Day 1 - "By Land and By Sea"

Quarryedge

   

Lucy was happy to see me.

 After a night sleeping on dry land (I in my old bedroom at my parent's house in Hall Quarry and Dan at his house) I drove over to Dan's place in Salisbury Cove.  The plan was to purchase two new deep-cycle marine batteries, some odds and ends and provisions.

We headed to Bar Harbor to hit the hardware store, the auto parts store and the grocery store.  First stop; hardware store, where we picked up some stainless steel hardware to install a handle/foot-rest on the transom-well cover where the gasoline, propane tanks and recyclable bottles are stowed.  Dan grabbed a few other items for the galley and we were off to the AutoParts store.  Thank You Paul and Hannah at Paradis True Value Hardware Store!

We found the auto parts store closed;  noon on Saturday....

So a trip to Ellsworth was in order.  No worries as we continue to be on no one's clock but our own.  First stop was Advance Auto Parts, a NAPA dealer.  Two premium deep-cycle marine batteries coming right up.  A few electrical items and we were on our way to the Super WalMart for groceries.  I handled the groceries while Dan looked for a few other things.  Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and some frozen meats.  Also, olive oil and snacks... and Dramamine.

We drove back to Mount Desert island. On the way we pulled over to watch a WWII Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber take off from the Hancock County Bar Harbor Airport. They are giving Scenic Flights to tourists.
A quick stop at Dan's for clothes and we were on our way to Somes Harbor. Dan brought the dinghy around to the shore. and I dropped the two new batteries in.  While I drove on to Hall Quarry to get my things together Dan changed out the batteries and motored down the sound to pick me up.

Dad helps load provisions.

Dan prepping.

Dad drove me, my things and the groceries down the driveway to the dock to load the boat and cart away the old batteries. When we arrived, Dan was in the middle of adjusting the tilt on the 

  outboard. It was pushing down on the stern 

Dan adjusts outboard tilt.

raising the bow more than he liked. We hung out on the dock and chatted a while and Dan presented Dad with his official Windfall baseball cap.  Just as we were about to leave my mother showed up with two dear family friends from Richmond, VA, Daryl and Bill who had just arrived to rent the family cottage for a week.  We had a nice little send-off party on the dock.

Dan, Darin, David

Daryl, Darin, Daniel, Bill

As we were getting a late start we decided to look for a mooring or anchorage in Valley Cove just down the sound a bit.  Valley cove is a beautiful little inlet sided by Eagle cliffs. There were a few other boats already there. 

Darin stowing food and gear.

The bilge pumps live below
this in-sole cooler.

 On the way I        organized the      galley and salon area, putting away the groceries and getting things shipshape.  Dan has built a finished bottom under the hatch to the bilge creating a nice clean storage area below water level.  I used this, per Janet's (Dan's long-time girlfriend) suggestion, as a cooler for all the fresh foods.  Dry goods and canned goods went into the cupboards and netting over the sink.  Frozen and refrigerated items went into the built-in cooler with two blocks of ice. 

*****

We had been told that certain lobster buoys that look just a little too clean and new, might actually be a legit mooring in secret.  We cruised in close to the shore.  Somes Sound is the only natural fjord on the US eastern seaboard.  The mountains plunge right into the water creating a very deep V within which you can boat very close to shore.  We picked a little green ball buoy with the name Alonzo on it.  I snagged it with the gaff and, surprise surprise, it had a large line with a loop on the end of a short tether.  Our mooring for the night. Thank you Alonzo!

Good conversation, fresh cucumber and apple with Balsamic vinegar for dinner.  Read a little from my book then slept.