Salem,MA -> South Freeport, ME Advice

[Bob Dugan]

Folks,

"Cricket" goes in the water next weekend. Becky and I are going to spend that weekend shaking her down to make sure everything works. The following (Memorial Day) weekend we're going to sail her from our mooring in Salem, MA to our other mooring at Bustins Island, ME (near South Freeport in Casco Bay).

We were thinking about doing the sail in one shot from Cape Anne to the entrance of Casco Bay. That's an 80 NM trip total... assuming "Cricket" does the trip at 4 knots we're talking 20 hours. So by the time we reach the bay, we'll be pretty tired.

We've done some sailing in Casco Bay, and it can be a little tricky trying to find your way around all those ledges. We figured we wouldn't want to do that if we're tired from the long sail and it's either dark because we went too fast or it's foggy. So now we're thinking about hugging the coastline and breaking the trip up into two legs.

Any suggestions for a good place to tuck in for the night above Portsmouth & Kittery? Ogunquit looks interesting, but I'm not sure Perkins Cove has any transient moorings/slips. Ogunquit is about as far north as we could make in one day of daylight sailing (50NM)

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Bob Dugan
"Cricket" CD25D #92
Wayland, MA



bdugan@stepzero.com

[brian]

Biddeford is decent although it is a big day sail from Cape Ann/Salem. This time of year you can probably get a mooring in York. Again though you waste a lot of miles/time heading west.

If you have three days I would run from Salem to the Isle of Shoals> then onto Jewell Is. Sunday. Monday would be an easy/short day to Bustins is.

There's more then one way to skin a cat




pedbed@earthlink.net

[James Mill]

HI,

Come to Kennebunkport. Its a nice river and a decent town. You could call Chicks Marina, the Tachtsman, or the "Nonantum" Nonantum may or may not have transient. They are not too full yet.

James



jtmceach@aol.com

[bobm]

You bring back memories for me with this sail...For my whole childhood from about 4yrs old to about 17yrs we took my dads 32' yawl and then his 42' schooner from Newburyport Ma to Casco Maine-Handys boat yard-and then onto Muscungous bay...
I know the route like the back of my hand...
Isles Of shoals has a terrible bottom avoid it...its open to like 3 directions and we dragged there several times.
Our mid half way spot was Cape Porposie-its a good days sail from where you will be starting, maybe 10 hours-you will cut the trip in half...and then onto Casco bay the next day...plus Cape Porposie is a blast trying to get in past all the lobster pots...
Say high to Boone Island as you go by-that is a forboding place and I have many memories of passing it in fog in my dads 1932 yawl, with no VHF, no speed log and certianly no gps/radar.

Later and enjoy your sail hopefully you will have SW winds-although we never had them till our return trip ;(

bobm
HR 31



merrick@pop.net