2014 Summer Cruise to Maine

[Don70Joan]

We are planning a summer cruise to Maine - July through August 2014. We would like info on different ports and anchorage. Looking for guides. We have read that the "Rindlaub" Guide is the one to have. However, It was published in 2008. Does anyone know of a later edition? If not, would that be the guide to travel with? Any suggestions as to the guide and places to visit? Many thanks!

[Seagull111]

As a local and long time coastal cruiser based in Midcoast Maine I agree with most of the ratings in the guide you refer to. Most of the information is current but active captain can fill in any changes. You can plug in at slips every night or anchor at quiet islands. There is too much to see in one summer, or even 10 seasons. I like Belfast , which has town moorings, dockage,showers ,fuel,walk to movies, grocery,hardware, bars, restaurants, or Front Street Shipyard which has all the amenities including wifi and it is all a one day sail to about 20 four star destinations in the guide.

[Laffangurl]

Hi, hope okay to tag on to this thread, since you are mid coast and we are looking to possibly relocate there, can you share thoughts on Camden? Thanks!

[JK n Smitty]

We really liked York Harbor in southern Maine. There is a basement pub in the York Inn, short walk from the harbor, that is made to look like the inside of an old sailboat. They make great rum drinks and have a free buffet at happy hour that is real food.

[Laffangurl]

Sweet! Thanks for info in another fun place to try up there!

[CaptTom]

+1 on ActiveCaptain as the best source of info. We also carry Taft's and the Embassy guide, but refer to them less often now that we can load Active Captain data onto the laptop and tablet.

I could probably recommend 100 places to go, and maybe a couple to avoid, but that's just one opinion. Active Captain will give you many more.

BTW, the basement pub mentioned above is York Harbor Inn, not York Inn. A good choice if you stop in York for an overnight mooring.

[sailorboy1]

from my trip this year:

Bar Harbor - mostly noise and nothing special (don't moor at carsonel unless you want boat wakes from the fuel dock), if I were to go again I would anchor across out of the way

Cundy Harbor - nothing there but a store and resturant, but was a nice stop

Jewell Island - very protected place to anchor but real narrow and with the tide need to adjust anhcor scope on thtides, but great hiking with lots of cool ruins and watch towers (take good bug spray)

Portland - great walking and eating town, lots of ferry and wake traffic

[Seagull111]

Looking to relocate to the Midcoast, check out Belfast. We love it because it is not Camden.

[TOYoung]

Originally Posted by Don70Joan

We are planning a summer cruise to Maine - July through August 2014. We would like info on different ports and anchorage. Looking for guides. We have read that the "Rindlaub" Guide is the one to have. However, It was published in 2008. Does anyone know of a later edition? If not, would that be the guide to travel with? Any suggestions as to the guide and places to visit? Many thanks!

The "guide" is still a valuable source for cruising the coast of Maine. I find AC a good source of current info today. I'll also suggest USHarbors.com as well. I write for them and am biased, but I still think it's a valuable source for coastal Maine sailing.

Maine is a world class cruising destination with a broad range of places to explore and interesting people to meet. It's hard to recommend where to go without some background in what your preferences are.

But I will suggest you plan to spend a good deal of time in Penobscot Bay. I live here, but I still believe it is a sailors paradise that is second to none.

[TOYoung]

Originally Posted by Laffangurl

Hi, hope okay to tag on to this thread, since you are mid coast and we are looking to possibly relocate there, can you share thoughts on Camden? Thanks!

We moved to Camden 15 years ago, and loved it. We still do but moved to nearby (1 mile) Rockport shortly after.

As Seagull says, all these coastal towns and villages have different personalities. We love Belfast too, like our area, you can walk to most anything(including your boat!).

Even now 15 years later, few days go by when we don't say, "Can you believe we live here?"

Fire away with any questions, I just joined because of this thread.

[s/v Moondancer]

After 2 days of fighting the 4 million lobster pots in Maine and wrapping the prop once in Barr Harbor we had the boat hauled and a line cutter installed.

After that we visited Swan Island where the local lobster cooperative sells 2-3 lb lobster for a reasonable price...One of the nicest and safest harbors we have visited in 6 yrs of cruising.

Shaft Shark | AB Marine 747 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown, RI 02842 USA Tel: 800-801-8922

However the locals use cages, every lobster boat we saw on the hard had a cage and every sailboat a line cutter.








Enjoy

[Rick01541]

Our solution to catching lobster pot warps is a folding propeller. We use to have a feathering one and frequently caught pots. Cruising Maine now is wonderful!

[Laffangurl]

Thanks seagull and toyoung! We've looked in Belfast and Camden, as noted different personalities! Walked all over Belfast, one house was tempting and close enough to walk to water and few in Camden also. Still have one in school so that's a differentiator also.
How hard is it to get space for boat? I understand is moorings only, only brief docking. I'm more used to marina docks, will take getting used to!
What's the biggest differences in the harbours?
Thanks!

[Fuujin]

We keep our boat in Rockland Harbor, just down the coast from Camden/Rockport. As far as harbors go Camden has a 10 year waiting list for moorings and the outer harbor gets a frequent swell from the south westerlies in the summer. Camden is also overrun with tourists from June through October. It does have $$ though so the schools might be OK, not sure on that. Rockport is a little quieter, older retired population, not sure on the schools. The harbor is also open to the SW, is small and can be rough. Rockland Harbor is well protected with a seawall protecting it except from the strongest winds from the NE. It's large with a Coast Guard unit, local ferry service,windjammers,fishing boats, and yachts gallore, it's busy but large enough to accommodate it all. You can rent or put in your own moorings for about $1500. Rockland is a mixed community with good restaurants ,museums, next to the businesses associated with a working waterfront. Schools? Good luck with your search.
Harbors to drop anchor: Castine, Tenants, Buck Harbor, Isle au Haute, too many to list.
Cheers
S/V Fuujin

[MooGroc]

You mentioned a 10 year wait for a mooring. Is that common at other harbors in Maine? We're thinking of retiring somewhere in mid-coast
Maine and wonder how hard/expensive it will be to find a place to moor.