September 28                              Southwest Harbor, Maine

Weather reports indicated the wind would be very mild in early morning but would become stronger near noon.  We left the dock only minutes after 7:00 AM and saw a beautiful sunrise as we exited from the bay into the ocean.  The water was smooth and we enjoyed several hours of idyllic cruising.  We encountered a good current which increased our speed by almost two knots.  The afternoon brought a stronger wind but the waves remained friendly and we had an uneventful crossing of the Gulf of Maine.  Despite a sharp lookout throughout our journey, we did not see whales, which are often sighted in this area.

Our approach to Southwest Harbor brought back great memories of last summer as we passed Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor, two of our favorite places in this area.  Carefully avoiding the many rocks and shoals, David skillfully brought us into dockage at Dysart’s Marina.  Micah, the harbormaster and Miller, our friend and helper were ready to catch our lines and give us a warm welcome.  We were delighted to see both of them.

We quickly make arrangements for fresh lobster for dinner (pulled from the lobster pot adjacent to our dock and steamed in sea water by Miller).  Although he had planned to leave the next morning, Miller delayed his departure to spend two days helping us do minor repairs on the boat.  He and David have a great relationship and enjoy working together.

After a wonderful lobster dinner on the aft deck, we felt at home.  Southwest Harbor is a special place for us with many good memories from our past two summers here. We both enjoyed a tremendous feeling of successful accomplishment knowing we had completed a journey of approximately 2,000 miles from Baltimore, to New York, through the Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, St. Lawrence Seaway, Northumberland Strait, Canso Causeway, and the waters off Nova Scotia to Maine.  It was a memorable experience!