In summer of 2024, I visited Mount Desert Island in Maine. Two previous times I was there doing some serious boating. My first time, I was returning from a Nova Scotia sail crossing the Bay of Fundy in my 36 foot cutter, Hejira, and arriving in Bar Harbor (east side of MDI) to clear customs. My second time was meeting a 32 foot sloop heading home to Chesapeke Bay from Bass Harbor (southwest side). This summer trip was by auto and in a tourist cabin. This summer, as usual, it was filled with tourists but I managed to get some fine photos of many of her iconic sites.
In July, 2015, I joined a boat in East Blue Hill, Maine going back to the Chesapeake. She was newly launched after storage and fitting out, not so ready to go, and I had time to wander and photograph. First: this is a good look around the working site of Weber’s Cove Boatyard and a few of her people.
Then, below that is an intimate look at Damariscove. An enchanted place, we were the only visitors.
Traps out to set "Chasin Tail"
Work boats...and yachts....same skills
Catboat--new varnish..Up here, boats like this get indoor storage
Yes, shovel. They are year-round
Chatting up the fitting out...talkin' weather.
Damariscove Island is 5 miles off the mouth of the Damariscotta River, Maine. It has a small, safe harbor entered from the south. The island is barely 1500 meters wide but 2 miles long. It saw first Europeans (a fishing community) as early as 1604. In 1622, the Pilgrims sent a boat there begging for food and were amply supplied. Now, it has an abandoned life saving station and shacks for a caretaker and a chicken coop. You can see that it is a stopping off for lobstermen along this coast.
Shack, converted 'museum'
The harbor entrance
The old life saving station
Caretaker's shack
Front harbor
East side beach
back of the harbor
Yours truly, approaching Damariscove Island
Signed: yours truly