ME - Where do Hobie sailors sail in Maine

I'm moving to Maine and would like to know if there are many Hobie Cats up that way. Is there an area where most of the Hobie sailors congregate, such as Hobie clubs with regular races? I like the smaller Hobies like the Wave, Hobie 14, and 16. Maine is such a big state with plenty of water but I'm interested in finding the Hobie sailors. Any suggestions?

I've been sailing my 14 on Great Pond in Belgrade. Just bought a 16 and I'll be looking for places to sail next summer I have not the brass to try the coastal waters yet.

I don’t think sailing on the open Gulf of Maine would be a good idea with any Hobie. My wife wants me to make sure that a protected bay would be safe. I’m thinking of Frenchman’s Bay, which is somewhat protected by the Porcupine Islands that run from Bar Harbor to a shoulder of Schoodic Point, this is the bay inland of Mount Desert Island aka Acadia National Park, and north east of both. It has 11 foot tides so beaching the boat will be interesting.

Sebago Lake used to be the Hobie hot spot in Maine. Whether there are still any sailors there I don't know. The nearest fleet now is Fleet 448 in Rhode Island.

Run a search in the forums for "Maine" and you'll find several threads involving Maine.

Ocean sailing in Maine is cold, even in the summer. Water temperature is never very warm. Shores at mainly unforgiving rock, and tide range is a lot with strong currents because of this. Fog is not uncommon.

Jim Clark-Dawe

"Back in the day"... 70s-80s there was great Hobie racing on the new england beaches, including Old Orchard and Pine Point in Maine.. There were near 100 boats at one Old Orchard Beach regatta I attended.
I'm not aware of any organized Hobie sailing these days.

There are few useable beach launches on the ocean. You might find the lakes nice, because the low glacier scoured terrain allows the winds to flow smoothly aside from cold fronts. Lakes can be warm, large, bug-infested, but not always jammed with motorized morons at least at the remoter ones.

This yearning for sailor togetherness is so the opposite of the Maine I grew up in. We had a lakeside cottage where we never ever thought to speak to neighbors 20 feet away on one side. Dad planted a dense row of trees between. On the other side was the only sailboat I saw on the lake except for a sunken one I found and sailed. They motored but never sailed theirs, and I never asked them about it but rather got library books on how to sail. They were rumored to be upset with an innocent stunt we kids did, so conversation was rare and with icey correctness. Maine motto used to be: good fences make good neighbors, and it did lead to a more serene life than I have had elsewhere.

Alas, this is a sad old thread. I fear I am the last, or close to it, hobie cat sailing Sebago Lake. Sebago was full of them years ago.

We just moved to the area. I am considering sailing a Hobie again, so Sebago Lake is on the radar. I sailed a Hobie 14 for years in Wisconsin. I would love to know if there are any ideal places to launch and/or other details about Sebago Lake.

Depends on where you are around the lake. I am fortunate to live on the water, so I put mine I and leave them on the beach oe dock.
Senago is great sailing. 8 to 12 most days. It can come up gusty, shifty and 5 to 6 ft chop quick. I enjoy the challenge and occasionally get caught off guard and end up swimming. No big deal. I solo my 16 and 18 all the time.
Hope this helps.