Bay, passing the Wyman Energy Center on Cousins Island and in the distance Portland Yacht Club in Falmouth. It wasn’t long before we were passing near Fort Gorges, downtown Portland, and then Bug Light. Just after this landmark we turned into Spring Point Marina in South Portland; our home for the next week. We traveled a whopping 9 miles and it was only 10:00 am when we finally settled into our slip on “H” dock. We chose this marina instead of DiMillo’s (where we stayed in 2019), because it was more reasonably priced and we knew the area; we stayed and left the boat here in 2017 when we flew home for a family reunion. Although DiMillo’s is in the heart of downtown Portland, this area offers a safer and quieter spot for Denise, and will allow us to save time when we leave to cruise more of the Maine Coast.

We spent the rest of the morning getting caught up on work items before the weekend, especially Mark as he prepared for his on-site meetings at the client next week.

In the afternoon we were able to use one of the marina’s pickup trucks to go to the grocery store (Hannaford’s) to get a few items. We also picked up some fish for dinner, as well as turned in some of our bottles and cans. It was while he was redeeming the cans that he began speaking with a woman who also had a boat at Spring Point Marina. Come to find out Kim (and husband Ken) used to be on “H” dock, but this season they moved to “I” dock. Somehow, Mark remembered their boat from our visit in 2017 because it was right near the “float” that houses the tables and barbeque grills. We learned that “G” dock now has the big parties that “H” dock used to have.

Later in the evening we cooked our fish onboard our boat and went for a short walk around the marina, before returning back to the boat to watch some TV and calling it a day.

Saturday (8/7) – Spring Point Marina, Portland, Maine

It was a warm morning when Denise went for a run. Not really acclimated to the humidity this season, she struggled on the run, despite the temperature in the high 60’s as the start. Her trail took her from the marina out to Bug Light, which marks the entrance to the Portland Harbor. From there she ran along the Maine greenway path that runs through South Portland neighborhoods and a few small villages for over 5 miles, eventually connecting to another path on the south end of Portland. It was a good run on a mostly flat course, but when she got back to the boat she was spent.

During the day we worked on cataloging pictures, writings for the blog, talking to family and friends, and meeting some of the people around the marina. In the afternoon, we used one of the marina crew-cab pickup trucks to go to evening mass at Holy Cross Catholic. It was only a little over a mile, but because it was so hot and the street it was on was a busy road, we opted to drive. We were given the truck because the marina loaner car (SUV) was already taken. It was a challenge for Denise to climb up into the cab, but once there, it was great to sit up high.

After mass we returned to the marina, returned the truck, and went to dinner at the restaurant that is located on the marina property. Our dinner at “North 42° Bistro” was as good as we remembered from 2017, and Denise was glad she had made reservations the day before. It was sold out for the night, and even the bar was full when we arrived. We both got fish dishes and found them to be delicious!

After dinner, we went for a walk. Denise wanted to show Mark the lighthouse and park at Bug Light, so we walked through the condo complex adjacent to the marina, and up the path to the park. On the way to the light we stopped at the Liberty Ship Memorial (an open air museum of sorts) that tells of the history of the Liberty Ships built in the South Portland Shipyard. It was very interesting to read about the shipyard’s importance, including the impact of women, who replaced the workers sent off to fight the war.

When we returned to the marina we found the people on “G” dock were living up to their reputation as the new partying dock. Fortunately, we had the air conditioning on and didn’t hear any of their noise into the late night.

Once back on the boat, we did a face-time call to our family in Tallahassee who were having a big birthday celebration for Denise’s sister and brother-in-law; both are celebrating significant milestone birthdays this year and opted for a single party. We missed being there and seeing everyone, but sent our wishes as best as we could. This is the downside to cruising and being so far from home.

Sunday (8/8) – Spring Point Marina, Portland, Maine

Waking up early to another warm morning, Denise went for a long walk to see the area southwest of the marina, a place we have not yet explored. The pathway out of the marina is really a continuation of the path from Bug Light Park, and cuts right through the entire Port Marine/Spring Point Marina complex. Once through the yard, the path follows along the water and into the campus of Southern Maine Community College (SMCC). Immediately adjacent to the marina grounds is the pier and just beyond that is the Spring Point breakwater and Lighthouse.

