I was very fortunate on many fronts during my stay and sail around Penobscot Bay. One of those strokes of good luck was being able to rent a small apartment from DougDNer for three weeks after my wife, Jim and Yvonne returned to Pa and Fl (respectively). It was a luxury to have a comfy place to stay and store my gear. Better yet was having another experienced sailor to help while I went through my final prep.
Doug had stressed that the beach wheels were very helpful / necessary for landing on the MITA islands and his encouragement convinced me to bring them along and forget the beach rollers. (I had also made a Haul Out system and planned to use that whenever possible.) I still hadn't used them, however, before shoving off. The night before leaving our discussion on wheel buoyancy and the difficulty of inserting the wheels under the boat led me to this plan; I would insert the axle assembly into the scupper holes (from the bottom) with only one wheel attached and then put the second wheel on the axle. I also let some air out of both tires to make them easier to submerge and attached cord loops around the axle pins to make them more secure in my hand. The plan worked like a charm!
After making my last minute preparations, I set out from Belfast for Butter Island about 1130 to coincide with the tide. Per MITA's handbook I had called the island caretaker the previous week and was given permission to stay for a few days - with the thought that I would island hop throughout the Bay for a week or two before returning. It was another bright sunny day, the winds were calm and I was looking forward to some enjoyable peddling. I started out in light gear since I was stripping off my jacket and pants after half an hour the last time launching out of Belfast.
The winds remained light out to the Monument (so light that I was thinking of starting my engine) and I recalled Doug's mention that often times there is a dead zone right there at the harbor mouth. Ten minutes later I was in 10 - 15 mph winds from the SW and ten minutes after that it was whitecaps. That darned spray got cold fast! Out came the dry pants and paddling jacket. My phone went into another dry bag - better to keep that safe - which I then lashed to the aka. The fun began in earnest.
I beat upwind toward and then past Ilseboro, keeping on the eastern side of it. The wind continued to build and with it the wind chop. I started the motor, peddled, and sailed with two turns on the mast. I ducked into coves to grab a few bites and admire the scenery. I felt really alive.
I stayed as close to Ilseboro as I could before crossing the open water toward Butter. It took an hour to reach the first of a string islands and with each tack I glanced over my shoulder trying to gauge how much more sunlight I had left. I was (finally) on a broad reach making 7 mph as I rounded the corner into the Orchard Beach cove. The sun was setting. I was pooped. I was back on land after 7 1/2 hours.
Two tents and 4 sea kayaks were already ashore as I started to unload. At low tide it was a hundred feet up the (relatively steep) beach. I inserted the wheels and rolled the TI onto the beach as best I could before sitting down to grab some more electrolyte and take a breather. Friendly shouts hailed me as my companions for evening (two couples from northern Maine) returned. Offers to help - something that I've encountered consistently in my kayaking experience - and brief introductions followed. I removed the AMAs (for the first time) and carried everything up to my campsite. I found my bilge pump and started to drain the TI - the nose and front hatch spent a lot of time in the water during the trip and there was about 5 inches of water visible in the mid hatch - before the hull was finally ready to tilt back and drain the remainder. With the help of Harold and Dan, we finally rolled it up the beach. I found some gorp, set my tent as I chomped a few mouthfuls and hit the hay.
I awoke to this
There are two campsites, both on the eastern side of Butter. The caretaker had suggested that I camp at Orchard since there would be fewer people there. The campsites are both spectacular.
My camping companions were fascinating folks; four teachers who were also mountain rescue folks in the Mt. Katahdin/ Sunday River area. They're the folks who get called in when someone is lost in that wilderness and folks I'd want to be with in an emergency. In mid-career, three of them decided to become nurses. Very cool.
As they packed up and left after a relaxed breakfast I began to go through my gear. My phone had drowned - the drybag closure had been pulled open after having a few waves roll over the deck. ARGH. I had no way to reach my wife to find out her plans to return to Maine . While I've rectified that now, trading my SPOT in for a Garmin InReach, it meant that I'd have to get a new phone pretty quickly. I decided to spend the next day on the island but then return to Belfast to replace the phone. "Something waterproof, thanks..."
Butter Island is one of the larger in the area and it has a 155 ft hill on it. I decided to take a walk up to it's summit that morning and this is what it looked like as I approached from Orchard Beach.
Thomas D. Cabbot apparently was quite fond of the spot - no wonder! The bench and accompanying poem provide a little insight..
I was so taken with the view that I went back at sunset and again at sunrise. Very kind of the Cabbots to share the island. Thank you.
I hung around Butter for the day and met the caretaker as he made his rounds, and my fellow campers who were a group of sea kayakers camped at Nubble beach. This group has been making a trip into the area every year for the past 16 years. I can see why.