We're sailing "Down East" now, along the beautiful, rocky coast of Maine. Most people in other parts of the country think "Down East" is a place. Truth is it's a sailing term from the great old schooners that traveled along this coast 200 years ago. It means "Downwind and to the East", a nice easy ride before the prevailing westerly winds.
 

So far no whales, but we know they're here and we keep looking for them. Last night we anchored in Roque Harbor, a quiet little bay encircled by small islands. Roque is the main island and has a nice sand beach where we walked. How would you like to live on an island? No roads to it, all the food and things you need to live come by boat. There are about 1200 islands an acre or larger along the coast of Maine. People live on about 300 of them; some people live on them year around.
 
We headed for Cutler this morning, a pretty little town east of Machias Bay, with a perfect harbor. Just before the harbor, on the Cutler Peninsula, we saw something really unusual--an antennae farm! The U.S. Navy's radio towers used to talk to submarines and other Navy ships at sea. I counted 25 of them, all about 1000 feet high. Hard for the U.S.Navy to keep them a secret, don't you think?

Most of the people in Cutler fish for lobster. Our friend Jasper Cates, who has lived in Cutler all of his life, came to visit. Both of Jasper's sons, Brian and Steven, and his grandson Dennis are lobstermen. More about lobstering later on.

Maine people who live here year around call the summer residents and vacationers The people from away. They say, "If you weren't born on the kitchen table in Maine, you're from away". Most of the families go back several generations, some to the original settlers who came from England.

Being "from away", one of the most amazing things to see here are the tides. Right here in Cutler the water goes up and down 14 feet from low tide to high tide. You have to be very careful where you anchor not to end up "high and dry" when the tide goes out. I bet Mr. Cap will be busy explaining about tides! They go from high to low every six hours. When the tide is all the way down it's called "slack low". All the way up is "slack high". Then there are "spring tides and "neap" tides. In between high and low tide the water flowing in and out of Cutler Harbor causes 2 to 4 knot currents. This changing of the water is very good for "Fish Farming" . Atlantic Salmon are raised in the circular tanks you see in the picture. Each one holds about 30,000 fish! Just a few weeks ago they sold off a million pounds of salmon!

I can hear the lobstermen on the radio this morning complaining about the cold. It's 46 degrees and the water is 48 degrees. They are joking about having to break ice to get out of the harbor and that it's more like the Arctic Ocean than the Gulf of Maine.

Time for a hot breakfast. Talk to you tomorrow.
 

Your friend heading "Down East",
 

Gary