From there the pathway leads to the old ruins of Fort Preble, built in 1808 to defend Portland Harbor, it was used in the War of 1812 and the Civil War. It is now in shambles, but you can take a path down to the beach area (strewn with granite boulders at this point), or you can take the rickety stairs to the upper area and get a spectacular view of Simonton Cove or the Gulf of Maine. You can learn more about this fort here.

From there she continued her walk along the shoreline path, passing buildings for SMCC, and eventually the Old Settlers Cemetery – there are some very old graves in this cemetery!

Afterwards, she walked to the end of the path as far as possible, then back through campus and around to the marina before returning to the boat. Here are some more pictures from her walk:

In the morning, we used the loaner truck (again) to run a few errands; a trip to Walmart and Lowes for some boat repair/maintenance items, and a grocery store (Hannaford’s) for food items. We got back to the boat in time for lunch and organize the purchases and stowed them.

Before we knew it, it was time for Mark to leave. He took a cab from the marina to the airport, and flew to New Jersey (via Detroit) for client work. Denise used the time to get caught up on some readings and videos she had been wanting to watch.

Monday (8/9) through Wednesday (8/11) – Spring Point Marina, Portland, Maine

During these days, Denise stayed on the boat and hung around the marina. She got in another run along the South Portland pathway, and went for another walk around the SMCC campus.

On Monday (8/9), the surveyor for our insurance (BoatUS/Geico) came by to inspect the damage from the Belfast collision. He was a retired USCG officer and loved his last duty station in Key West, and as a result owns a house there. “Dave” spent a lot of time talking with Denise about the options and suggested a course of action we might want to consider, and later explained the same to Mark via telephone call. Subsequent to his visit, we received his estimate for damages and repair, and will now pursue a claim against the offenders insurance (Allstate).

On Tuesday, (8/10) fog appeared in the harbor and just off from the marina, but it was not too bad. Denise spent all morning in the boat working, or working on boat-related items. In the afternoon she borrowed the marina loaner vehicle and went for some self-pampering; she got a much-needed pedicure!

On Wednesday morning, (8/11) the fog was so thick that you could not see the building on land from our slip, or even the fuel dock. It was stifling quiet and very warm and humid. Despite this, Denise went for another run through Bug Light Park and on the footpath through South Portland. In a few areas she took a slight diversion to run up and down the streets of Ferry Village; a community that runs along the east side of Portland Harbor.

Wednesday afternoon (8/11) – Mark had an early morning flight and returned to the boat in the early afternoon. For a few hours we completed some work items and boat chores, then put together an itinerary for the coming days, once we leave South Portland.

In the evening we borrowed the loaner car and went to Old Orchard Beach, a place we had heard of but never visited. It is not a spot that we can get to on the boat, and the closest inlet (Saco River) is still a significant way and not worth burning fuel. We arrived and parked the SUV a little further uptown from the beach, affording us the opportunity to stroll by the shops. As we got closer to the water we could see all the boardwalk amusements, which reminded Denise of Salisbury and Hampton Beaches where her parents took her as a kid when visiting New England. There were all kinds of rides and carnival-type games and the place was quite crowded. It has been very hot and people just wanted to get in the water or be near the breezy shore to cool off.

We went looking for a place to have a sit-down dinner on the water, and were sorely disappointed. Although there were lots of pizza, fried food, and sandwich places, and there was one very over-crowded bar and one lobster shack that was closed on Wednesdays, we found no place that appealed to us. After 30 minutes of walking around, we decided to take our chances further north. We returned to the car and headed north on the road paralleling the beach. Eventually we found our way into Scarborough and found to the “Clambake Seafood Restaurant”. Although this was not what we had intended, it was getting late and we were hungry. An obvious local’s joint-turned tourist trap establishment, this was quite the operation. It is a large restaurant that you order at a multi-station counter, find a place to sit, and then get your food when they call your number. There is also a bar in the center of the restaurant, which is where we chose to sit to avoid the crowded dining area, and where we could get a beer.

One of the best things about this restaurant is the view that overlooks a large marsh area (Scarborough Marsh) that buffers the Nonesuch River. It is not unlike those of Low Country South Carolina. It is a vast area and much of it is part of a park preserve and on the way back to the marina, we stopped and took a picture of this beautiful and rather large area.

