The Charter Connection Blog

Bold Island was just as beautiful in the morning! We motored through the Thorofare, past Stonington, which is a busy fishing harbor and not a good choice for an overnight - the lobster boats will have you awake before dawn!

The coast of Maine is a perfect cruising ground as it is possible to choose a number of relatively sheltered passages between the huge number of islands, without entering the ocean. From Deer Isle, we headed across to the narrow Fox Isle Thorofare, which divides Vinalhaven and North Haven, two lovely islands with all kinds of anchorages if you have time to linger. We stopped briefly at the yard in North Haven for fuel, then on to Muscle Ridge Channel.

There’s an anchorage either side of Birch Island just east of the channel, with more beaches and an old granite quarry. The kids loved to collect sea urchins and sing to the shells of snails and crabs to get them to come out. Yes, it does work! They also enjoyed hunting for small pieces of granite worn into the shape of a heart and came back with a bag full.

The weather again co-operated for our last night and we enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner under the stars. A perfect night.

Next day, the wind freshened slightly from the SW, but it was a relatively smooth ride offshore in 4′ seas and brilliant sunshine. We were back in Wiscasset by mid afternoon.

A yacht charter is a wonderful way to see the Maine coast, because so many of the attractions are offshore. We were on a fast motor yacht, but it would be perfectly possible to do a one way charter covering the same area in 7 nights on a sailboat.

Late August and September are the best months to cruise in Maine. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site and tell us about your plans.

See also ‘Day 1 and 2′ and ‘Day 3 and 4′.

Bucks Harbor is a pretty, well protected cove. It has an active sailing club with a popular kids program. Bucks Harbor Marine have several moorings (the $30 charge includes the use of a welcome shower), as well as fuel and friendly staff.

The weather was again calm and we enjoyed the shear beauty of Maine as we motored down Eggemoggin Reach and past Swan Island. As we rounded Great Gott Island, the hills of Mount Desert came into view and we headed up to Southwest Harbor, home of Hinckley Yachts.

Even with the slowdown of the boat building industry, there were plenty of spectacular yachts in every harbor we visited. We anchored in Valley Cove, a short distance up Somes Sound, for lunch. This Sound is the closest thing to a Fjord that we have on the East Coast and is worth the detour.

After looking at more beautiful yachts in Northeast Harbor, we headed out to sea, and motored up the eastern side of the island to Bar Harbor for the night.

This touristy town has it’s own charm. There are plenty of interesting stores that stay busy even late in the evening, and a wide variety of restaurants, bars and nightlife.

The next day we explored the town but by mid afternoon were ready to head to a quieter anchorage for the night. Bold Island, just off the Deer Island Thoroughfare was perfect, and the grandchildren particularly enjoyed the beautiful shell beaches on the small islands that surround this lovely spot.

We know the coast of Maine well and can help you explore this beautiful cruising ground. Call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site and tell us about your plans.

See also ‘Day 1 and 2′ and ‘Day 5 and 6′.

Friday afternoon, we left Wiscasset for a 5 night mini vacation on the Maine Coast.

Motoring down the beautiful Sheepscot River, we passed through the busy swing bridge to Southport Island and headed out past Boothbay Harbor. Our destination that night was Christmas Cove, on the next peninsula. We took a mooring and enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Coveside Restaurant.

In the 1980/90s we based our Norrad Sailing School at Coveside. Ed and his instructors spent many hours sailing daysailers in this area, in all kinds of conditions. I remember one group of students who arrived in thick fog. We spent the day sailing around the inner harbor and it was only when the fog lifted that afternoon that they realized they had spent the day cris-crossing such a tiny area - they thought they had sailed miles!

It was wonderful to see the restaurant flourishing and that so many of the dinner guests were from boats cruising the area. This is definitely a popular hang out, so you do need reservations.

Saturday was calm. We wanted to spend as much time as possible Down East, so we headed offshore, missing Muscongus Bay, although you could spend a couple of days exploring the islands and harbors in this bay.

After passing through Muscle Ridge Channel, we headed up to Camden, where we were lucky enough to find a dock close to the popular Waterfront Restaurant. After a delicious lunch, we walked around the town. Later that afternoon, we headed up to Islesboro, with its beautiful mansions and spectacular yachts. Penobscot Bay is a fabulous place to sail, with plenty of wide open water, yet is relatively protected from ocean swells. The cruising yachtsman has some interesting harbors to visit, both on the mainland and the islands. After passing historic Castine, we entered Eggemoggin Reach and moored for the night at Bucks Harbor.

The coast of Maine is our back yard, so if you are considering a yacht charter to explore this beautiful cruising ground, call us at 800 621 7855, email us, or contact us through the Ed Hamilton & Co site and tell us about your plans.

See also ‘Day 3 and 4′ and ‘Day 5 and 6′.

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