We arrived in Bass Harbor, Maine yesterday afternoon just after 5:00 pm after a pleasant sail over from Camden where we had spent the previous night. We had made “landfall” in Camden the previous day after a 32 hour journey across the Gulf of Maine from Provincetown, MA. The weather for the crossing was benign, although with no moon it was one dark night. We encountered numerous fishing boats working the banks in the Gulf and had to alter course to stay out of their way. Commercial fishermen have the right of way on the water and it was incumbent on us to avoid them. The idea is that they are dragging nets or lines and are not as maneuverable as we are. The same does not go for sport fishermen by the way. They are just ordinary motor vessels and are not considered “vessels engaged in fishing.” As an aside, at the halfway point we were about 40 miles from land, which was about the farthest out we have been on the entire trip. It was actually somewhat comforting to be out there with other boats.
Now we are bobbing comfortably on a mooring just off the Morris Yachts docks. Tomorrow we are going to take Gryphon over to the docks to have some checks done and to discuss the service work that will be required next. Other things like laundry and cleaning the boat will need to be done as well before we leave to fly back to Florida this weekend. Tonight we met some friends from Venice who were staying in Bar Harbor and we dinghied ashore to meet them and go out to dinner. We drove over to Thurston’s, a local lobster pound here in Bass Harbor. We all had lobsters with potato salad and cole slaw. You cannot believe how good it was.
Though we are here at the end of the journey, keep checking the blog. We will be posting more photos and impressions of things we have seen along the way.
Not all who depart are destined to arrive.