August 10 thru 13 - Tenant’s Harbor, ME to Camden, ME (Wayfarer Marine & Camden Town Docks)

A day ago, in Rockland, I had noticed tall hills in the distance, and as we neared Camden Harbor there they were, the Camden Hills to greet us and pull us in…with the binoculars you could see folks climbing around like ants near the cleared summit.

We had been here two years before by car from the invite of Rod and Nancy whose sailboat we embarked and headed out for a few days to Vinalhaven.  That trip was my first sailboat adventure and my first anchoring experience.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  The wind was weak so i was never able to feel the wind take a good hold and speed us through the waters….

But anyway, I was glad to be back and we were assigned our mooring through Wayfarer Marine and we settled in.  The waters were choppy and we felt we were too near the harbor channel with lots of traffic that did not slow down… so we rocked and rolled so that we could barely stand up in our own boat.  Traveled in for dinner, needless to say.

Bow view

Stern view (well, depending on how the wind blows)

kid's sailboats

dinghy to dinner shot

August 11

Sleeping was very difficult last night, we rolled so much so that i was half nauseated throughout the night.  Now that’s pretty bad when the mooring is so rough that it makes you sick.  So as soon as we could we dinghyed in to take refuge at the library and take the opportunity to use good internet and get caught up on emails.  While in town Harry inquired at the Town Docks about a possible slip due to the roughness of the mooring.  Camden has very few town docks and yet he was delighted when the harbor master thought he may be able to squeeze us in for a night.  Delighted we headed back to the boat to bring her in closer to town and hopefully get a good night's sleep!  The day was ugly and the forecast even worse, so we were very glad to be in a slip.  Later i went back to the library (they have a wonderful, cozy, lovely library) picked up a stack of magazines (Wired, Down East, Maine, Utne, The New Yorker, and People) and just had the best time snuggled in a big comfy chair, with a table for all my stuff and tons to read…i was in heaven and such a perfect place to be since it was pouring outside….Harry was not allowed to come to the library with me.  It was ‘me’ time, plus he could never have sat still that long.  

Back on the boat you could see the fog moving in and the clouds forming - a storm was on its way they said.  Well before the storm arrived the clouds and sun were showing off all their beautiful tricks - a show for all those who cared to look up and appreciate it.  

The Long Grain, Thai restaurant came highly recommended but we could not get a table so we decided to order take out and eat on the boat…so we both ran into town and while there the skies proceeded to show off and were now throwing out the strangest orange/yellow color - you know that color before something bad happens like a tornado?  that kinda color….as i was walking to the Long Grain for the pick up (Harry’s waiting at a bar) a policeman tells me, ‘take cover it’s coming….’  but i think i can make it in and out before it hits and i do and I make it back to this nice bar where we are stuck (oh poor us - we have to have a drink).  I take a picture of this wonderful sky with Harry’s phone - but HA!! did not come out.  Again, it’s fun to watch a storm come in ONLY if you are safely in a slip.  

August 12 

We planned to leave today but look what’s lingering?

As we go in town we start to hear about how bad the weather was last night, especially for the boats in the mooring field.  The harbor master and another staffer said it was the roughest it’s been in years in the outer harbor (where we were before we moved into slip).  One staffer mentioned 6-8 swells in the harbor!!  They were pulling boats into the marina’s fuel dock area, some pulled their boats out on the hard and some the staffers said some folks never called in so they left them out there.  OMG, we were SO lucky to have inquired about a slip in the town harbor!!  SO LUCKY!  So so lucky. 

so we spend another day in town.  While the fog played mostly out in the harbor and at sea we played and had fun in town.  Ate lunch at Cuzzy’s and visited shops and bookstores…..soon the fog burned off and a pretty day ensued.

August 13

Preparing to leave we are overcome by boats full of pirates! The yacht club or children’s sailing club was having a pirate’s day, going from boat to boat looking for their treasure.  Such a cute sight. 

It’s cool this morning and here is Harry (looking not so cool) in his brand new wind breaker he’s so proud of that cost 14.95 and he’s also sporting his brand new hat that he’s so proud of that cost 5 bucks!   HA! I just realized from my pictures that i look even worse….it’s lonely at sea so hopefully no one will see us.   I can’t believe I'm sharing..but… 

Bye beautiful Camden Hills.  I never ventured up to the state park due to the weather…but just having the hills near us was comforting.  It’s been very flat until now and i enjoyed their company.

It was a bittersweet decision but FINALLY is not going further down east - we are headed back, slow and easy...feeling a mix of emotions, sad, anxious, excited.....