Maine and Northern Mass next Summer?

JK_Boston_Catalina310 · Dec 17, 2012

Sounds Like a Great Cruise

We sail in the Boston Area. Last year we did a weekend trip up to Gloucester Harbor. It was a great time. We stayed in the Cape Ann Marina in the Blymann Canal. It was a great place. Nice marina, good restaurants in the area and even an indoor pool.

The mooring in the Anisquam River is a great offer!! If I had that offer I would plan to spend at least two days on it. The mouth of the river is the closest thing I have ever seen to the Caribbean in the North East. White sand beaches. Lots of people hanging out on boats and dinghying to shore. I attached a picture of our group hanging out on shore.

A good provisioning stop is Hingham Shipyard Marina (our home marina). There are two super markets, three marina supply stores, a Lowes, 5 restaurants and all kinds of other stores within walking distance to the marina. Slips are a little pricey but there are some good anchorages (next to Grape Island) within dinghy range. Moorings probably aren't too bad. There is also a free pump out boat in the area.

After Cape Ann, I would go to the Isle of Shoals and Portsmouth, NH. I would skip Newburyport and the Merrimack River. While the area is really nice, the current is extremely strong. Also, there are many boaters in the area and a lot of them don't know what they are doing. The area can be dangerous and just an overall hassle.

From there, I can't be of any more help. I haven't gone into Maine, yet. That is our plan for this summer.

Fair winds and maybe we will see you up there.

Jesse

dscribner · Dec 17, 2012

Mulf,

I've never sailed past Isle of Shoals so I can't comment on NH or Mass, but if you come to Maine, we have 3000 miles of coastline with a plethora of quiet bayands inlets, secluded estuaries and working harbors. The tidal flows at the rivers' mouths can cause a little trouble but even my 25 footer with an 8 hp kicker has had no problem making headway, no matter where we go. If you're serious about experiencing "life, the way it should be" pick up a cruising guide by the Tafts. It's full of all sorts or whit and wisdom on cruising our rock-bound coast. A few of your favorites are Sequin Island, Damariscove Island, Stover Cove and Port Clyde. We haven't quite made the hop to Vinylhaven but maybe this year. Be sure to have your foulies handy because if you don't like Maine weather . . . wait a minute.

Don

chuckwayne · Dec 17, 2012

Mulf,
Hope you can come up! I'd be careful about the Anisquam-it has a lot of shifting sandbars and shallow spots-might be tight for a 41. The taft guide is a great resource, and when you get closer to making detailed plans let me know and I'd be happy to talk specifics about Maine-fantastic people and cruising! If you get up towards Portland and the timing works, we run activities all season and we can connect.
Chuck Wayne
Commodore, Maine Hunter Sailing Association

CarlN · Dec 17, 2012

You won't need a bow thruster - not many marinas. This is a land of moorings and anchoring out. You need a good dinghy and bring a kayak if you own or can borrow one.

Have a good radar reflector. I assume you have a chartplotter. Radar is really helpful but I cruised Maine for 20 years without it.

It's really hard to enjoy Maine in a week if that includes the time to get there and back. Try to find two weeks. Try also to go as late in the summer as possible. You can have fog anytime but July can be pretty tough. Don't even think about June.

Consider an overnight sail to get to Maine. When southerly winds and clear skies are forecast, leave Cape Ann in the afternoon. You'll have a wonderful night under the stars and reach the the promised cruising land of Penobscot Bay the next morning. Spend a week in Penobscot Bay (you'll only have time to see about 1/4 of the best spots) and then spend a week working home upwind through equally wonderful areas.

The thing that will shock you is the incredible number of lobster pots. It's not a problem offshore but near harbors it's a constant navigation challenge. They say you can walk across some harbors by jumping from buoy to buoy

Just remember that the rope is always upwind/up-current from the buoy. You can go as close as you want to the buoy on the down-wind/down-current side without fouling anything.

