LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 149:
Sunday, August 19, 2001
Anchored Mistake Island Harbor, ME
1015 Underway, bound first for a look at Mud Hole, then for Bunker Cove, and finally on to Roque Island, a total distance of about 10 nm. The Maine Coast Cruising guide by Taft identifies both Mud Hole and Bunker Cove as potential Hurricane Holes. I like to take a look at such places when there is an opportunity so that if a decision is required someday to seek shelter, I will have a little better idea of what to expect.
1027 We start across Mud Hole Channel, dodging lobster pot buoys as we go.
1047 As we approach Mud Hole, we give the southern shore a wide berth to avoid the remnants of an old fish weir hidden beneath the surface. Once clear we turn south and cross the mouth to hug the south shore; this is to avoid a ledge that guards the entrance. The ledge is currently hidden with the tidal state at 12 feet above datum; it dries at low tide.
1050 Passing south of the ledge, we find ourselves in 16 feet of water; there would not be enough water for us to pass through here at low with our 5-foot draft..
1056 We reverse our course to head out of Mud Hole. At the deepest point we see 34 feet indicated on the depth indicator; this means there would be about 22 feet of water at low tide in that spot; there is enough room for one or perhaps two boats to swing on the anchor - more if warps were passed ashore to trees. The shelter is excellent.
1108 We proceed slowly out of Mud Hole.
1113 We turn NE to pass north through Eastern Bay; this is a bay that is peppered with ledges; extra caution is necessary to weave ones way through the "rock garden". It is also necessary to be absolutely vigilant for the lobster pot buoy hazard. Everywhere there are buoys; many are toggled together usually in groups of two, but sometimes of three or four. There is no consistency in the way they are rigged. Sometimes a white toggle buoy is 30 feet down the pot line from the primary buoy; sometimes it is at the tail end. Often the line between the buoys lies horizontally just below the surface; this is the effect of a strong current. Sometimes one of the buoys may be dragged beneath the surface by the current or at other times the line is too short at high tide for either buoy to reach the surface. Since there are millions of lobster pots along the coast of Maine, they
are often so close together that it can be difficult as one approaches to determine which ones are paired to which until the boat is passing by the buoys. If we find ourselves passing over one of the horizontal lines, we put the engine in neutral to prevent the prop from picking up the line. Once past, we put the engine back in forward again. Lobster boats do not have to do this, because they have cages around their propellers. As a result they can move quickly from one buoy  to the next as they haul their traps and not worry about becoming immobilized by someone else's buoys or lines. Auxiliary sailboats don't have cages
around their propellers because it would cause too much drag and thereby spoil the sailing qualities of the boat. One option for a sailboat is to install cutting spurs on the shaft. These devices are designed to cut away lines and seaweed that might  get wrapped around a prop or shaft. Lobstermen don't like the idea of people doing this because when a pot line is cut the lobsterman most likely will lose his buoy, pot line and usually two traps.
1147 We exit Eastern Bay at its northern end.
1204 We start across Chandler Bay toward the Roque Island Archipelago.
1235 We take a short jog into Bunker Cove; it is a well-protected spot; there are two sailboats already anchored here; one of them, in addition to a bow anchor, has a stern anchor out to keep it from swinging. There is not much room here.
1249 After transiting The Thoroughfare between Roque and Great Spruce Islands, we enter Roque Island Harbor; we turn toward the sand beach to the north.
1305 Lord's Prayer is anchored off the Great Sand Beach at Roque Island. Position: 44 34.505 N 67 31.203 W. The water depth is 22 feet with the tide state at about 11 feet. The tide is expected to reach 15 feet above the Mean Lower Low (MLL) datum at 2345 tonight and drop to 2 feet below that datum at 0611 tomorrow for a range of 17 feet between the high and the low over the next 18 hours. We should be in 9 feet of water at dead low tide tomorrow morning.
1400 Chris and I dinghy ashore for a walk on the beach; it is warm and pleasant. There are a number of other boaters ashore and we exchange pleasant greetings.
1630 Back aboard Lord's Prayer, I go over the side for a swim; it is chilly (55 degrees); I clear a little bit of stuff from around the propeller shaft and check the speed wheel, which senses the boat's speed through the water; I am delighted to find it is still in place; I try spinning it. Initially there is a little resistance, but then it spins freely.
1730 We move the boat a little further from the beach. The speed indicatoris working again - Hurray! When we drop the anchor it does not set on the first attempt; it drags across the bottom when we put the boat in reverse. When we haul it
to the surface we find a ball of mud on it and a little kelp. We clean it and try again; this time it grabs. Our new position:  44 34.563 N 67 31.054 W. At low tide (time: 1741), we find ourselves in 17 feet of water; at high there will be 33'. We are on the Spade Anchor with 130 feet of chain deployed. Engine time: 2527.1. We plan to remain here overnight; tomorrow we intend to go to Cutler.
 END OF LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 149


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