Postcards from Stonington

Friday was an ideal day for sea kayaking in Stonington.  We were down at Old Quarry Ocean Adventures shortly after 8AM, and finished well before the afternoon thunder showers.  

But I really don't have a story from the day, just some lovely pictures.

Crossing between the Coombs near high tide

Little McGathery Erratic, boat for scale

Two boats on a beach

Seaweed floating over a shell beach

Granite marbles on shore, with a head for scale.

Islandscape, with Mark for scale again

Lobster boats heading in between Green and Russ Islands

Stonington at low tide

A classic paddling view

Summary:  Launch 8:40AM from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures.  Fee to launch and park, restrooms, camping, rentals, tours,shower, supplies and more available.  High roughly 9AM.  Out by Grog, Hell's Half Acre, through Coombs, over to Goosberry, along McGlathery, Round, Wreck, Steves, St George to Sands.  By Rock Green and Russ back to Old Quarry.  about 12 miles, two stops, finish at 1:30PM.

Other visits:  Stonington with Schooners in the Harbor
                   Stonington:  The Search for Jem's Island
                   Stonington:  Two Wonderful (with Baffinpaddler)
                   Stonington Maine

Stonington Maine: The Search for Jem's Island

 “Jem stayed up another hour charting courses to islands in every direction.  He stepped his way with parallel rules across shoals and channels, through the bays to islands called Sparrow and Bear, Scraggy and Bumpkin, Brimstone and Shag, Otter and Colt, Rabbit Ear and Drunken Ledge.  There was a kind of excitement that Jem felt when he drew these lines and knew that they actually meant something, they could actually guide him to new destinations.  The lines turned winter dreams into something real.”*

   Continuing with our wildly popular Kayak Trips Based on Obscure but Awesome Books, this week we went in search of “Jem’s Island.”    Jem’s Island is a children’s book written by Kathryn Laskey, author of many books, including the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.

   Jem, a young boy living in Cleveland, has been promised an overnight kayak trip for himself and his dad off Deer Isle (Stonington) Maine.  He spends his winter, as many of us do, with charts by his bed, plotting various courses, selecting routes.   And in the end, instead of sticking to his planned route, and based on a mysterious channel leading to the interior, he selects an unnamed island he calls "No Name" to explore.

   We encountered this book years ago and relying on the names of some of the islands listed, searched for “Jem’s Island,” without success.    Then recently, I happened across the book again, only this time not the library-bound edition.  On this version, drawn on the front endpaper, was a simplified Deer Isle chart, with an island labeled “No Name”.    The hunt was on again!

   Comparing the sketch to charts, and looking at geological features on Google Earth, Mark determined that Ram Island was likely the “No Name” or “Jem’s Island” from the book. 

Safety Tip:  Maine’s coast and lakes are littered with Sheep and Ram islands.  The name is left over from when a herd would be transported to the island for the summer and left to fend for itself, safe from predators.  If you are ever in trouble, stating that your location is near “Ram Island” will provide little guidance to rescue personnel.

   Stonington has at least two Ram Islands in its archipelago; we were headed for the Ram island near Merchants island.  We launched from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, where I finally had a chance to meet the awesome kayaker and writer,  Michael Daughtery of SeaKayak Stonington. 

   It was an incredible day for paddling, gentle breezes and a sky of endless blue.  The waters were unusually quiet; many of the lobstermen usually active in the area are awaiting the higher prices necessary to make their trips profitable. (EAT MORE LOBSTER!)

    Ram Island looks like the island drawn for the book, but so do many other small islands.   And though Ram Island had some unique rocks, nothing as dramatic as the book showed.   

   There is a channel through the rocks of Ram Island, which would be better explored at mid-to-high tide. 

Dead ending in the channel, a higher point in the tide cycle would take us over the seaweed covered rocks

    Ram is privately owned and not available for landing.  However, due to the foresight of Maine Bureau of Public Lands and organizations such as the Maine Island Trail Association, dozens of islands off Stonington are open. We took the time to enjoy three of them.  We had a quick break by this sleeping rock creature on Steve’s Island.

