Plastic Classic Forum

Hi All,


It's been a little while and I hope everyone is well. Denise and I are heading up to Newport, RI from Williamsburg, VA with some of our yacht club friends in late June 2011. After some quality time in Newport and the islands those guys will head back to VA and we will sail up the Cape Cod canal and make the overnight jump fom the Sandwich marina to the mudhole on Great Wass island. After a few days hiking and relaxing we will make the final jump around Quoddy head to the anchorage in Lubec. Once there we will spend a month slowly working our way back down the coast to Portland, ME before making the offshore run back to Williamsburg, VA. sometime in the first or second week of August.

This is very similar to the trip we did in 2008 ( 2007? ) that is detailed on this forum. Like before, we're using Maptech charts, a Garmin 3210 chartplotter with current charts, and "A cruising guide to the Maine coast". Anybody know of any other cruising guides, or any other planning suggestions? I'm not sure how much has changed up there from last time. We are looking forward to seeing some of the other Plastic Classic forum members as we work down the coast.


Happy Holidays!

George

You can't beat the cruising guide you have. There is no better reference for Maine.

I'm sure the version you have is still plenty accurate, unless you really care about the most minute of changes that happen over time (i.e. the cost of rental moorings hither and thither or whatever), so there's no need to buy the newest version unless you want to support the local Maine economy (always a worthy thing to do, of course). All the harbors are the same now as they were a few years ago, and the rocks don't move, at least not till the next ice age.

Thanks for the advice Tim -- It's always good to hear from you. Hope you and Heidi are having a wonderful holiday season.

George

I love that guide. Best I have ever seen. I spent a few rainy days poring over it when I had nothing else left to read too...

The one change I really remember from my first edition guide was that very few of the stores mentioned in the guide were still operating on the islands. Almost invariably, whenever I asked, I was told, 'oh, that store burned town a few years ago..." Seems small convenience stores on Maine islands are particularly prone to catching fire...

If you don't already have it, Duncan's Cruising Guide to the New England Coast is readable and offers the combined wisdom of several generations of Maine cruisers. It is getting dated, but is still useful and interesting to just browse through.

Thanks for the note Hulukupu,


I own a copy of Duncan's guide and used it before when visiting New England. An excellent guidebook. I'll also have a copy of Eldridge's tide tables for 2011 on board. An absolute must have for running the whole Block Island, Buzzards Bay, Woods Hole, Newport, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod canal, etc. complex of currents.

I'm really looking forward to the trip. Especially all the great towns, food, and hiking in the parks. In 10 years of cruising it remains one of our favorite cruises.


George