Thursday (8/12) – Spring Point Marina, Portland, Maine

In the morning Denise went for a short walk initially, which turned into a much longer walk and adventure. What started out as “what were those lights we saw last night” (patio lights at a local pub), to “let’s go check out the pier on the other side of the marina”. This prompted another walk through parts of the SMCC campus, and out to the pier. Here she encountered a photographer who was trying to get photos of a young osprey in a nest. He explained that he had been watching the bird try to fly for weeks, and any day now he will take off. Meanwhile, the parent kept encouraging it to flee the nest. Sounds like some people we know who still have their adult children living at home.

Once back on the boat it was mostly a work day and get prepared to leave for tomorrow’s journey back to Vinalhaven in Penobscot Bay. Mark wanted to go back to Seal Bay on the eastern shore, where we had been in 2017. It is a beautiful place and we looked forward to spending more time there.

Throughout the last few weeks, we had been in communication with Back Cove. We wondered if there was anyone else that had put as many miles on their boat as we have (now at 22,000). Mark had been emailing with the National Sales Manager (Jaime Bloomquist) and when he learned we would be in Maine this summer he said he wanted to meet up with us. Although not originally planning to go to Rockland, he set up a meeting for next week and then made reservations at the Rockland Landing Marina for a few days stay. Rockland is a short distance from Vinalhaven so it made sense to go there after an overnight at Seal Bay.

In the evening we met with Joyce & Peter (”Grey Swan”) on their boat for happy hour. They have been docked behind us for the last few days and we have been exchanging pleasantries and short conversations. It was fun to talk with them and share boating stories about places we have been. Afterwards we returned to our boat and Captain Mark grilled us up some delicious hamburgers, and God provided a beautiful sunset to end our stay in South Portland.

One final note: Effective immediately, we have disabled the ability to comment on this site due to the large amount of span we are receiving. If you wish to reach us, feel free to send an email.

Comments Off on South Portland Hiatus!

Posted in Maine 2021

Tagged Great Chebeague Island, Portland, South Portland

Great Chebeague – Big Nothing!

Posted on August 17, 2021 | Comments Off

**Port Clyde to Great Chebeague Island**

Thursday (8/5) – Great Chebeague Island – near Portland, Maine

Although wanting to stay and explore more of this great town (Port Clyde), we knew we had to move closer to Portland and do so before the weather was forecasted to turn against us. We had made plans to get to Great Chebeague Island in Casco Bay, but had several bailout locations planned in case it got too rough. The wind was out of the northeast and (hopefully) blocked mostly by the land, with the waves behind us. However, rain and fog were also expected, therefore we headed out in less than ideal conditions.

The main reason for going back west and to Portland was because Mark had to fly to see a NJ client on Sunday afternoon. In the past, he flew out of Bangor, we got a rental car in Belfast, and Denise stayed on the boat there. But this has not been an ordinary year, and flights times in Bangor were awful and were very expensive when seats were available. Instead, he secured more favorable rates out of Portland and we made plans for the boat and Denise to stay in Rockland. This would enable more time on the Penobscot Bay when he returned from the trip. However, getting a rental car was impossible, and the U-Haul van he did manage to rent still required Denise to make two, 2-hour round trips to take him and pick him up in Portland. Finally, we decided it was just better to take the boat to Portland, stay there, and then come back to the area after the trip.

With this in mind, we left our mooring in Port Clyde just after 8:00 am to make the 40+ miles to Great Chebeague Island. As we left the harbor, we passed Hupper Island to our right, and got a glimpse of the summer home of Justice John Roberts (of SCOTUS). It is now more like a compound as he purchased two homes next to each other, both from Steve Thomas (of PBS’ “This Old House”) over a period of 10 years.

Making our way through the channel and out the inlet we immediately hit fog and some light rain. However, the waves were not bad and we were able to cruise along, negotiating lobster pots along the way. The worst was the 10 miles crossing Muscongus Bay, until we rounded Pemaquid Point. Then we were able to run between rock islands near Boothbay Harbor. Again it was a little bouncy as we crossed the Sheepscot River and by the time we rounded Cape Small things had settled down. By 10:00 we knew we would make it to our destination for the evening and would be able to make Portland on Friday, even if the weather was bad. Finally we approached Great Chebeague Island and could see the numerous boats already on moorings.

