{"id":25332,"date":"2012-08-30T00:00:56","date_gmt":"2012-08-30T05:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=25332"},"modified":"2012-08-28T20:24:42","modified_gmt":"2012-08-29T01:24:42","slug":"southwest-harbor-maine-old-friends-and-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/southwest-harbor-maine-old-friends-and-new\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Harbor, Maine: Old Friends And New"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Southwest Harbor, Maine, and a new experience for Wind Horse<\/em>. Having now covered close to 60,000 miles, this is her first acquaintance with a mooring ball.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You will find here the typical Maine brew of pleasure and work on the water.<\/p>\n It is Hinckley country. Long overhangs rule, and varnish–high gloss of course–abounds.<\/p>\n The facilities are modern (just kidding with the photo) and we are giving consideration to overwintering Wind Horse<\/em> here.<\/p>\n There are all manner of lobster boat designs. Most slow down as they pass.<\/p>\n Often they come close by for a better look. This in contrast to the picnic boat drivers who also pass close, throwing a huge wake, that rolls even Wind Horse<\/em> with her booms and flopper stoppers set.<\/p>\n There are boats, scenery, and birds galore to ingest on the dinghy ride into town.<\/p>\n And a dock for visitors and locals, and not an inflatable in sight.<\/p>\n This must tell you something about the area.<\/p>\n The dock is well marked, and there is a stop for the free bus to Bar Harbor.<\/p>\n The walk into town is lovely.<\/p>\n A quiet street, beautiful gardens,<\/p>\n And a world class fire hydrant.<\/p>\n Downtown is compact, but there is everything you need.<\/p>\n Including homemade pies, with all organic ingredients, several of which are now carefully stored in our freezer.<\/p>\n If you are into classic Detroit iron, this is the place.<\/p>\n More important, this is also the place for ice cream.<\/p>\n There is a park for the children.<\/p>\n And good fishing from the marina docks.<\/p>\n Here’s is an old friend, Zopilote<\/em>, more properly the Spirit of<\/em>, with Joan and Bruce Kessler aboard. If any sea-going couple is responsible for the rise of the cruising trawler phenomenon, Bruce and Joan would be our nominees.<\/p>\n There is a nav marker just off the marina, with a nest, whose inhabitants take an interest in the passing dinghies and yachts.<\/p>\n These two photos were taken just before dusk, with the 1DX body and 100\/400 zoom. It will be interesting to see how this combination works in more light.<\/p>\n There are two Friendship Sloops doing day charters. This is a design with which our family has intimate experience.<\/p>\n At $50.00 a head for a two hour sail, it is a bargain.<\/p>\n There are a variety of craft of course, and good communications. Our Pepwave router has connections with two wifi signals, AT&T and Verizon. But this Perini Navi sloop, with is five satellite domes, has us beat.<\/p>\n There is whale watching nearby.<\/p>\n With sea birds to shoot on the way out and back.<\/p>\n With the sun in control of the sky, and a glassy sea, some interesting scenes will inevitably arise.<\/p>\n At the end of the day we are treated to a lovely combination of sunset and moonrise.<\/p>\n You can see why the sunset cruise on the Friendship sloops go for a premium.<\/p>\n We are at anchor now, across the bay, snuggly surrounded with lobstah pots. A rare (for us here) heron overflies, making sure we are OK.<\/p>\n If there are a few clouds creeping in, at least they are intermittent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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