Penobscot Bay to Mount Desert Island
Itineraries – Penobscot Bay to Mount Desert Island
Overview:
While Penobscot Bay is a large cruising area, the area east of Penobscot Bay to Mount Desert Island (MDI) can easily enchant the cruiser for a month or more with a variety of intriguing and diverse locations. The end point of this itinerary is the jewel of the Maine coast, Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, which receives nearly 4 million visitors annually.
Your departure anchorage in Penobscot Bay will likely be either Merchants Row, just south of Deer Isle, or Eggemoggin Reach, which is north of Deer Isle. Merchants Row is dotted with gorgeous anchorages like McGlathery and Devil and Bold Islands and the busy fishing harbor at Stonington. The pine-studded granite islands are a sight to behold, but there might be a bit of thunder in the morning when the lobster boat fleet heads out at dawn.
Eggemoggin Reach has a more pastoral ambience, very few lobster traps or lobster boats, easy navigation and less fog. If the sea breeze fills in you’ll enjoy a memorable reach in smooth water. Towards the south end of the reach are multiple anchorages and an abundance of the most handsome wooden boats you’ve ever seen.
The choice of your destinations when heading farther east might be driven by weather. If it’s foggy and cool, you may very well find sunshine and warmth by heading north up into the Blue Hill area or Pretty Marsh on MDI. Conversely, if the weather is hot and sunny, you may find cooler conditions farther out to sea in places like Frenchboro or Burnt Coat Harbor.
Your biggest challenge leaving either Merchants Row or Eggemoggin Reach and heading east will be Jericho Bay and, to a lesser extent, the south end of Blue Hill Bay. In both cases, the tide will run perpendicular to an easterly course requiring a sharp lookout for lobster gear with toggles stretching across your path.
Options: Inland, Middle, Offshore
Inland Route: If you anticipate foggy or cool weather, you might want to consider setting a course to the north for Blue Hill, which will be approximately 20 nm from the Reach and 22 nm from Merchant’s Row. Most of the courses will have you running parallel to the tide (and lobster gear) and generally in smooth water. Once there, you will be in a blended community of fishermen and summer residents. The hospitable Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club has Wifi, fuel, ice, water and moorings. In town (accessible by dinghy 2 hours either side of high tide) are restaurants, a library, a full size grocery store and a nearby food co-op.
Your next stop might be either Pretty Marsh or nearby Bartlett Narrows. Both are an easy 12 nm sail from Blue Hill. Pretty Marsh has excellent holding, plenty of room and is the epitome of a restful anchorage. Bartlett Narrows offers several much smaller anchorages. We recall having a peaceful sail down Bartlett Narrows one sunny afternoon and having to take evasive action to avoid a deer swimming across to Bartlett Island—we were on starboard but it didn’t seem to matter to the deer.
From Pretty Marsh/Bartlett Narrows continue on to the majestic Somes Sound on Mt. Desert, which means navigating down the west side of MDI, crossing Bass Harbor Bar, entering the Western Way and then going up Somes Sound—about 22 nautical miles. As you proceed up the Sound you will soon see on the left Valley Cove, a dramatic anchorage surrounded by steep elevations to the west and south. A fun hike up Flying Mountain is sure to provide memorable vistas. Going farther up Somes Sound near the end you will see Abel’s Lobster on the right with yachts from 20’ to 200’ moored nearby to enjoy that quintessential Maine repast. Many cruisers will spend the night there, but we tend to head for Somesville (aka Somes Harbor) at the northern end of the Sound. While there are a considerable number of private moorings, there is also abundant anchoring to the west of the moorings. Shoreside access will lead you to the Somesville Public Library where the free Island Explorer Bus will transport you in about 20 minutes to downtown Bar Harbor, with a full size Hannaford and pharmacy plus restaurants and ice cream shops galore. You may find it fun to return by a more circuitous route to see more of Acadia National Park. We find it very difficult to leave idyllic Somesville, but when the time comes you might want to travel down the Sound to either Northeast Harbor or Southwest Harbor, each about 6 nm from Somesville. Both have Island Explorer bus service, a marina, restaurants and comprehensive marine services by Hinckley.
Middle Route: From either the Reach or Merchants Row, crossing Jericho Bay, it will be about 6 nm to Buckle Harbor. Buckle is a special place; a walk on the island to discover the green door in the middle of the woods is a real treat. If Buckle seems a bit crowded, Orono Island (0.5 nm) and Mackerel Cove (1.5 nm) are worthy alternatives.
The next leg (approximately 10 nm) will take you across the southern end of Blue Hill Bay, Bass Harbor Bar and into the Western Way, after which you can turn east and treat yourself to the Cranberry Islands. While the harbor can be busy, dinner at Islesford Dock Restaurant is not to be missed, although the sunset over Acadia National Park may compel you to enjoy dinner aboard.
It will be about 8 nm from Cranberry Islands to Somesville or 3 nm to either Northeast or Southwest Harbors, all of which are described above.
Outside Route: If the weather is hot, clear, and relatively settled, you might want to set your sights on Burnt Coat Harbor on the south side of Swan’s Island, which is about 5 nm from Merchants Row and 9 nm from the Reach. Burnt Coat, while primarily a fishing harbor, offers a host of simple and unique attractions: Try a refreshing swim in a nearby quarry or attend the highly regarded Sweet Chariot Music Festival the first week of August. A friendly, unpretentious destination that’s well worth a visit, as is a day stop at nearby Marshall Island, a Maine Coast Heritage Trust preserve with trails and beaches.
Continuing on the outside course, your next destination, just 6 nm away is Frenchboro (Long Island). A perfectly authentic offshore fishing community, there are some moorings and frequently a pleasant snack bar is open to serve visitors. Much of the island is in protected status with beautiful trails and rock strewn beaches—check out the trail map. You may also wish to try Eastern Cove on the east side of the island. You will find two significant berms at the head of the cove. The first is piled high with smooth rounded stones and the second is a remarkable pile of driftwood. We’ve experienced both success and failure anchoring on the rocky bottom, so be cautious.
From Long Island you will have a 6 nm voyage to either Southwest or Northeast Harbors and 18 nm to the head of Somes Sound.
Conclusion: Hopefully you will be able to mix the above destinations into a personal itinerary that satisfies your objectives, cruising style and timeline. For further itinerary suggestions please see the following:
Mt Desert Island to Roque Island
Provisioning: Portland to Penobscot Bay
Provisioning: Penobscot Bay to Mount Desert Island