Jim Riccitelli, an old compatriot from my long gone but never forgotten Nomura days, found an interest in sailing and hinted he might be a willing crew member on one of our trips. We finally managed to reconcile our busy schedules for a trip from Portland to Camden in May.

On the first day, we sailed all the way around Cape Small and a good way into Sheepscot Bay to Five Islands Harbor. We tacked our way into Sheepscot Bay, looking for the "magnetic disturbance" around Ellingwood Rock near Seguin Island. The winds dropped and we were stalled near the Black Rocks for a time. The entrance to Five Islands was easy to find,  and the rewards of the early season once again became evident in this beautiful location. In the summer I'm sure it is overly crowded, but it had a few lobster fishing boats and a nice quiet ambience. We used the southern exit to the harbor the next morning, which worked fine but was unsettling. A swell builds up around the ledges on that side, making you think you've drifted into shoal water. But, we carefully maintained the proper distance from shore according to the charts, steered a straight course, kept a cautiously slow boat speed, found our way into deep water before long, and breathed a sigh of relief once the depth sounder started to jump up.

Our next stop was Monhegan Island. We had wind coming directly from Monhegan and spent a long day sailing into the spring easterlies before finally turning on the engine in an attempt to make up some time. We wanted to get in a hike on Monhegan, where I hadn't been in several years. We moored there and enjoyed the blustery feeling of this remote, somewhat rugged, yet well populated island. At the local store near the dinghy landing we discovered great "Portuguese Soup", with kale, beans, and turnips - I believe called "Sopa de Pedra" in a cookbook I have. I have since managed to reasonably duplicate the recipe. To my surprise it is a big favorite with my kids. The store also bakes its own bread and offers the best meatball parmigian sub I've ever had. Our hike seemed short compared to what I remember, but we decided not to walk the entire coast, as we did in 1997, on an Annual Northeast Atlantic Coastal Cruise.

We left Monhegan, which isn't an inviting harbor for an overnight stay, and sailed to George's Harbor, between Allen and Burnt Islands. This harbor was empty, fortunately. The swinging room in the narrow cut between the islands is minimal. We thought about a number of anchoring schemes before finally settling down for the night, but I never lost a feeling of claustrophobia. Nevertheless, it was a scenic spot.

On the final day, we sailed up the Muscle Ridge Channel and into Penobscot Bay to Camden.

Five Islands Harbor, sunrise near the main entrance.

Five Islands Harbor, lobstermen leave in the early morning.

The crew looking a bit scruffy in the early morning chill.

 Rowing the P. Ellen to the dinghy beach in Monhegan Harbor.

On the road to the store for Portuguese soup and meatball parmigian subs.

The headlands on the far side of Monhegan Island.

On the main dock in Monhegan Harbor.

Monhegan Harbor views, Chaos, and some crew.