Flat Island Partie Deux

Last Sunday was the  Second "Annual" Bailey / Webber Flat Island (almost) Sunrise Breakfast Summer Gathering. A fine morning menu was planned out by Deb and Pat including deviled eggs, bagels, cheeses, ham, jam, prosciutto, all washed down with Mimosas using my favorite sparkling wine, Prosecco .

The morning sky was clear and bright, the bay was a beautiful blue, changing to a light green hue as we motored further from the harbor.  Seals, porpoise, ducks, ospreys, loons, and herons all added their natural beauty to the morning.   And with an incoming tide no worries, because sometimes we can be forgetful beachcombers, about our boat being grounded out on the sand bar.

Pat preparing to retrieve the boat prior to launching.

Leaving the inner harbor

Digging in!

Chillin' out is easy with views like this!

Yes I did take one of my fly rods.

First "tinker" of the season..

I'd be worried if I were the one on the left.

The last surviving U.S. built steam yacht in the U.S. and one of only 3 in the world...The "Cangarda"

 Prepared for any eventuality...

Can you imagine pulling a hundred lobster traps using one of these dories as they did back in the day!

It was a truly lovely outing and I'm anxious to get back out.

Sometimes the fishing is secondary

It was just as I was afraid of..nothing..nada..not even a hit. Yesterday morning on the Penobscot proved fruitless as far as catching a striper or anything else for that matter. Unless you count a couple of big blobs of seaweed. We, myself and my faithful companion Ray, put in at the Belfast public landing around 6 and were fishing underneath the Bucksport Narrows bridges by 6:30. By the way old one is looking very shabby but with no money to tear it down I guess the state will just let it rot away..

Working our way down river, against an incoming tide we enjoyed some mighty fine scenery and architecture..

About 2 hours into fishing  Ray was pacing from bow to stern and longingly looking at the river bank. I sensed that he needed a break..if you know what I mean..I found a great little beachy area that was protected from tide and  flowage ..Ray was relieved , both psychologically and physically..By the way, speaking of tide and flowage..When the seaweed hit my streamer I put the motor in N and noticed that we were actually drifting up  river , against the river flow (and the Penobscot is no little meandering waterway), a testament to the strength of our everyday, tidal tsunami's .

We continued on to Sandy Point and the wreckage of the old wharf ..

And finally the ledges of Fort Point Lighthouse..

As I said..the fishing is sometime secondary.
 As much as I was hoping to catch ..something..well maybe not the seaweed..The morning turned out to be a resounding success. One of  "those" standout days that will be fondly remembered come next February. 

Exercise In Futility? Stripers In The Riva'?

Well I'm going to go for it Thursday AM..early.. The tide is right (HT @ 9:45)..

Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s. Light and variable winds.

 Weather looks great....

 

 

I've got my arsenal picked out, accompanied of course with the obligatory plugs, flashers and imitation worms. 

 

I have my area of op's chosen..from the Bucksport bridge, down the shoreline of Verona Island to Sandy Point...

Now all I need is the presence of stripers..of course there have been no stripers caught in the Penobscot River for a couple of years..but that doesn't deter me..perhaps this is the year..whatever...I have heard of no striper action north of the Kennebec. So odds are..

 

Well here's to the morning! 

(This is the part where I lift my glass.) 

 

 

Beautiful Sunset On West Grand Lake

We spent the first week of July at West Grand Lake , Downeast in Washington County. West Grand is one of the jewels of Maine and it is sad to admit that it has taken me into my golden years to discover it. 

But how thankful I am that I made that discovery (with a big push from my extended families , the Bailey's and Vose's). For if it wasn't for them I doubt that I would have ever plied the waters of Dyer, Whitney, Farm and Kitchen Coves, The Gut, The Narrows or The Thoroughfare.  However I'm sure West Grand would have been better off without me. But..too late for that...

This panorama was taken by my son Ben's girlfriend, Sara , and what a sweet young woman she is. It shows one of the many beautiful sunsets from our "compound" in Kitchen Cove. It's been over 3 weeks since we left and I am already counting the days for my return. 

Islesoro, Cape Rosier and Bucks Harbor Steam Yacht Cangarda

We took an early cruise this morning past Islesboro across to Cape Rosier with a stop on Pond Island and then at Bucks Harbor Yacht Club. (The Lund Rebel Sport fit right in.)

 On the way back we came across the steam yacht Cangarda, anchored off Islesboro. She is the last surviving US-built steam yacht in the US, and one of only three left in the world.* 

I was filming against the light going out, sorry it's so dark, and it was a bit choppy out there this morning. 

Not Oscar material.

*Wikipedia

Duck Hunting Practice

I guess these good ol' boys are tuning up for some duck hunting action!

Boat Launching Belfast Public Landing

I wonder if video taping and driving is frowned upon as is texting and driving?