Day 1 – Riggs Cove to Monhegan Island

Day 1 – Riggs Cove to Monhegan Island

Sheepscot River Chart
Click on this image to view the full chart

Yesterday we moved onto Isla and slept aboard in Riggs Cove, tucked into the Maine Coast. Both sets of parents came to send us off and see the boat in the water. The tiny dinghy, The Dingy, pushed low into the green water as I rowed my mom and dad out. We all jostled below deck surveying the cabin and sharing assurances. Isla was looking better from the hours Andrew had put in, and also from the eviction of tools and ongoing projects covering the interior before.

Too many hugs later, our parents and their reasonable anxieties were back ashore, and we ferried Caly over to let her out before bed. The cove was now dark; I stopped to relieve myself off the dock. The disturbed water lit faintly, like sunken fireflies might, and I swirled an oar in the black to watch the flickering creatures

Riggs Cove Night, Maine
Resting up before the start of the cruise

I woke at 5:30am, too early, and silently went above deck to fish in the morning fog. Two mackerel tailed the lure with curiosity, striped backs following the evidently too large rubber minnow. I waited in the quiet for Andrew to rise. 

Foggy Riggs Cove, Maine
Conditions: Fog

When he did we ate breakfast, peanut butter sandwiches, and then set about hooking up the head (toilet) to the holding tank. We heated tubing over the gimbaled alcohol stove to soften it and rushed to force it onto barbed plumbing connectors before it cooled. Many attempts later, we finished that and started moving. We filled our gas and water tanks at Robinhood Marina, and left the cove. We spotted two huge masts behind the trees around Towensend Gut, and changed course to investigate.

Marie, yacht, Maine
Want to trade?

There, we passed Marie, an incredibly large and expensive cutter rigged ketch. It dwarfed the trees on shore.

Swing Bridge, Townsend Gut, Maine
Thank you bridge man

We continued down the gut, through the swing bridge that opens on the half hour, and then sailed in light winds ten miles offshore to Monhegan Island. The sail dragged on for hours and the slow swell eventually bothered my cubicle coddled stomach. We followed another sloop into the harbor, grabbed a large mooring, rowed ashore, spoke with the harbor master, grabbed a larger mooring per his request, and rowed back ashore to explore.

Monhegan Harbor, Maine
Isla in Monhegan Harbor

Andrew hopped out, and I went to stand just as he pulled the dinghy further up on the beach. I fell backwards with force and a small crowd on shore certainly saw it happen. Cameras in tow, we set out for a quick walk around the village, walking up to the lighthouse on the hill above the town.

Monhegan Village, Maine
Monhegan Village

Back in the village on the lobster dock, we saw numerous jelly fish, and also regular fish. This prompted a contest to catch dinner, loser had to clean the catch. I won with three pollock, the second and third biting the sabiki as if in response to the frantic reactions of the first to the hook. The guests on the front porch of the Island Inn, previously enjoying a pleasant and peaceful view, watched us struggle to kill the fish on the toe rail with the back of a hatchet. The fish were bony but tasty; we finished before any moral obligation to waste nothing had entered the equation.

11 Replies to “Day 1 – Riggs Cove to Monhegan Island”

  1. Feel free to ask questions about our trip, sailing, the Maine coast, anchorages, or whatever else here in the comments

    1. I enjoy your writing style, your storytelling is so alluring. I don’t know much about sailing or Maine, I’ve only driven through a small part of that beautiful state. I hope to pick up some things as I read through this blog. Thank you so much for posting it! I’ve also enjoyed your insta account. 🙂

  2. This is really interesting. I “discovered” your site as a result of your “liking” one of my posts on Instagram. I love your writing style, and will spend time reading over the remainder of what you’ve written about your adventures. We spend a good portion of the summer on Monhegan Island; this year will be my 24th.

    1. Thank you Bradley, I’m really glad to hear you are enjoying it. Monhegan was one of our favorite stops, I’d imagine spending extended time there is wonderful, and 24 years, wow!

  3. Normalment mai m’ha agradat llegir articles als blocs
    però per aquest bloc vull dir que aquest escrit realment em va obligar a provar-ho!
    El teu gust per l’escriptura m’ha sorprès.
    Gràcies, molt bon article.

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