Camden - Sea and Lake Paddles

Camden; where the mountains meet the sea. In the summer you can sign up for kayak tours right from the town dock. And why not? The harbor is filled with schooners, yachts and sailboats, and just a half mile out is tiny Curtis Island with a lighthouse on the backside.
Our first destination in Camden was Laite’s Beach on Bay View Avenue. I wanted to explore it as a possible launch site. In season, restrooms are available there. It’s a small beach, with very limited parking, quite a ways above the water.


Laite Beach from the Harbor

“We can slide the boats down the grass.” Mark proposed, “then just carry them down the stairs.” Sure - down was easy - but eventually we’d want to bring the boats home. So we went to the official launch beside the condominiums on Sea Street. There are no facilities there and no parking, though parking is available in a nearby lot. I’ve never tried launching out of there in the summer, instead I’ve launched from Rockport, which has a much calmer harbor. In Rockport, for a small fee, you can launch and rinse your boat after.
Though it's quite late in the season, Camden Harbor was still very full.

Mount Battie and Camden Hills State Park form a dramatic backdrop to the harbor.

Camden's library as seen from the harbor.  Look for the tiny tower atop Mount Battie

Most of the schooners were wrapped up for the winter, a few were still out.

Lewis R. French prepares for winter

The Appledore was readying for one last day of cruising.

Meanwhile a frontend loader was pulling up sections of dock.

 After circling the harbor, we cruised along the south shore to Ogier Point.  Once we’d made it out behind Curtis Island the lighthouse came into view.

Closer to Curtis Island

As did some guillemots in their winter coloring.

Guillemots: alcidae with red feet which appear as blurry dots in photos

We went by the day markers, and beyond Northeast Pt. The chart shows passage behind the tip of Northeast Point. Though we were there near high, we found no openings between the rocks, but maybe on a higher high it would be passable. The tiny island just beyond the point was filled with cormorants.

We peeked around the corner then headed back into the harbor. Back at the launch a sailboat was being hauled out - a task made more difficult by a dump truck parked near the launch. We landed at a tiny beach and carried our boats over the rocks to a small turnout which was filled with piles of gravel and dirt for a construction project on a nearby road.
We’d planned to change in the car before going to lunch at the Camden Deli, not as easy a proposition with the activity around us, so instead Mark slipped on pants and I wore a coat over the wetsuit. Camden Deli, the building in the center with large plate glass windows, has an incredible view overlooking first a quiet pond filled with ducks and further out, the harbor.

Camden Harbor from the shore

We wandered the street after, admiring a 2012 model plug-in Prius, in town to impress the attendees of Pop Tech. I guess there was no plug facility available; the car was being charged by a gas powered generator.
Camden doesn’t just have a beautiful harbor, mountains, great restaurants, and fine shops. It also has Lake Megunticook, a charming lake filled with islands and inlets. There are at least four access points to the lake. One on route 105, Washington St; two on route 52, Bartlett Cove and the nearby public launch. The fourth launch is in Linconville, just off route 52 into Norton Pond, which is connected to Lake Megunticook.

A sheer cliff at Bartlett Cove reminds me of Yosemite

We launched at Bartlett Cove, a swimming beach with restrooms in season, and a portapottie still hanging out. Lake Megunticook is tucked behind Mount Megunticook which, along with Maiden Cliff, dominates the lake.

Maiden Cliff has a white cross upon it in memory of 13 year old Sarah Whitesell who was blown off the cliff in 1865.

Mark waiting patiently by the Fang

We paddled over to Fernald Neck Preserve, owned by the Coastal Mountains Land Trust. This rock by the shore reminded me of tree roots.

We took a moment to pose by a huge erratic, Balance Rock, and got rather bland pictures, then continued on along the neck, across to a small island and along the cottage filled shore.

The tip of Fernald Neck

Admiring an Island owned by the Trust, closed much of the spring and summer for nesting

The colors were still bright by the lake, and it was a beautiful afternoon to be out. Our trip had started cold enough to have frost on the car roof, but now the temperature was near 60. Unfortunately, Mark needed to get home and return to work, especially since we'd stopped by Mainesport to look for gloves and got waylaid into kayak discussions.

