Up at 4:30 I made the coffee, rolled up the power cord and reworked the dock lines so we could back out from between two yachts. We pulled out at 5:15 with enough light that we easily maneuvered around the Lobster pots. Reaching open waters, I throttled up and listened to the soothing drone of the big Detroit diesel motors as the boat settled into the rhythmic motion of slow sea swells. We watched as the morning dawned. The sun dissipated the early morning mist from around the passing islands and the sea turned from a sullen grey to a verdant green.
The tide which was against us for the first few hours turned and pushed us forward bringing our speed to 11 sometimes 12 knots and within a few hours we passed our first "out", Roques Island. "The wind hasn't come up yet. Let's go directly across and save an hour," I suggested. "I want to get home. Let's go for it! said Beth, so off we went.
Within a short time we began to see the outline of the Cutler Towers. This is a former naval base that has communication towers visible for miles. It was our last chance to get in out of any inclement weather and the wind was coming up; 4 knot, 8 knot, then 10 knots....but we were only 14 miles from the Lubec Narrows and the relative safety of Fundy Bay. We pushed on as we watched the alternating granite and brown sandstone cliffs pass by. Grand Mannan island loomed off our starboard bow and although the wind was increasing, because we were only 2 miles off shore, the waves were subdued at 2 feet.... and we raced along.
Cutler Towers
Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick
We strained to make out points that we knew on shore, but it was over 25 years ago when we last made this trip....then there it was....Sail Rock and the most welcome sight on this part of the Maine coast...The East Quoddy Lighthouse...welcoming us into the safety of the narrows between Lubec, Maine and Campobello Island, Canada.
Sail Rock at 3/4 tide
East Quoddy Lighthouse
FDR Bridge linking Lubec Maine and Campobello New Brunswick
Canadian Customs and Immigration
US Customs and Immigration
Lubec, Maine
Eastport, Maine
We had timed it perfectly. Not only were we getting in just as the wind was increasing but we hit it at an incoming tide which pushed us through the narrows at 12 to 13 knots. Had we tried to enter on an outgoing tide, our normal 9 knots would no doubt have slowed to 3 and we would probably have had to stay on the outside of Campobello Island and enter from the north (with the tide) through Head Harbour Passage.
We glided past Eastport and watched as the Ferries shuttled cars from Canada to the USA. Whew! we were in. We could relax.... No! We still had to go between Eastport and Deer Island to get to Seaview camp ground where friends were waiting to help us dock the boat. The problem was that meant we had to go near what I have been told is the second largest whirlpool in the world....."Old Sow!" and it is at its worst 2 hours before high tide.....like now!
Deer Island, N.B. /Eastport Maine Ferry
Beth cringed as Doc's Holiday leaned one way then was thrown the other. I played the throttles and the steering trying to keep the boat on track but Beth hung her head and sat down, moaning, " I hate this motion of the boat! Please hurry up and get through this!" "We've been through this before, just in a smaller faster boat, so you didn't notice the power of the whirlpool as much," I tried to reassure her. "This is as bad as Hell's Gate! she pleaded. Within minutes we were through. No question you wouldn't want to pass this area two hours before high tide in a storm. "Old Sow" has sucked down a ship or two.
As we rounded the bend, there they were. We could see their smiling faces from several boat lengths away, Nick and Wendy and of course our beautiful little grandaughter, Faith (now getting taller!)
Waiting on the dock to help us get tied in was Marshall and Ruth Lucas, friends we have known for 30 years....."Welcome Home Doc!"
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