we got attacked on one trip entering Penn bay from the south, ironically as we were passing mosquito Island! They can be over an inch long and are hard to kill; one landed on our cockpit cushion and I nailed him with an electric flyswatter, watched him spark and burn for maybe 20 seconds while my crew got his topsider off and beat him - I used the flyswatter to flip him off the stern and, as we watched, he popped off the water and flew back aboard!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.
A lot of things to be afraid of, but getting flu shots every year has been our ticket to sailing and we look at the Covid the same way. Glad we got our card to make our trip next year to the Bahamas easier. I'm sure traveling to Maine will be easier, too, without to worry of catching something from shore leave.
Sounds like The Terminator Fly
When does the movie come out?
You still have one in a jar - dude, careful entering the room, it might be pissed off...If it's still in containment in Maine I'll post a picture when I get back up there. We were sure no one would believe us so we got one in a jar
no problem! first race this season, if someone's ahead of us I plan to catapult it on board their boatYou still have one in a jar - dude, careful entering the room, it might be pissed off...
dj
