Casco Bay

 6/30- Jewell Island ME

   We have arrived in Casco Bay for sure. This is the land of lobster pots, rocks, and pine trees. We had plenty of lobster pots to avoid on the trip over. There was again no wind to be had so we motored. Having the autopilot was great for a while but when the lobster traps started getting close together we had to steer. 

The rocky shoreline of Jewell Island appeared as waves crashing over the rocks. It’s a little disconcerting to see waves breaking right where you are supposed to be headed. The anchorage here is lined by cliffs on one side and more rocks on the other. It is very narrow and boats can only anchor in a line down the middle. Fortunately it was a Monday and there were only a couple of other boats here. This is a very popular spot on the weekends with it being close by Portland. The ten foot tide makes it feel like you just slid down a crack somewhere. 

   We dinghied up to the beach and took a proper walk in the woods. This is the first time we’ve been walking in the woods since Maryland. This is a Maine Island Trail site and there are maintained trails and campsites on the island. We took a trail that led us to these old concrete towers that were used as lookouts in WW2. It was amazing that you were still able to climb inside these towers to get a great view of Casco Bay. 

   I’m not sure how much sleep I will get tonight as there are waves breaking on the rocks only a couple of hundred yards off my stern. It is not a sound that is all that soothing in this instance. 

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