Penobscot Bay is vast.

[TomY]

Constantly flowing - rising and falling (10+feet) - this near endless coast is under constant change.

We stumbled into Dix Island Harbor which is not the popular (with cruisers), Dix Island anchorage, just to the west. We could have gone farther in but this spot just off 'The Neck' seemed perfect so we dropped the hook (and a pin) for the night.

We could see the mast heads of two sailboats off Dix Island. We saw one small lobster boat working traps nearby. We rowed to Dix and a few surrounding islands and did some beach combing in the afternoon. A bit of a current runs through here, rare for us anchoring, but it was manageable. At dusk I took a row around with the camera.

I'd heard of Andrews Island, but I've yet to get near it or go on it.

'The Neck', a small island off Andrews, had a few modest houses on shore. They looked like fisherman's camps. Mostly a place to store gear and work the season. These outposts, likely generational legacies, can be quite spare.

I rowed closer to what looked like an abandoned house with screen porch and noticed a man sitting quietly inside the dark porch, watching the last of the sun set.

He must have heard my oarlocks because he slowly turned his head my way. I gave a friendly wave. After a long look (and no response), he turned his head back to the sunset. Fair enough, I left him alone.

The dog and I silently slid by this nearby house. It looked years vacant, but who knows.

We landed on a nearby unnamed island and went ashore. Not a perfect 10 anchorage (the current) but we hardly scratched the surface of this mix of islands and waterway that I wasn't aware of (I live 10 miles away).

 

[JimFacey]

We've been to Dix Harbor twice , and love it. We watched a thunderstorm pass over the mainland while we were dry two or 3 miles away several years ago, back when Reilly Harvey was catering to boats from Andrews. This past summer we got a seal show like I've never seen, the seals were herding fish and taking turns jumping in for a snack.

 

[uralite]

Doesn’t the Harvey family still own Andrews Island ?. Near Muscle ridge right?

 

[TomY]

Doesn’t the Harvey family still own Andrews Island ?. Near Muscle ridge right?

I don't know. I wonder if the two islands are private. I suspect there is a harbor entrance area for Andrews Is. around the bend from the pin on the chart. You can hardly see Andrews from where we were anchored, it's blocked by the Neck.

Unlike the popular Dix anchorage Jim's photo shows, I can't find any info on the actual Dix Island Harbor. You can't get into the Dix anchorage from where we were anchored except by going back (about a half hour) into the Muscle Ridge Channel. Several articles come up on Reilly Harvey's catering service but we didn't see her.

 

[SG]

Is this the place?

 

[Rick486]

Constantly flowing - rising and falling (10+feet) - this near endless coast is under constant change.

We stumbled into Dix Island Harbor which is not the popular (with cruisers), Dix Island anchorage, just to the west. We could have gone farther in but this spot just off 'The Neck' seemed perfect so we dropped the hook (and a pin) for the night.

View attachment 156910
We could see the mast heads of two sailboats off Dix Island. We saw one small lobster boat working traps nearby. We rowed to Dix and a few surrounding islands and did some beach combing in the afternoon. A bit of a current runs through here, rare for us anchoring, but it was manageable. At dusk I took a row around with the camera.
View attachment 156911
I'd heard of Andrews Island, but I've yet to get near it or go on it.

'The Neck', a small island off Andrews, had a few modest houses on shore. They looked like fisherman's camps. Mostly a place to store gear and work the season. These outposts, likely generational legacies, can be quite spare.

I rowed closer to what looked like an abandoned house with screen porch and noticed a man sitting quietly inside the dark porch, watching the last of the sun set.

He must have heard my oarlocks because he slowly turned his head my way. I gave a friendly wave. After a long look (and no response), he turned his head back to the sunset. Fair enough, I left him alone.

The dog and I silently slid by this nearby house. It looked years vacant, but who knows.
View attachment 156913
We landed on a nearby unnamed island and went ashore. Not a perfect 10 anchorage (the current) but we hardly scratched the surface of this mix of islands and waterway that I wasn't aware of (I live 10 miles away).
View attachment 156914

Ya know Tom, you really ought to think about writing a cruising guide. I'm not aware of any recent MCG published. You can turn a phrase and the pics are spectacular.

 

[sailme88]

Nothing....NOTHING comes close to the Maine coast.....

 

[Will Gilmore]

you really ought to think about writing a cruising guide.

Ayup!

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[JimFacey]

We asked a caretaker on Dix this past summer what Reilly Harvey was up to, she hasn't boat-catered since 2015, still spends time on Andrews & Dix. Her significant-other lobsters out from the east side of Dix, her family home is on the southwest tip of Andrews, below "the neck". You can pick it out from google maps, it looks towards Dix.

 

[Leeward Rail]

Ya know Tom, you really ought to think about writing a cruising guide.

"tell others how great a place is" vs "avoid it being wrecked by popularity"

 

[Will Gilmore]

No one suggested Tom tells the truth in said cruising guide. Is all a matter of marketing. Just remind the reader of why the popular places are popular and they should keep going back there. The other places don't need to be "over sold", so to speak. We'll come up with a code for we few initiates.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Leeward Rail]

My evil side thinks of...
"My hovercraft is full of eels"
I truly wanted to make a book like that, but now translator apps have screwed up that chance.

If not a translation book that is wrong.. why not a cruising guide, to make people go elsewhere ?
"Most Maine anchorages are commonly are on a lee shore, and have little to offer in terms of enjoyment. Rainy and cold most of the time. Unfriendly locals. Florida is a better option"

 

[Will Gilmore]

My evil side thinks of...
"My hovercraft is full of eels"
I truly wanted to make a book like that, but now translator apps have screwed up that chance.

