Kids are gone.

Again - We have been without internet for the past few days, so I am preparing a blog to post when we finally DO get internet.  GOT IT!......

One last post from the family visit – on their last night with us, we had a traditional lobster dinner.  Lobster, corn on the cob, and potatoes! YUM!

 

In the quiet of the next day or so, Luke replaced the broken keel strip on the dinghy.  This strip allows us to pull her up on sandy (or rocky) shores without damaging the dinghy.  For a big change, it was actually an easier than expected repair!  Those repairs are far and few between.

 

On Saturday, we took the boat to Burnt Coat Harbor on Swans Island.  This is a serious lobster fishing community.  Lots of lobstermen. But all were very nice –unlike the ones we encountered near Stonington.  These guys (and gals) always waved, slowed down in the harbor, and were friendly.  We met one nice young man, 23 years old, who explained a little about lobstering to us.  Bits of information - Each lobster boat brings up about 1000 pounds of lobsters daily. He is young and strong, and can bring up over 2000 pounds per day.   Lobsters shed their old shells by digging in the soft mud and pulling themselves free from the old shell and the mud.  The harbor itself has lobster floats.  When we asked about it, he said that the inner harbor pots were for youngsters learning how to lobster, women lobstermen, and old veterans.  “We are happy to do that for them”.

The town lobster docks –

 

But not all is cute.  Behind the scenes are stacks and stacks of old lobster traps, floats, nets, equipment, etc, etc.  It reminds us of some of the Chesapeake Bay crabbing islands.  The islands are small and there is no efficient way of getting rid of the discarded stuff.

 

A different area of the island has the old remains of a stone quarry.  No longer in use, the town has divided the rain filled quarry into 2 sections – divided by a rope.  People can swim in one half, the other half is used by seagulls for bathing.  Not that the seagulls know which half to use… The family swimming and playing in the water said that it was COLD.

 

The lobster dock here uses what is available.  The posts for the docks – important in 10 foot tidal ranges – are simply trees that have been cut down. 

 

“Trains” of plastic boxes are full of lobsters ready for market.  The lobsters are keep fresh and aerated by a bubbler.

 

Back to Burnt Coat, we walked with fellow boater Doug to the lighthouse.  It was renovated just a few years ago and looks quite nice.  Very Maine! No, this picture wasn't taken from the lighthouse!  The water was still and quiet, so we took the dinghy for a ride in front of the house.

 

From the lighthouse, we could watch two lobster boats racing back to the docks, ready to end their long, hard day.

 

 

On Tuesday, we took Latitudes a whopping 6 miles to Marshall Island. Doug took this great picture of Latitudes leaving the harbor in Burnt Coat.  If you are on a large enough computer, you can pick me out, standing on the side of the boat, helping Luke work our way through the myriad of lobster floats and their toggles.

 

 

 Marshall Island is a  Maine Heritage Trust Island, available to everyone for walking her beautiful trails.  A nice ramp and dinghy dock awaited us. That is Latitudes in the distance.

 

 Jellyfish!  I had no clue that Maine has jellyfish!  We learned that these are called Lions Mane Jellyfish.  They can grow huge, up to 10 feet across, with tentacles up to 100 feet long. This rascal was only about 18 inches across, floating under the ramp, near the rocky shore.

 

And what a beautiful rocky shore, it is! 

 

These Monarch butterflies were everywhere.  Most of the thistle plants had 3 or 4 butterflies on them.

 

Granite rocks, the blue water, and the island of Ringtown that Latitudes is anchored behind.

 

The granite boulders and rocks are lovely.  Most are pinkish or gray.  This wide vein of dark charcoal gray granite runs through the usual colors.

 

The wind picked up in the direction not forecast, so we moved Latitudes around the island to a more southern anchorage.  This lovely cove, with her sandy beach and pebble beach, gave us a wonderful sight – purple darkening sky with the full moon and her glow worm.

Today, Friday, we are cleaning ship - laundry again! - in preparation for the arrival of boating buddies Bonnie and Pete.  They will be spending a few days with us.  Looking forward to it!