Sunday morning arose with a spectacular sunrise that as on so many occasions urged me to get up and witness the awakening of a new day being greeted by the warm and sparkling rays of a new born sun. I say new born for it is a new day in God’s creation all is beginning with a clean slate of paint up to our creative capacity to paint a picture of our imagination and make it a reality manifest right here and now. Learning to let go of the past and living in the now fully and abundantly is making this day a glorious day filled with potentials unimaginable.
As we linger for an hour or two waiting for the tide to slowly rise giving us a better chance of moving safely along the channel between rocks and shallows around Billings Diesel and Marine marina in Stonington, MA. And so we did, we made it through this narrow channel between the rocks and reefs, passed by some beautiful small islands and witnessed Isle au Haute in the distance. As we just learned Isle au Haute has just been taken over by the Acadia National Park authority making it a natural treasure that it already is. Just now it is being managed by Acadia Park authorities.
Slowly we ride along this intriguing shore line of Maine, peaking into numerous fingers of bays and rivers as well as numerous islands of which some are larger and inhabited and some are just simply well rounded bolders reaching deep into the ocean as partially visible reefs. A bright crystal clear day makes it so much more pleasurable and those mine fields of lobster pods very visible too. Our run is some 45 nm yet it still is taking us good 4 hours to get to our destination. Just as we reached the Demasccotta River delta the wind started to pick up more reaching 10-15 kn as the day progressed. Glad we have reached our destination just in time. Gamage Marina is just north of the Christmas Cove in South Bristol. We are asked to wait for our dock being a fuel dock and another Eastbay has pulled in just before us to refuel and stay for the night. Docking was a bit tricky for the wind picked up and was pushing us right into the dock. We managed and all went well! A young 15 year old boy by the name Fin (reminding me very much of Huckleberry Fin) was the dock master and did his best in helping us out. Later he even helped me wash down the boat and shamie it as well. Ah well, the joys of boating and the old expression often used in Maine; anything goes in Maine!
That same evening we invited a guest over for dinner, a lovely lady Felicia About a year ago we met her and told her about our upcoming trip in which this area was included and she graciously invited us to call upon her once we get to her area, South Bristol. What a delightful and strong woman this tiny in stature person is and most gracious too. The following morning she returned with her family to greet us and then to take us on a tour of the island, town of Damaresccatta, and North Bristol. Beautiful area filled with ponds and rivers reaching out into the ocean and finally her home situated on top of cliffs overlooking the open ocean. What a delight Sea Horse II is and what a story around its creation. Thank you Felice for sharing your time and part of your life story with us! You are quite an amazing woman and inspirations to me! May your journey through life continue on this positive and happy note that you so well display!
Felice also introduced us to the local Demarisccotta oysters that are sweet and one of the biggest oysters I have yet encountered. The town’s shops are filled with great finds of all kind from daily use items to decorative and artistic ones as well, and not to forget the famous soda fountain.
To finalize the tour, Felice took us to the John’s Bay Boat Yard where Peter Katz manufactures beautiful wooden boats that are pieces of art and solid structure. We have encountered Peter a few years back when we came to check him out while touring Maine by car and were fortunate enough to visit one of his creations at the Rockland Home and Boat Show a couple of years back. It is Joe’s dream to have a boat built by Peter some day and may that day come sooner than later for these boats are created by a man who has a vision and passion about his boats.