Last August may have been the best sailing weather I have seen in Maine in quite some time. Warm and sunny for the most part and we only ran into one early morning fog which was light and quickly burned off. We had sailed east from our home port of Eliot Maine and the Great Cove Boat Club to visit some new destinations. We were aboard my 1990 Hunter 35.5 "Dragonfly". My mentally handicapped son Derek (known up and down the coast as "Big D") and I started the trip with some beautiful weather and some great stops in Biddeford Pool, The Goslings, Wills Gut, and Robinhood Marina. The plan was to pick up our third crewmember, "Elphis the hiking Goddess" in Boothbay Harbor for the balance of the cruise, and proceed to Penobscot Bay for a week or so of exploration.

After our rendezvous in Boothbay via Townsend Gut, we cruised across Muscongus Bay to Tenants Harbor, spotting some nice humpback whales surfacing alarmingly close to the boat. It was a real thrill for Elphis, who was new to sailing and had never seen any whales before. Tenants Harbor was very crowded due to the Points East Flotilla moored there en-route to the Bay of Fundy, but the Georges River Harbormaster managed to squeeze us into what was possibly the last mooring. We experienced a fantastic downwind sail through the Muscle Ridge Channel and up to Camden for a few days visiting, with extraordinary weather the whole time. 

 

We headed easterly between Mark and Saddle Islands for Northhaven and Pulpit Harbor. The winds were light and variable to start but the southwesterlies soon picked up and we had a rollicking reach right up to Pulpit Rock. The entrance to Pulpit Harbor is protected by a majestic, towering rock with an enormous Osprey nest crowning the top. The Osprey was sitting in the nest like a king surrounded by his seagull minions. The nest has apparently been there for many, many years and generations of Ospreys keep building anew on the location. The nest seems bigger than some Eagle nests I have seen! The Osprey seemed pretty unperturbed by our approach and gave us a glare.

The entrance to Pulpit Harbor is easy, just keep the rock to Starboard and favor the middle of the channel. Moorings abound in the harbor, but there is some anchoring room on the outside of the mooring field. The bottom is mud with some kelp, so set it well, and check your anchor. The cove is very well protected from all points. If you locate in the southeast part of the cove you can see spectacular sunsets over the Camden Hills, and the windjammers cruising in the Bay. One of those classic schooners may spend the night with you in Pulpit Harbor. It's one of their favorite stops. While we were there the 132 foot, three masted schooner "Victory Chimes" came in and anchored under sail. It was a very majestic sight, not to mention a nice bit of sailing by the crew.

The public landing is to the north, and it's only a short walk to the store if you need supplies, food, or beverages. The walking and sights are great no matter which direction you go. Development on North Haven is sparse and you will feel as though you stepped back in history. After returning from the store we spent a quiet afternoon watching a bald eagle fish from a perch in the southeast part of the cove. After he flew back to his nest with dinner, the osprey was circling, and fishing the same waters. This was obviously the hot spot for birds of prey!

 

We sat there enjoying a beverage, relaxing, and watching a sunset that was partly cloudy but still fantastic! A more peaceful spot would be hard to find. This place is so serene; it was a shame to shatter the peace by starting the engine to charge batteries, or worst yet to leave the next morning!

Get Pulpit Harbor tides and weather here.