    Mark and I enjoyed a longer lunch break in the shade on Harbor Island.  Jem, of the book, dined on hard tack, but we opted for more palatable food.

Hanging out on Harbor, with a variety of islands as a backdrop

Looking Southeast from Harbor

    Then, before heading in, we stopped for a quick swim off Hell’s Half Acre.  You can tell it was a hot day by our willingness to dip into the icy July ocean waters.

 Any of the islands we landed on can be yours for a few hours, a day or even overnight, and, at least as far as I’m concerned,  you are welcome to rename them for the duration of your stay.

  I suspect Ram Island is “Jem’s Island,” but I won’t be sure until I’ve done a lot more exploring, a lot more charting courses and plotting lines to distant destinations.

* quote from Jem’s Island by Kathryn Laskey, pictures by Ronald Himler

Summary:  Launch from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures; parking, launch, toilets and showers available, along with a broad range of outdoor adventures.  High 5:30AM, launch shortly before 9AM, arrived at Ram just before 11 AM, close to low.  The “channel” on Ram is probably best mid tide.  We finished shortly before 2PM.  13 miles, 3 stops.

 

Stonington Maine - Two Wonderful

OK, BaffinPaddler has posted her Stonington photos, Each and Everyone has posted his photos. I think it’s pretty clear who is keeping their blogs current and who is concentrating on finishing the frozen tiramisu before a hurricane-induced power outage ruins it.

Two bloggers head out

Anyway, what can we say, Stonington, is an amazing place, BaffinPaddler is an amazing Greenland style paddler. It was just so much fun to be entertained by her and her companion on Tuesday, that we asked if we could come back and do it all again on Friday.

Our Tuesday outing was a remarkably clear day, and we ventured out through the maze of islands to Gooseberry.  This was similar to a trip we'd done last year.  But this year we had an unscheduled convergence with the Each and Everyone blogger and his sparkling blue Capella.

Each and Everyone Blogger arrives at Gooseberry

Friday was unfortunately shorter, but no less enjoyable.  We visited the harbor, and inner islands, discovering a perfect little beach we'd never noticed before.

A few stories; BaffinPaddler asked me for suggestions of where to paddle in Maine. I suggested Stonington, specifically Old Quarry Ocean Adventures. Old Quarry has a beautiful location on Webb Cove.

A view from Old Quarry

Also on Webb Cove is an active lobster facility, which sent over a dozen boats by her tent early in the morning. To be fair, almost all of coastal Maine has that same issue. But never-the-less she was always in a good mood, energetic, ready to head out to paddle and do yoga.

Baffinpaddler was just back from a Paddle to Yoga tour she’d led in the Thousand Islands, and eager for similar adventures on the ocean. She’d also spent a lot of time paddling in the Georgian Bay, off Lake Huron, which in her understated way she mentioned was the “size of a lake.” The size of a great lake, about as big as Massachusetts. She had a healthy respect for the cold Atlantic waters and their mercurial nature.

She made the Georgian Bay area sound very appealing, with its deep clear waters. However as we approached an island, she asked if there were bears there, because on the Georgian Bay apparently bears thrive on the islands. Believe me, I would not be nearly as enthusiastic about Stonington if the islands had bears. And I noted the importance of her recommendation about using a good outfitter with local knowledge on the Georgian Bay waters.



Maelstroms react to the notion of bears on islands



Paddling with two bloggers and four photographers meant a lot of breaks, and some great entertainment while on land as we checked out each other’s artistic visions. We all took photos of a toadstool and a skull. Hopefully Baffinpaddler was happy with her shots, in ours the focus was never right, instead we’ll substitute this picture of the same skull (a groundhog??) on a rock.

We saw many lobster boats and were often surprised at how close to shore they went.  As Baffinpaddler noted, "There is no place where they do not go."  Lobster boats are cautious in the Stonington area, but kayaks are low and not always visible to them.

