Pulpit Harbor (Maine) report

[Megunticook]

After living here 24 years I finally made it to Pulpit Harbor. Left Camden about 6, in Pulpit about 8. Great little sail, great harbor. We anchored up Ministers Creek, a little inlet to your right just after you enter the harbor. 35 feet at high tide. Totally protected from all winds. Skeeters at dusk but interestingly none in the morning (the breeze helped).

We didn't go ashore but the local store is not too far.

Highly recommended.

Am on a mission to visit a number of places in Penobscot Bay that I've never been to. Next up--Warren Island (Islesboro)? Or maybe somewhere down in Muscle Ridge?

[Carl Thunberg]

Try the area between High and Dix Islands in Muscle Ridge Channel. Also, Cradle Cove in Gilkey Harbor (Warren Island) is another good anchorage. Cradle Cove was one of the anchorages in at least one of the CDSOA Maine Cruises. Not sure which year. You are in Ground Zero of the best cruising grounds in Maine, but you happened to ask about those two areas. So many choices!

[wikakaru]

You are definitely in one of the best cruising grounds in the entire world in my humble opinion. Continue on through Fox Islands Thorofare to either Winter Harbor or Seal Bay (different branches off the same inlet) for a couple more of the best all-weather anchorages in the area.

The 10-foot spot in Little Thorofare north of Stimpson's Island is also good. Schooners often anchor there. You can row across to the little public dock on Burnt Island and go for a hike ashore.

If you plan to sail through Fox Islands Thorofare let me know and I will try to get out to take some photos as you go by. You can PM me for more immediate ways to contact me as I don't always check the board every day.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[Steve Laume]

I went in there a few years ago. I was searching around, trying to find enough room to anchor amungst a sea of mooring balls, when another boat told me to just take a mooring. I did and it was beautiful, but didn't feel I should leave the boat when on someone else's mooring. Not sure where you found room to anchor but I will not argue with it being a beautiful and well protected spot, Steve.

[jbenagh]

Just left there this morning. We almost overlapped. Found room to anchor in the western end. 30ft at high though.
I do like that cove you anchored in but several boats already there when we arrived Monday.
Jeff

[Joe CD MS 300]

The head of Minsters Creek is a great place to get mussels at mid to low tide. It's virtually lined with them. Just scoop up a bucket full and you have a meal. Cook in a pot with a can of beer (Guinness is my choice), butter, some seasoning and just enough water to cover your haul.

[Megunticook]

Thanks for the tips on other Penobscot Bay anchorages. Will check those out. I kayaked the thoroughfare and Seal Bay 20 years ago but never sailed.

Not sure I would bring my boat into the mooring field in the inner part of Pulpit Harbor--there's plenty of room elsewhere to anchor. Wouldn't take someone's mooring unless it was an emergency and I certainly wouldn't throw an anchor down amid all that bottom gear.

I have a secondary remote mooring in the bay and seems like every other time I go to use it I have to ask someone to move. Not a big deal but gets old. This year I went out to set up my top gear and some clown was--I kid you not--tied up to my winter stick. I asked him to move (was cordial about it) and also suggested maybe he might want to think twice about trusting some unknown piece of hemlock with a rope going who knows where to hold his boat. He apologized and agreed it was foolish.

The other thing people do which I never understand is they anchor right next to my mooring, then when I show up they have to move so our boats don't swing into each other. I guess they don't know the harbor and think my mooring spot must be safe. Fine, but no need to anchor right on top of it.

Off tomorrow for a quick 2-night stay on that very mooring. The season is half over now but the second half is the best!

[Carl Thunberg]

Continue on through Fox Islands Thorofare to either Winter Harbor or Seal Bay (different branches off the same inlet)

Smooth sailing,

Jim

We'll be in Seal Bay on or about August 8th. We love the spot between Ram and Neck Islands, if it's not taken. What Pulpit has for sunsets over the Camden Hills, Seal Bay has for sunrises over Isle Au Haut.

[pjust]

Penobscot Bay is sailing Valhalla indeed! I sail out of Sprucehead Island on the Muscle Ridge channel and pass by the Dix Island anchorage mentioned by Carl all the time. It's a lovely spot and much visited in the summer. There used to be a woman who would come out and sell lobster dinners to people anchored there, but I don't think she does anymore.

It's my ambition to sail from Sprucedhead to overnight at Duck Harbor on Isle Au Haut . It's about 20 nmi, which is a ways for a Ty Weekender and so I'm waiting for two days of steady winds from the right direction. Has anyone anchored there?

[Seaweed2]

We got some fantastic views sailing around Penobscot Bay for 4 days this spring. The weather was very foggy the first day but made for some classic photos when we saw a schooner coming in the thick of it near the northern tip of North Haven! I also got a number of good sunset shots from Pulpit Harbor. I probably took too many. It was absolutely beautiful.

[wikakaru]

Penobscot Bay is sailing Valhalla indeed! I sail out of Sprucehead Island on the Muscle Ridge channel and pass by the Dix Island anchorage mentioned by Carl all the time. It's a lovely spot and much visited in the summer. There used to be a woman who would come out and sell lobster dinners to people anchored there, but I don't think she does anymore.

