Five Islands

The Five Islands harbor and town have always had a special place for us - during our first trip to Maine, this was the first place that we made us gasp "OMG!  THIS is Maine!"  We still feel that way.  Five Islands is a small harbor, with a mix of working boats and pleasure boats from the Five Islands Yacht Club.  The yacht club graciously keeps 5 moorings available - for free! - for visiting boats. We really appreciate it, as there would be no other way to visit without those moorings.

So, with rain in the forecast, we left Ebencock Harbor about 9 this morning and motored the 1.5 miles to Five Islands, as the promised showers started.  They ended as soon as we were half way there.
Sure enough, a free mooring was to be had and we gratefully picked it up.  Here is the mooring field from land. Those are 3 of the 5 islands behind the mooring field.

The town itself is small - very small.  It really isn't much more than the dock which as all of the working equipment needed to load lobsters for transport (see below), a lobster shed to either sell fresh lobsters or cook them for you, a grill for lobster rolls, etc, and an ice cream shop. Dining is at one of the several tables on the dock.  It is always busy - folks buy the eats here, bringing everything from nothing to a full table setting, including crystal wine glasses and the bottles of wine.  Luke (orange jacket) is checking things out.

I'll try to get pictures of the eating area tomorrow.

One other feature of town is a small park and tennis court.  They are just a few yards up the road from the dock.  Very clean, well kept, and pretty.

Did you notice the nice, sunny day?  It didn't last long...

Sitting on the boat later, we heard the sounds of sending crates of lobsters to market.  This is common at all lobster docks.  First, you need the refrigerator truck to come by for the pick-up.  Then someone goes to the water level and prepares the crates full of lobsters to be hoisted up to the truck.  Long rows of crates are called trains.  Here is one crate, about half way up the tall ladder - at least 12 foot tidal ranges here.

Next, they are grabbed and unhooked by a couple of guys in the truck.

And finally, they are almost in their place for the trip to market, as the fellow in the boat now has the hoist again and is preparing another crate. Each crate has about 20 lobsters.

By now the fog was beginning to roll in

It's a good thing we caught the lobster truck when we did....it's still there, I could hear the engine rumbling and the hoist working, but you would never know it.

And THAT is why we hate sailing in fog!

Smokey took it all in stride - she just claimed her favorite warm hatch cover, flashed her soft belly, and begged for a rub.  Yes, of course we obliged!

Tomorrow we see friends Gloria and Mike - yay!