I am impressed with her yoga visions and projects. We do need to work yoga into our daily lives. Flexibility is key to enjoyable kayaking.

Baffinpaddler prepares herself for yoga on a perch

 

The picture above was taken on Russ Island.  Back when Mark and I made regular runs to clean the island, we always landed on a broad shell beach there.   Here we are on a run in 2007. 

 At first I thought it washed away over the years, but now as I check the rocks and angles, I suspect it is just a tide issue.  We generally would have aimed for a low tide cleaning, that's probably why I think of Russ as having an expansive beach there.

 Fortunately one my favorite sights, the round rock boulder field of Gooseberry, is there at all tides.

The boulder field of Gooseberry

Stonington carries many scars from granite quarrying, where island shores are replaced with granite tailings. Being there always makes me a bit negative toward using granite in kitchens. It's one thing to scar the land for timeless memorials, another for a room which will be redecorated in a few years.

This boulder on Green Island shows how slabs are cut

We’d managed to encourage Baffinpaddler to visit on a week with two high wind days and an impending hurricane! Pretty impressive timing. I hope they can forgive us and come back some day to do other great areas, like Castine and Camden.

A few more photos from our adventures:

A schooner near Wreck

Looking from Gooseberry out to Isle au Haut





An inuksuk

Just a pretty plant

Waiting for a schooner to clear the thorofare

And now, the server battery has only a few minutes left, so I guess I'll post this and make corrections later.

Stonington Maine, with schooners in the harbor

Imagine a clear green sea filled with dozens of islands within a five mile radius.  And then imagine that many of these islands have beautiful white shell beaches, shorelines of pink granite and best of all, the privilege of access, for careful day use, and sometimes the night as well. 

One place which brings these imaginings to life is Stonington Maine.  No wonder it is a popular pleasure boating destination.  The biggest challenge to Stonington is picking a route - because there are so many great choices.  It’s certainly a place where time flies, and all too soon the day is over.

Stonington certainly rates as a not-to-be missed Maine sea kayaking adventure.  We often like to bring paddlers there, in part because there are no strong currents, and the islands tend to provide protection from winds.  Not that Stonington is without its dangers, the ocean is the same deadly cold it is all along the Maine coast, the area has frequent dense fog, and the waters are heavily trafficked by pleasure and work boats (mostly lobster boats.)  And, though the islands provide protection, they are not immune to waves and wind, so those must be taken into account.

We launched from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures.  Bill Baker, who runs Old Quarry, has everything an adventurer could want, for day trippers: parking, launching, and showers; for travelers coming from a distance: rental equipment, for overnight visitors: camp sites and lodging, and for everyone a series of adventure packages; tour to see Puffins, a boat ride to Isle au Haut to go biking(fun!), of course kayak tours and lessons.  And best of all he creates a two sided sheet detailing which islands are available and what restrictions apply, so we don’t accidentally blunder into a heron rockery. It is the most complete and current list I know of .

Stonington has a strong history of stone quarrying.  Granite for the JFK tomb was quarried on Crotch Island, which still has a working quarry.  Granite from Russ Island went to the towers on the Brooklyn Bridge.  Many of the quarries have closed, but the remnants are everywhere.

Proof of the active quarrying was evident when a tug boat shoving a barge full of granite headed up into Webb Cove as we went to launch.

After letting the barge pass through we crossed over Webb Cove and went along the shore to Stonington Harbor.  Gathered in Stonington Harbor were four schooners, the Victory Chimes, American Eagle, Stephen Taber and one other.   What a gorgeous collection of boats!

We paddled up a little further along the shore; a couple of sights on the way;

a lobster boat in the harbor:

this lobster pound in an old quarry:

And this precarious looking pile of granite.

Near the Crotch Island sandbar we came across the skeletal remains of a ship, not listed on our chart.  It was probably close to dead low when we saw it.