It's my ambition to sail from Sprucedhead to overnight at Duck Harbor on Isle Au Haut . It's about 20 nmi, which is a ways for a Ty Weekender and so I'm waiting for two days of steady winds from the right direction. Has anyone anchored there?

I anchored at Duck Harbor once many years ago. As the chart shows, the harbor is open to the west, and the prevailing wind during the summer is southwest. I recall quite well, even though it was almost 30 years ago, that it was a rolly anchorage, and that Taft/Rindlaub's protection rating of "3" for the harbor was, shall we say, generous. Full disclosure: I do not tolerate rolly anchorages nearly as well as most people, so take my opinion with that in mind. That said, the hiking and views from the mountains above Duck Harbor are spectacular, and if you can tolerate the roll or if you can manage to do the sail in settled northeasterly conditions (if there is such a thing here) you will find yourself amply rewarded.

Another option that makes the trip longer but which I think would be more enjoyable would be to sail from Sprucehead to Winter Harbor/Seal Bay, anchor there overnight, and do a day run over to Duck Harbor and back to Seal Bay again. That would put you in Duck Harbor early in the day so you don't have to worry about the anchorage being full, and let you sleep two nights in blissfully smooth water.

It is roughly 23nm from Sprucehead to Duck Harbor and almost 25nm from Sprucehead to Seal Bay, plus another 9nm each way between Seal Bay and Duck Harbor. That is a lot of sailing in a Typhoon, but what a wonderful adventure you would have!

For what it's worth, in the nearly 500 days of sea time I have put on my Typhoon, my average speed has been about 3.7 knots. That might be a good figure to use when planning the range of your Typhoon.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[wikakaru]

We got some fantastic views sailing around Penobscot Bay for 4 days this spring. The weather was very foggy the first day but made for some classic photos when we saw a schooner coming in the thick of it near the northern tip of North Haven! I also got a number of good sunset shots from Pulpit Harbor. I probably took too many. It was absolutely beautiful.

Nice shots! There is no such thing as too many photos. My motto is "electrons are cheap"!

In case you are interested, the schooner looks to be the Isaac H. Evans.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[Steve Laume]

It's my ambition to sail from Sprucedhead to overnight at Duck Harbor on Isle Au Haut . It's about 20 nmi, which is a ways for a Ty Weekender and so I'm waiting for two days of steady winds from the right direction. Has anyone anchored there?

I have spent many days, anchored at Isle Au Haut over the years. I have only ever spent one in Duck Harbor and will never anchor there again. I was crowded and busy. And by crowded, I mean some guy, who I questioned when he set his anchor, swung into me during the night. We were still awake and he was roused with some raps from my boat hook on his deck and then me. politely insisting that he move. Some folks anchor bow and stern in there and with the shallow draft of a Ty, you would probably be fine in the back where it gets shallow.

You can always take a $20 mooring in the Though fare. This puts you right near the center of town with ice cream and food nearby.

If you want a remote anchorage with good access to hiking, then I would recommend Moore's Harbor. It is very easy to access and has plenty of room, with very little use. It will put you on the same trails as Duck Harbor without the hassles.

My favorite is Head Harbor but it would be a longer trip for you. There, you go back in as far as you can and anchor near the small wooden lobster boat. Fantastic hiking on the usual trails but best of all is out to Thunder Gulch. It is also a short walk up to Long Pond for a refreshing sweet water swim.

You could easily combine a stop in town and anchoring in Moore's.

Head on out there as it is a great place to visit, Steve.

[Steve Laume]

The rock from which the harbor gets it's name.

[wikakaru]

You can always take a $20 mooring in the Though fare. This puts you right near the center of town with ice cream and food nearby.

If you want a remote anchorage with good access to hiking, then I would recommend Moore's Harbor. It is very easy to access and has plenty of room, with very little use. It will put you on the same trails as Duck Harbor without the hassles.

My favorite is Head Harbor but it would be a longer trip for you. There, you go back in as far as you can and anchor near the small wooden lobster boat. Fantastic hiking on the usual trails but best of all is out to Thunder Gulch. It is also a short walk up to Long Pond for a refreshing sweet water swim.

You could easily combine a stop in town and anchoring in Moore's.

Head on out there as it is a great place to visit, Steve.

I've never been in them, but Moore's Harbor and Head Harbor both look quite open to the south on the chart. Do you consider them OK for overnight, or just day anchorages? Moore's has the note "lunch stop" on ActiveCaptain.

The last time I was in Isle Au Haut Thorofare there were only 2 moorings for rent. This time of year you'd be hard pressed to find one available. Even if you can get one, it's a pretty good hike from the public landing in town to the park, especially since the locals do not want you to take the easy, direct road that runs from town to the park and the National Park Service diverts you onto a trail that cuts far inland before heading towards Duck Harbor. It's a good 5 mile one-way hike to Duck Mountain from town.

I think I like the idea of coming over to Duck Harbor from Seal Bay just for a day trip. That way you don't have to have any midnight shenanigans with other boats like you describe.

Smooth sailing,

Jim