This past weekend, Katie and I set out for a new destination...North Haven, Maine. As the crow flies, North Haven lies about 43 miles southeast of Hamlin's Marina.
Anyone who knows Katie and me understands that we are not planners, and to pull off a trip like this everything would need to align perfectly...weather, lodging, boat, mooring, etc. The weather was perfect for our journey...inland temperatures were in the mid-90s and offshore we experienced low 80s. A bit of wind persisted, but the seas remained fairly calm all the way. Lodging is tricky on North Haven. I had heard tales of a whimsical inn on the island, Nebo Lodge.
Of course, I also knew that a night at that inn in mid-July would require a reservation twelve months in advance. I called the day before, and wouldn't you know...the Nebo Lodge had a cancellation, I booked a room!
Now for a boat. Well, that is tricky at Hamlin's Marina in mid-July as well. Certainly, I would need a craft big enough and fast enough to make the trip in our short window. Our inventory of boats is pretty wiped out, but luckily we still had a perfect boat for the journey. The all-new Chris-Craft 28 GT was going to get a break from the showroom.
Chris-Craft 28 GT |
The Chris-Craft is powered by the new Yamaha 425 V8, and it made quick work of Penobscot Bay. Top speed attained was 52 MPH, but we cruised comfortably at 3800 to 4000 RPM in the mid-thirties.
As for a mooring, we called Brown's Boat Yard upon our arrival, and we picked up the last mooring available in the harbor. Although, they don't have an official launch service, fifth generation family member Adam Brown picked us up in his Yamaha powered skiff. Foy Brown let me use his old wooden rowing skiff to get back to the Chris-Craft early Sunday morning. Nothing like a Sunday morning in a busy lobster harbor to learn how to row!
Brown's Boat Yard |
Katie spotted a couple of the Puffin Dinghies we build in Hampden tied to the wharf:
There were a lot of highlights during our North Haven trip. Here were the Top 5:
5. Dinner at Nebo Lodge
4. Learning how to row with Foy Brown's dinghy
3. People watching at North Haven Brewing Company
2. Lounging on Penobscot Bay in a Chris Craft
1. Late night pizza at Calderwood Hall
Katie and I only spent one day at North Haven. Our next trip will definitely be a longer one with our daughters as this is definitely a great family destination!