With an estimated 5000 miles of coastline, it's no surprise that lighthouses dominate. We saw a few of the great ones, along the way to the west entrance of Penobscot Bay:
 |
| Pemaquid Point Light |
 |
Whitehead Light
|
We sailed up beautiful Owls Head Bay, and rounded Owls Head Light towards Rockland.
 |
| Owls Head Light |
Once you round Owls Head, you're at the entrance to the large harbor of Rockland
 |
| Rockland Harbor Breakwater Light |
Rockland was a very tourist friendly town, bustling in the summer. We spent much of the next day walking the shops and visiting the Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center.
After two easy nights anchored in Rockland Harbor we set out for the upper half of the west bay. On a whim I wondered aloud to Susan whether our friends and slip-neighbors in Barrington, Tony and Joanna on Starshine, were somewhere nearby, since I remembered they spend a good chunk of their summer in Penobscot Bay. "Hi Bennett, we're off of Warren Island," Joanna tells me. OK, where could that be? "Oh, that's just 2 miles ahead of us. See you in a few minutes."
 |
| Pratique and Starshine off Warren Island |
Next day we said our goodbyes and headed north into the upper bay, then around Turtle Head, the north tip of Islesboro. On the way down the east side of Penobscot Bay we passed, you guessed it, more lighthouses!
 |
| Dice Head Light, Castine |
 |
| near Eggemoggin Reach |
 |
| Pumpkin Island Light, near the northwest entrance to Eggemoggin, and opposite Bucks Harbor |
Just down from Castine and around Cape Rosier lies the entrance to Eggemoggin Reach, which separates the mainland from Deer Isle. Even though a suspension bridge with 85' clearance spans the middle of the Reach, we weren't ready yet to head east to leave Penobscot Bay for Mt. Desert. Instead, we found one of the nicest spots of the week--Bucks Harbor, just before the northwest entrance to Eggemoggin.
 |
| Bucks Harbor |
We found just enough room to anchor amidst all of the moored boats, on the northeast side, behind Harbor Island. It's a short walk from the marina to the one small market nearby.
One more lighthouse, further south the next day, on the way to North Haven and Vinalhaven Island:
 |
| Eagle Island Light |
