Maine is open to visiting sailors in 2021.

[TomY]

Our governor has lifted travel restrictions:

Effective March 5: Travel from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island are exempted from Maine’s test or quarantine requirement, joining Vermont and New Hampshire. People who have either had COVID-19 in the previous 90 days, or are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, regardless of state of origin, are now exempted from Maine’s test or quarantine requirement. Federal requirements related to international travel, however, remain in effect.

Effective May 1: Shift Maine’s COVID-19 travel policy to automatically exempt all states unless otherwise determined by the Maine CDC. If one or more states see a spike in cases of highly contagious COVID-19 variants, Maine will apply its test or quarantine requirement to travelers to and from that state.

Common sense health protocols will remain (distancing, masks, #'s allowed in restaurants, etc) but these light restrictions hardly effect anyone on a sailboat cruising in Maine. Vaccines are rolling out here; we both get our first jab this week in the 60-70 group now open.

Your vaccine certificate will be your passport in 2021.

Anyone planning to cruise on the coast of Maine in 2021?

 

[jon hansen]

i have been vaccinated, yippee! however, will not be coming to maine Tom. if Canada were to open i would go georgian bay. if not, sailing lake michigan is always great.

 

[TomY]

i have been vaccinated, yippee! however, will not be coming to maine Tom. if Canada were to open i would go georgian bay. if not, sailing lake michigan is always great.

That's ok, Jon. I'll do the Maine sailing for you, you do the Lake Michigan sailing for me, and we'll both take photos and post them here. Congrats on getting vaccinated.

This is where we watched the above sunset from, last season: Always socially distanced

 

[PaulK]

We're thinking about it. Have friends in Biddeford, Portland, Topsham, Orr's, Camden, Winslow, Deer Isle, Hancock, and Salerno who need visiting!

 

[Ward H]

Might have a chance to crew on a trip to Maine this summer. Excited about the possibility!

 

[chuckwayne]

we'll be cruising Maine this summer - as usual! Escape lives in Falmouth, 45 minutes from our home in York. We're putting together a club flotilla for the end of July - following all the rules, of course. We'll sail together, but unless things really improve our shoreside activities will be very limited

 

[dLj]

@TomY Maine is still on my hot list for sailing this summer. I got my first shot about a week ago, second one in two weeks, then I'll be set! Yeah!

dj

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Was planning on it this year, but now it'll have to wait until I get my next boat.
(It's time to sell when someone offers your asking price, no contingencies.)

 

[All U Get]

Are the bugs in abundance?

 

[dLj]

Are the bugs in abundance?

Isn't Black Fly Season like Mid-May to Mid-June or something like that? Are those the critters you're asking about? I know they are pesky in the woods, not sure how bad they are on the water.

dj

 

[TomY]

Isn't Black Fly Season like Mid-May to Mid-June or something like that? Are those the critters you're asking about? I know they are pesky in the woods, not sure how bad they are on the water.

dj

Black flies are largely an inland problem. We don't get them on the coast. In my area, we're fairly mosquito-free. They usually come out at dusk but last season (due to a drought) we didn't use our screens many nights.

There are pockets of heavier mosquitos usually due to some local swampy or otherwise conducive area.

Moose flies on the other hand give you a heart attack just by landing on your arm.

 

[dLj]

Black flies are largely an inland problem. We don't get them on the coast. In my area, we're fairly mosquito-free. They usually come out at dusk but last season (due to a drought) we didn't use our screens many nights.

There are pockets of heavier mosquitos usually due to some local swampy or otherwise conducive area.

Moose flies on the other hand give you a heart attack just by landing on your arm.

Never heard of Moose flies. Do they have a season? I'll have to Google them - this is the first time I've heard of them.

dj

p.s. are these known also as deer flies? Or do you have another one up in Maine that beats the deer fly?

 

[TomY]

Never heard of Moose flies. Do they have a season? I'll have to Google them - this is the first time I've heard of them.

dj

p.s. are these known also as deer flies? Or do you have another one up in Maine that beats the deer fly?

No deer flies out there. I lived in rural Vermont for decades. I hated those things.

I don't know the scientific name but these are just big horse flies and they season the same as mosquitos. They are not that common, like the green heads down south, but you may find a few most anywhere.

The bite is the same as any horsefly and they don't come on swarms. They're a little slow and easy to swat. It can be a shock when you see the size!

In most of the Penobscot Bay area, and east and west of it, it's pretty arid along the coast and the prevailing breeze makes mosquitos less of a nuisance than many coasts I've sailed.

But we've been attacked by clouds on a few occasions in a few well known areas to have them.

 

[dLj]

No deer flies out there. I lived in rural Vermont for decades. I hated those things.

I don't know the scientific name but these are just big horse flies and they season the same as mosquitos. They are not that common, like the green heads down south, but you may find a few most anywhere.

The bite is the same as any horsefly and they don't come on swarms. They're a little slow and easy to swat. It can be a shock when you see the size!

In most of the Penobscot Bay area, and east and west of it, it's pretty arid along the coast and the prevailing breeze makes mosquitos less of a nuisance than many coasts I've sailed.

But we've been attacked by clouds on a few occasions in a few well known areas to have them.

Yes, I grew up with deer flies - they are terrible!

I recall sailing in the Georgian bay and when the sun went down the mosquitos swarmed onto us! It was like someone turned on a switch.