It was still somewhat foggy, but we had clear visibility and could see Little John and Cousins Island to our right. We found an open mooring ball from the Great Chebeague Inn and hooked up to it for our evening stay. There are only 8 and they do not take reservations; they are on a FCFS basis, so we felt lucky we got one of the remaining balls.

Shortly after we arrived, a Sabre (“Nightingale”) pulled up onto one of the moorings. We knew this boat from pictures we had seen on the BC/Sabre Facebook Page. However, due to weather, we did not venture off the boat to go meet them. They launched their dinghy and went to shore, then returned back not long thereafter, but did not stop as it was raining. We never did get to meet them.

It was raining off and on all morning and into the early afternoon, so we hunkered down and stuck to work, working on blogs and tentative future itineraries. We had good cell signal and therefore were able to communicate with the outside world. This allowed us to be productive, all the while wiping the rain from our boat leaks. We will definitely be addressing this in the coming days when in Portland.

We watched another boat come in and pick up the last mooring ball for the inn, then shortly thereafter the hotel launch boat came and picked them up. It was pretty obvious they were going to dinner at the Inn, and we had investigated this option as well. However, the restaurant was sold-out for the night, so it would be dinner on board for us. That was ok as the place has a reputation for very expensive dinners, for which you are paying for the sunset view. Even though the rain had stopped, it was still cloudy and overcast and therefore it would not be worth it on a night like tonight. However, in the process we did learn that the hotel did in fact have a launch that could come and pick us up. Even still, we were not enthusiastic about getting off the boat; we had decided to wait until tomorrow morning when things would be much nicer.

Throughout the day we watched the ferry come and go just off our stern. The channel into the dock ran not far from our boat, and every time they went by (about 1 per hour) they would rock our boat. We hoped they would stop in the evening, but unfortunately, they continued until after 9 pm.

Friday (8/6) – Park A – Great Chebeague Island – near Portland, Maine

It was a beautiful morning when we woke up, with a little bit of fog that soon dissipated by the time the ferry had made its second appearance. Since we had a very short trip into Portland, we were not in any hurry to get underway today. We did however, wish to explore the island a little bit before heading out. So after breakfast we launched the dinghy and headed over to the town dock, shared by the ferry. We even timed our arrival so that we would beat the arrival of the next ferry and not have to deal with their wake on the dock when trying to tie up our dinghy.

Ferry terminal and dinghy dock at Great Chebeague Island

When we arrived at the dinghy dock, we quickly learned there was very limited space for visiting dinghies. The majority of the dock was for lobsterman and islanders. As we arrived there were some locals there who directed us to where we could tie up, and then told us about the dock fee which is strictly enforced. We had no knowledge of this as there is nothing in Active Captain, and if we had we would have taken the launch offered by the inn. Upon further investigation we saw the sign and the fee box, with instructions on how to pay online. After Captain Mark got us all paid up, we set about to hike up the hill to the Inn; we wanted to pay our mooring ball fee for the night.

The road is a long slow incline to the top of the hill where the inn sits, overlooking the thoroughfare between Great Chebeague and the islands to the west (Little John and Cousins Islands). It’s a beautiful sight and on this morning it provided us an opportunity to get some great pictures of the water, islands and the Chebeague Inn.

Once at the inn we checked in at the front desk to pay the fee, and we were initially told it was $75/night; $25/night if you are staying at the inn. We were surprised to hear this and complained that there is nothing in any of the information that states this, and in fact it says it is free if you eat at the restaurant. We later learned this is no longer true either. After we told her that we could have very easily just left the mooring this morning and they would not have collected anything, the hotel clerk relented and took our $25. Afterwards, we walked around the hotel to see this old but lovely inn.

After our visit at the inn, we walked up the main road to get some exercise and to see some of the houses on the island. Besides the inn, there is pretty much nothing else on this island except summer homes and rental properties, and the eastern shore beach was too far to walk. It was a bit buggy and it was getting hot, so after about a mile we turned around and went back to the dock and got in our dinghy. We headed back to the boat just before the next ferry took off so we did not have to worry about their inevitable wake when in our dinghy. We are glad we stopped here for the night, but agreed that unless you plan to eat at the inn, there is no reason to come back.