Our last lobster meal from the guys on "Overtime" and the best blueberry pie ever from Little Notch Bakery in Southwest Harbor
Bass Harbor Headlight from the water at high tide as we cruised away from Acadia
Our next stop was Stonington, Maine. This is a small working town as well as popular summer vacation spot. We had a mooring ball for an overnight here. Our dinner at the Harbor Cafe of steamed lobster, clams, and mussels was phenomenal.
Stonington downtown and harbor
There are many lobster boats in this town, here are some moored in the harbor.
Downtown Stonington docks filled with lobster traps
Our mooring was near an old work boat I thought was kind of cool so I took some black and white shots of it
Sunset from Southern Style in Stonington
Saturday morning August 3rd we left Stonington and went to an anchorage in the Vinalhaven area.
Sites along the way to our anchorage
It was quite windy most of the day while anchored so we did not put the dinghy down to explore. Finally late afternoon the wind quieted down and I took a quick kayak paddle.
Pictures from my kayak ride
Southern Style anchored in the backround
Mussles visible at low tide
Seaweed clinging to the rocks at low tide
Southern Style at anchor
We also had some seals for company on a rock near the boat
Sunday August 4th we pulled up anchor in the morning and cruised through Fox Island Thorofare
Then out into Penobscott Bay
Our next stop was Rockport, Maine. Rockport, Maine is a small coastal town. It was settled in 1769 and called Goose River Village until 1852. Its early industries were ship building, ice harvesting, and the manufacture of lime. Steam locomotives operated on a narrow gauge rail hauling lime in the area. Rockport shipped some 300 casks of lime to Washington, DC to repair the capitol building after it was damaged by the British in the War of 1812. By 1907 the lime industry ended and the town began to decline. Its pretty location along the coast has helped it to continue as a tourist stop.
Rockport Harbor
A quiet town with many lobstermen and sailboats
Locals fishing on the docks
Dinghies lined up at the town docks
The Vulcan steam locomotive in front of an old lime kiln downtown by the harbor
Rockport is also the home of Andre the seal. For some 25 years this seal was a fixture in the Rockport Harbor. A local man, Harry Goodridge, first came upon the seal in 1961. Goodridge was looking for a seal to take diving with him. He had two seals previously that he had trained to dive with him and when he found Andre as an orphaned pup, it was a special match. Goodridge taught Andre many tricks and over the years, Andre and Goodridge preformed for visitors in the harbor frequently during the summer months. Goodridge would take Andre to the Boston Aquarium for winter and pick him up again in the spring. Both Andre and Mr. Goodridge were unique and very interesting. Andre passed away in 1985 but his granite statue remains in the Rockport Harbor Park. Mr. Goodridge passed away in 1990. Ironically Andre is buried on land owned by the Goodridge family while Mr. Goodridge's ashes are scattered at sea. For a really nice article about Harry Goodridge and Andre see:
www.newengland.com/today/travel/maine/portland/andre-the-seal/
Statue of Andre the Seal
We continue our return trip tomorrow as we head for Tenants Harbor, ME.
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