Years ago two buddies and I canoed into James Bay. We were camped on the side of the Moose river one night, it was a chilly night and we were watching the Northern Lights - stunning! I was wearing a tee shirt, long sleeved shirt over that, a flannel shirt over that with a sheepskin vest. The mosquitos were biting through all those layers of clothing in every part of me not covered with the vest... My buddies and I had to finally go inside the tents and forego the celestial light display commenting that we were afraid the mosquitos might band together, pick us up and carry us off into the woods for dinner...

Moose flies don't sound like I'd want any first hand knowledge of how they bite..

dj

 

[sailme88]

Black flies are largely an inland problem. We don't get them on the coast. In my area, we're fairly mosquito-free. They usually come out at dusk but last season (due to a drought) we didn't use our screens many nights.

There are pockets of heavier mosquitos usually due to some local swampy or otherwise conducive area.

Moose flies on the other hand give you a heart attack just by landing on your arm.

The Maine Black Fly is the Town BIRD of Rangely.. Mosquitos on the other hand are the Town BIRD of Scarborough....
Biggest concern along the coast are ticks if you go ashore on a Maine Island Trails island for a hike.

 

[Bob S]

Never been to Maine by sea. We’ve been sailing basically within a 50 mile radius of home due to time. South coast NE is a beautiful cruising ground and it is extremely rare to be attacked by insects. At least that will make it out to an anchorage or mooring. Plenty of sand fleas on the beaches in Westport. I’ve used our screens a hand full of times in 13 years cruising.
That aside, the wife and I are both double vaccinated (no side affects) and would love to do a Maine cruise. I might be able to squeeze two week this summer. Any suggestions on an itinerary and month?
Tom, how long does it take you to make it to the CC canal?

 

[sailme88]

Never been to Maine by sea. We’ve been sailing basically within a 50 mile radius of home due to time. South coast NE is a beautiful cruising ground and it is extremely rare to be attacked by insects. At least that will make it out to an anchorage or mooring. Plenty of sand fleas on the beaches in Westport. I’ve used our screens a hand full of times in 13 years cruising.
That aside, the wife and I are both double vaccinated (no side affects) and would love to do a Maine cruise. I might be able to squeeze two week this summer. Any suggestions on an itinerary and month?
Tom, how long does it take you to make it to the CC canal?

I've made the CC canal transit a couple of times.. The Boston skyline rests on your port rail for what seems like a week.... We did a Plymouth to Portland non stop run in 15 hours and change.. and a New Bedford to Rockport for the night ( 12hrs) before heading for Portland (10hrs). Rye Harbor NH is an alternate, but due to the coast falling away to the west it really destroys your rumb line. From Cape Ann, to Cape Elizabeth it's probably close to 60nm on a course of 19 degrees...an easy run with the ever present summer sea breeze..

 

[TomY]

Never been to Maine by sea. We’ve been sailing basically within a 50 mile radius of home due to time. South coast NE is a beautiful cruising ground and it is extremely rare to be attacked by insects. At least that will make it out to an anchorage or mooring. Plenty of sand fleas on the beaches in Westport. I’ve used our screens a hand full of times in 13 years cruising.
That aside, the wife and I are both double vaccinated (no side affects) and would love to do a Maine cruise. I might be able to squeeze two week this summer. Any suggestions on an itinerary and month?
Tom, how long does it take you to make it to the CC canal?

Now that you mention it, we rarely saw even a mosquito in all our cruises to - and thru - Southern NE. Countless cockpit dinners inside Cuttyhunk Pond were bug
free.

Tom, how long does it take you to make it to the CC canal?

This has been a hot question on other forums and sailing media lately. Sailors are itching to take a few weeks off and 'get out of town'. I think we're going to see more visitors than usual here on the coast of Maine in season 2021. And you are welcome!

As long as the weather is agreeable, we like to allow 30-36 hours from Penobscot Bay to the Eastern end of the Cape Cod Canal. My favorite condition going down is wind on the nose, from 5 to 20 knots. That gives us easy sailing, not pinched up too tight, and a tack every few hours. More than likely you'll have a tail wind going the other way. That's not always as agreeable to sail as it sounds.

Most power the trip and you can do that (Sandwich to Pen-bay) in 24 hours.

Bring a good book for the crossing.

 

[TomY]

That aside, the wife and I are both double vaccinated (no side affects) and would love to do a Maine cruise. I might be able to squeeze two week this summer. Any suggestions on an itinerary and month?

On the itinerary: We made several 2 week cruises to Buzzards Bay, and back to Rockport, over several years. It was enough time. But I often made the crossing, both ways, solo, overnight. Weather could put you in a 'delivery' mode if your schedule is ridgid.

We usually skipped most everything between Buzzards Bay and Penobscot Bay to fit a comfortable cruise into our 2 weeks. But we also have cruised the whole coast years before.

Casco Bay is beautiful, we kept our (then) boat there for 2 seasons. And making that your destination would give you some breathing room on time.

Having said that, the convex nature of the coast puts Pen-bay only a few hours away, on the rhumb line.

As far as month, I'd pick August if you can for the best weather odds.

 

[Will Gilmore]

@TomY Maine is still on my hot list for sailing this summer. I got my first shot about a week ago, second one in two weeks, then I'll be set! Yeah!

dj

I'm on the same schedule. My second shot is coming right up and sailing the Maine coast has always been on my list of first places to take Dragonfly. I hope this is the season I get her in the water. I want to sail her to Matinicus. I'm working on a list of of sailing trips by region I'm calling the Trailer Mariner's 20-20 (twenty sails of at least twenty miles) for the Mariner Class Association and would like to personally test some of the recommended trips before they go on the list for the Northeast.

-Will (Dragonfly)