Mt Desert

Good morning everyone. We have started our week with a couple of good days sailing "down east". The winds have been wicked light but we managed to get 35 miles on Monday to Burnt Coat Harbor on Swans Island. Yesterday morning we pushed across to neighboring Frenchboro on Long Island where we hiked out to the back beach. Not that we haven't seen enough of the ocean but the view from the granite cliffs is extraordinary. The cobble and boulder beaches are not uncommon but are difficult to access in most places because of the wave action. The boulders on "Little Beach" have been tossed and polished for thousands of years. I had to place a ten pound limit on returning "souvenirs".

We were underway before lunch and headed off shore for Mt Desert Rock. This was our first trip out there this season. The "rock" is 13 miles from Frenchboro or about 18 miles from Southwest Harbor. Folks haven't been seeing many whales this year. Some fear over fishing has taken away the food source that has drawn them in years past to this place where a great upwelling of water is created by an offshore shelf the rises hundreds of feet from the ocean floor. Puffins were seen everywhere as soon as we cleared Frenchboro and we saw too many to count.

Gannets were also abundant. Later in the afternoon as we reached the rock we saw the first of many spouts.

And then "there she blows!" was shouted from the foredeck. Sure enough a finback whale was seen after several spouts of spray. There was also a minke whale feeding not too far from us, providing us many chances to run from port to starboard. It truely was an amazing day. A long tack back to shore and we were anchored at sunset at Little Cranberry Isle, one of our favorites. We'll see what tomorrow brings….definitely another day full of wonderful treasures.

Have a great day. Do well. Be good.

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