There are many, many islands to choose from when it comes to picking a place for lunch.  I like an island small enough to circumnavigate in water shoes, and Mark likes Steves for its delightful views both of the harbor and distant islands.  On our way there we paddled along Crotch Island, whose shores, like those of many islands in the area are piled high with scrap granite.

That rough shore is barnacle covered mussels

A photo from lunch showing  granite, which appears to be melting, on Steves island shore, and quarrying cranes in the distance.

After lunch we went to wander about the island and discovered we weren’t alone.  A pleasant family from Montreal was camping on the south side.  Fortunately, they welcomed guests, and we spent time talking about favorite paddling locations.  They had been paddling many places along the coast of Maine on this trip.  They'd previously been to many other places which made us envious, including Newfoundland, and down the Saguanay River. 

Meanwhile, back in the harbor, the schooners were setting sail.

After lunch we had a quick paddle to Hell’s Half Acre (which is heavily used, but still incredibly lovely) before heading back to the Old Quarry launch and rewarding ourselves with showers.  It is so amazingly heavenly to shower before hopping back into the car.   After a shower I feel civilized and refreshed enough to explore the downtown, or to go out for dinner. 
Those who look carefully at the chart above will note neither Steves nor Hells Half Acre are named on the chart.  Steves is between George Head and Wreck, Hells Half Acre between Bold and Camp.

Stonington on Dwellable

Stonington Maine

High 8, launch 10, return 1:30, 9 miles

Stonington is well known as a destination for sea kayaking. Dozens of islands within five miles of shore, many open to the public, some for camping, others for day use only make Stonington an incredible place. And the day was certainly hopping at Old Quarry Adventures. Old Quarry offers stress free access to the water. It has two ramps, parking, toilets and showers available for small fees. There is also camping, kayak tours, boat rentals, taxis to Isle au Haut and many other services available.
At the launch ramp a group of ten kayaks was preparing for a tour, a family was building a klepper kayak which they planned to take out for overnight camping, two kayaks were headed in after spending the night out on the islands, another pair was launching. And why not? It was a beautiful clear day, not too humid, though rain was expected in the evening.


We had planned a moderate trip out to McGlathery and back, but Todd, a guide, mentioned Gooseberry, near McGlathery as a recent addition to accessible islands, so that became our goal. Gooseberry was added to the Maine Coastal Heritage Trust in December 2009.
Old Quarry Adventure shares Webb Cove with a granite company and a fish processing plant. As a result lobster boats and larger fishing vessels make frequent trips into the Cove. You need to watch out for them, since they often can’t see us.

Grog Island.

We went out to the Channel Rock, by Grog, past Bold and Devil and through the Coombs. A bar joins the two Coombs for about half the tide cycle. We passed through two and a half hours after high with no trouble.

Heading through Coombs with Isle au Haut in the distance.

Then it was out to Ram, past McGlathery to Gooseberry. McGlathery is a common anchorage for sailboats, a few were anchored there.
We landed on a shell beach on the north side of Gooseberry, at higher tides the east side might provide better access. We had a delightful lunch, and wandered about the island admiring the incredible views. You could make an entire scenic calendar of Maine from that one island. I took over 60 shots. That so few are here reflects my limited skill.





On the way back we passed west of McGlathery and Round, between Wreck and Round, west of Bare and through the Potatoes to take a break on Russ. We saw other kayaks as we got closer to town, but on the outer layers we were on our own.
When we returned to the landing the Klepper was making its final preparations. It was an older boat, loaded above the brim in the middle. Toward the back sleeping bags and pads were piled high on the desk. I tried to refrain myself from speaking, but when I met the owner in the bathroom, I couldn’t help but ask where they were headed. “Out near Isle au Haut; we’ve made the trip many times.” she replied in a tone that said she’d heard enough about how unstable the load looked.
Old Quarry has a list of islands which allow access and the limits.
Boyce’s Motel in Stonington is another place to stay; we stayed there once after a trip to Isle au Haut and were delighted by the cottage. There are also several Bed and Breakfasts.