Carl

shorty · Dec 18, 2012

A week will get you here & back. Sounds like you're retired. Give it 1/2 of August & 1/2 Sept. Sept sailing in Maine is the BEST. Clear air, fresh breezes, fewer boats. Yes, get the Taft's book. Also look at http://www.maineboats.com/online?filter0=212

Solstice · Dec 18, 2012

All of the above advice is spot on. We sail out of Boston and do a 2-3 week cruise to Maine every other season (we go south to Buzzards Bay and beyond in opposite seasons). Gloucester and the Annisquam are fine stops, however Manchester is quite close and given your short time frame, I would suggest jumping off from Manchester. Isle of Shoals and Pepperell Cove are good stopping points. But you will have to decide if you want to do the overnight jump to get far enough North and then work your way back, or harbor hop to probably as far as the Portland area (we like Handy's just north of Portland and the Harrasekett, home of LL Bean) when we don't go to Pen Bay.
As far as tides, what's important here is not depth concerns, but speed. You want to be aware of tide direction when travelling. The water is deep (except in the Annisquam) and a favorable tide is your friend. Ditto on the comment on the pots--you will be amazed! Forget about slips anywhere north of Portland, most mooring fields have launch service if you don't feel like using the Dink. As others have mentioned, Taft's is a must!
We usually go end of July/first week of August. Trade off is a bit more fog, but more daylight as opposed to September where the opposite is usually true....hope this helps...

Tim R. · Dec 18, 2012

shorty said:
A week will get you here & back. Sounds like you're retired. Give it 1/2 of August & 1/2 Sept. Sept sailing in Maine is the BEST. Clear air, fresh breezes, fewer boats. Yes, get the Taft's book. Also look at http://www.maineboats.com/online?filter0=212

+1

bffatcat · Dec 18, 2012

the annisquam

I have sailed out of Marblehead MA since 1968 Its about 3 kn south of Manchester

About the Annisquam its no big deal just stay in the channel. If you`re squeamish about it
you can always get to lobster cove by sailing around cape ann A nice scenic sail just
a few km longer than the annisquam

Rick486 · Dec 19, 2012

Mulf said:
Our youngest son has settled in Manchester by the Sea Massachusetts. Manchester has a georgeous little harbour a 1/4 mile walk from his house. We are considering sailing up there next summer, and also continuing on around Cape Ann into Maine. I've been reading about the currents in the rivers up that way and it sounds intimidating compared to the whopping 2' tides on the Chesapeake. Our Hunter 410, Dreamboat has a fixed three blade prop on her Yanmar 50hp so I've got plenty of oomph but no bow thruster. We've also got a generator and will have 150' of new chain by then so anchoring out is fine. We will likely stop in Manchester Mass for a week or more, then take a week or so to go up to Maine and back to Manchester. My son's inlaws belong to the Anisquam River Yacht Club and we've been offered a mooring there if we go by. Not sure about that river entrance. We've been to Rockport by land and that looks like a nice stop. We would like to see what you can only see by boat. I would welcome your input on such a trip and suggestions as to itinerary.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a Healthy New year. Bruce Mulford aka Mulf, s/v Dreamboat

I've been through the Annisquam a number of times in both directions. In addition to being a charming stop it saves time and distance, especially headed south. Most especially when the current is foul rounding the Dry Salvages. Having said that several cautions:
1. Heading in either direction you must contend with the bridge opening, which is on demand or at the operator's whim, at the south end. Best to go against the current near high tide since you likely will have to back and fill in tight quarters. Also watch your masthead going under.
2. There is a blind corner at an abandoned bridge in the lower area of the river. Boats coming down the river have the right of way.
3. The Annisquam River YC moorings are at the edge of the channel near the north end of the river. Remember the tides are around 9 ft up there and the current rips by those moorings with some velocity. I've been on one of those moorings in the past and I would not do it again, but as said in one of the posts, it is a beautiful spot up there.
4. Read about Rockport in the cruising guides. I've never been in there but it looks a bit complicated and certainly wide open to anything with East in it.

Having said all that, you will have a great cruise.

Maine and Northern Mass next Summer?

.

.

Attachments

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.