Tis the time of year to start planning next years cruise.

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NancyandBud

New member
We vacation together with life long friends. They, however are not boaters.

But we plan on visiting Maine with them. And, since we will be in Maine, we are bringing Willow to cruise without them and perhaps share a couple of days on the water and they would sleep ashore overnight.

We have never visited Acadia National Park so we don't want to miss it as we may not be back in Maine with the boat again.

Looking for recommendations of places to launch that would also have storage for truck and trailer. Is there a published guide for that area similar to Waggoner's?

Any and all info appreciated. We are planning two weeks min. on the boat and know we could spend a lifetime.
 
Im interested in the response to this too. Maine is on my list for a late Spring 2017 multi day trip northward from Boston. I heard it could "take a lifetime" to explore the entire Maine coast! Cool stuff up there.
 
You'll be spoiled for other cruising grounds after boating in Maine!

3 essential Maine cruising guides:
1. The Maine Coast Guide for Small Boats - Casco Bay by Rindlaub
2. A cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by Taft & Rindlaub.
3. A visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by Bildner

You'll also want to get a chart book and chartplotter chip. You need the chartplotter to tell where you are as all islands look alike and blend into the background. You need the paper chart to keep things in context and to plan your itineraries.

We've used two ramps to launch & store our rigs. Both are free state/municipal ramps that allow parking for your cruise:
1. In Phippsburg on Rte 209 the ramp at Morse cove is on the Kennebec River. This is a good ramp to use to access the mid coast rivers and Casco Bay regions.
2. In Rockland use Snow Marine Park on Mechanic St. This provides access to Penobscot Bay and further east.

Let me know when you're coming, I can help with possible itineraries, and maybe cruise some portion with you.

Rick from Maine
 
Thanks Rick!

Local knowledge is always the best.

If you don't mind, I understand that July and Aug are the most busy months for tourists. What is the weather like in late May early June? We don't mind visiting places on what is considered "shoulder season", either before or after the peak.

For instance, we cruised Desolation Sound this year in late May, the docks always had a place for us w/o rafting and you didn't have to wait it get a seat in restaurants. The down side? Well it could have been rainy and cold, but it was just right.

Thanks again for your response and offer. We will touch base again when we make more specific plans (which, at our house, are always subject to change).
 
Thanks Rick!

Local knowledge is always the best.

If you don't mind, I understand that July and Aug are the most busy months for tourists. What is the weather like in late May early June? We don't mind visiting places on what is considered "shoulder season", either before or after the peak.

For instance, we cruised Desolation Sound this year in late May, the docks always had a place for us w/o rafting and you didn't have to wait it get a seat in restaurants. The down side? Well it could have been rainy and cold, but it was just right.

Thanks again for your response and offer. We will touch base again when we make more specific plans (which, at our house, are always subject to change).
 
The weather in May and June is fine for cruising, though you'll need heat til late May because water temps will only be in low 50s. Sept is the best month to cruise ME. May & June typically have more foggy days.

The one thing ya can't predict is what I call the spring rainy season. Often we get a 2 week stretch of gray/rainy days in either May or June. This year was unique, we didn't get it. But, usually we do.

You shouldn't worry too much about too many other boats in July/Aug. We do Aug cruises and have anchorages to our selves and Marinas and town docks are not usually a problem mid week.
 
You could easily spend the two weeks just on exploring Mount Desert Island! I would ask Rick to outline the "highlights--and don't miss" for you. We were fortunate to spend over 2 months in Maine, on our 62 footer. To us the highlights were the wooden boats. Be sure an visit at least one of the wooden boat schools/restoration shops. We enjoyed watching the sailing schooners maneuver without engines (had yawl boats, mostly for generating electricity). Lobster..Lobster and more Lobster!

We were able to stay in a different harbor almost every hight. One very special highlight was crewing on a 1901 Friendship sloop during the races near Friendship. The Antique and classic boat Festival would also be great to attend, it it fits your schedule.

We only had a few days of fog and rain, but, I did use the RADAR several times, when it was really socked in....
 
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