Stockton Springs to Fort Point (Maine)

Basics: Launch: Stockton Springs, restroom still open, portapottie still in place. Lots of parking. Launch 11:15, finish2:45 Low 10:45AM, 10.5 miles

There seem to be more and more challenges to paddling. Usually we like an early start. But 35 degrees? It seemed chill so we waited until it warmed up some, even though winds were expected to increase as Thursday went on. Winds from the southeast, which would be a 60 degree angle to most of our planned trip home. By ten, it was flirting with 50, so we headed out in our wet suits and waterproof boots to Stockton Springs.

The harbor was a busy place, a raft was moving about pulling up the moorings, owners were coming to pull their boats to shore. As we headed away we could see the Pentagoet, the Maine Maritime Academy tug, busy with a barge at the platform near Sears Island.

Stockton Springs' Harbor is basically a big bowl with a half mile wide opening between Sears Island and Cape Jellison, protecting it from many winds and waves. It’s not immune to wind and waves though, we’ve gotten there and changed our minds.
This photo shows the entry to the bowl bordered by Cape Jellison to the east and Sears Island to the west. In the distance, the island of Isleboro breaks up waves coming from the south.


The sun came out, the water was so still near Defence Point at the southernmost tip of the Cape.

Defence Head, low tide

I love low tide on a still bright day, having an opportunity to see what on the sea floor. In the shallow depths some sea urchins and periwinkles remained.

Visibility was high, here Camden Hills peaks over Northport beyond the tip of Sears Island.

Defence Head, a tiny tidal island has a field of rocks at the end of it. It was still close enough to low that we needed to paddle an extra half mile around the island and its bar.

Because wind was expected later in the day, we debated whether to head to Fort Point, or whether to hang around in the harbor area. But we’d seen several boats heading in and out, as well as the student tugboat. We decided to keep to our plan, and headed off along the cliff studded south side.

Mark complained that he had to struggle to keep up with me. At first I thought it was just because I was in the Vaag, but as I thought about it, I’d been in the Vaag on a couple of paddles recently, and neither time had Mark mentioned trouble staying ahead. Once we’d even switched boats, so I knew on flat water they both went about as fast. Still, plainly the Vaag caught the wind better than the Zephyr. That didn’t bode well for the return trip.

Soon enough the Fort Point lighthouse came into site.

We moved into the mouth of the Penobscot River, with the Penobscot Narrows Bridge distantly in sight, and pulled over to the sandy bar. Not a beach, swimming is not allowed due to dangerous currents, especially on an outgoing tide.

Right off the bar was a birch tree with no less than 4 woodpeckers jumping about the branches. I didn’t know what they were eating, not wanting to get close enough to disturb them.

Fort Point is a state park and historic site, with a picnic area, pit toilets and foundations of two forts available for a low entry fee. It is just a short drive from the launch point. We ate our lunch and wandered about, joining other photographers taking pictures of the area, and watching the wind build.

The Bell Tower at Fort Point

The wind never was too bad, but there was wind and chop on the way back, which regularly slopped over the deck or up my left arm. I was pleasantly surprised to find the ocean was still quite warm. It never got above 60 on the trip, but I didn’t need gloves. I used a low short stroke heading back. The wave angle was such that I didn’t need to make many correcting strokes. This time, Mark had no complaint about keeping up, instead I fell behind. Partly that may have been the effect of wind on the Vaag, but I’m sure it was also that wind makes me more cautious. Still we made good time, much better time than getting to Fort Point, mainly because it was too choppy to waste time on photos.

The water was high enough to make Defence Head once again an island, and to allow us safe passage closer to shore without hitting any rocks.

Once between Sears Island and Stockton Springs we made even better time. The waves were less, but the wind and incoming tide pushed us along, and the chop was significant enough that we paddled quickly to keep our boats under control.

The Pentagoet was still towing the barge about and docking at the platform. The mooring pulling was still in process, as was the boat removal.

I was grateful that the restroom with the nicest view of any boat launch was still open so I could change into dry clothes for the trip home.

Time from launch to Fort Point: 11:15AM-1PM. Time to return to Stockton Springs: 1:30PM to 2:45PM. We’ve gotten used to picking the best day of the week for ocean going trips; best being defined as warm, clear and low winds. So it was nice to be reminded that less than perfect conditions are still fun.