If not a translation book that is wrong.. why not a cruising guide, to make people go elsewhere ?
"Much of Maine has bad holding. Anchorages are commonly are on lee shore, and little to offer in terms of enjoyment"

Or something like, "There's little in the way of facilities. The undersized fuel dock is over-priced, only one restaurant with a simplistic menu, the smell of work boats permeates the air and the channel is not well marked or mapped. Use great caution if, for some reason, you decide to visit this middle of nowhere municipal marina."
The code words "use great caution" means, "don't come here with outsiders or let anyone follow you."

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[TomY]

On cruising guides, in this area, the Taft Guide has set (I think) the itinerary of 99% of cruising sailboats visiting Maine.

The guide has a clever use of stars for rating various harbors and anchorages. As a reader and visiting sailor, it's hard not to suspect something must be wrong with a 3 star, when a 5 star is nearby. And most every island group or coastal spot has one 5***** rating, so why go to the 4****,...much less a 3***.

I'm a suspicious reader. If Taft gave a 3*** rating, I want to know why. I suspect he may have been hiding something. I know the truth now that Taft (long gone) also knew: Penobscot Bay - alone - is so vast, as a seasonal visiting sailor intent on covering the entire coast of Maine, he could do little more than get to know a few favorites, and give them 5***** ratings.

He did a great job, Taft, a very in depth volume of cruising sailor with a passion for this coast. But I have found countless exceptions to his * ratings.

And the guide goes on today, now authored by Curtis Rindlaub. Unfortunately for Curtis, timing hasn't been on his side. I met Curtis in Rockport Harbor late in the season just a few years ago. He was on his boat moored right behind me. We met rowing our dinghy's and had a pretty long chat.

What I especially remember is how he explained his first realization of Active Captain. A print guy, Curtis told me of a friend putting a tablet in front of him. On it was some spot on the coast where an AC anchor icon lay. Curtis clicked and got several reviews, up to date, freely submitted by users.

Dumb struck, Curtis told me he looked up at his friend and said flatly,..."This is the end of me". He was dead serious as he told me. Of course he's not totally dead, he still does the guide.

He sold his sailboat and now owns a motor boat because of the obvious updating. But in reality, a print cruising guide will never be up to date, again.

And the guide still sells but it's a labor of love. He needs enough orders to do a print run. The latest version won't have dramatic changes over the last, or even over a 30 year old volume(which sits below on most Maine sailboats).

Active Captain is no substitute for a cruising guide. But AC along with what's available on the internet(we're all contributors now), is in fact an up to date cruising guide, today.

But some things never change. 99% of the people walk the same path, we're like cows. . With various posts around the web about the anchorage area above, I couldn't really get any first hand knowledge of anyone who has been through there, much less anchored overnight.

This spot was within sight of a Taft 5****, anchorage which is probably why it is so unused. Maybe Taft had a private spot in here,....that's it!

 

[T Dunn]

My contribution to the new cruising guide.

Merchant row between Deer Isle and Isle Au Haut has many beautiful islands. Access is easy to all of the islands. As you approach the island of your choice your propeller will be secured to multiple lobster trap lines so no anchoring will be required. You can also leave the dinghy at home because it is easy to walk ashore from your boat on the millions of lobster trap floats. You will also have many opportunities to practice your scuba skills when you free your boat from the lobster gear each morning.

 

[RoyS]

Met a sailor with a catamaran who ventured up to Maine ONCE. Imagine threading a catamaran through the lobster trap floats. Impossible.

 

[SG]

Todd Dunn's
My contribution to the new cruising guide.

Merchant row between Deer Isle and Isle Au Haut has many beautiful islands. Access is easy to all of the islands. As you approach the island of your choice your propeller will be secured to multiple lobster trap lines so no anchoring will be required. You can also leave the dinghy at home because it is easy to walk ashore from your boat on the millions of lobster trap floats. You will also have many opportunities to practice your scuba skills when you free your boat from the lobster gear each morning.

Beyond that, one might add: Further, until the owners of those lobster and boat traps arrive to abuse you for failing to miss their "traps" (named very appropriately :^))) ), you can have Lobster Benedict, Lobster Rolls and salads, and hearty lobster dinners.

I sure do love Maine though, all joking aside.

 

[Rick486]

My contribution to the new cruising guide.

Merchant row between Deer Isle and Isle Au Haut has many beautiful islands. Access is easy to all of the islands. As you approach the island of your choice your propeller will be secured to multiple lobster trap lines so no anchoring will be required. You can also leave the dinghy at home because it is easy to walk ashore from your boat on the millions of lobster trap floats. You will also have many opportunities to practice your scuba skills when you free your boat from the lobster gear each morning.

Couple years back I incited the ire of the Maine guys on this board by talking about the proliferation of lobster pots.......

 

[Will Gilmore]

You can also leave the dinghy at home because it is easy to walk ashore from your boat on the millions of lobster trap floats.

I have trouble balancing on those rolly pot buoys and the staff sometimes gets caught in my pant cuff if I have long pants on. That's why it's good to have a couple of small pieces of plywood to lay across more than one buoy at a time and sort of leap-frog along.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[nat55]

Met a sailor with a catamaran who ventured up to Maine ONCE. Imagine threading a catamaran through the lobster trap floats. Impossible.

Roy, couldn't agree more although the proliferation of catamarans in Maine is just like everywhere else, though mono-hulls still out number them by a wide margin. I know a few folks that have cats and they say their experience with catching gear is no worse than their days on monos.