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With the help of wind and perhaps some tide, we made short work of our two crossings, each about 2/3 of a mile , first to Fisherman’s Island and thence to the northern tip of of Damariscove. From there we had an effortless Sunday drive down the lee of Damariscoves’ eastern shore, very quiet. and pleasant As we approached the southern end of the island ,some ocean swell created elevator rides along the rocky shore, but we stayed a ways off shore for the most part.
As we rounded the southern tip of the island, the scene changed quickly, from quiet and calm to whooshing and windy, but then back to quiet again once we entered the little harbor tucked into the southern tip of the island. We landed on the slimy seaweed -coated boat ramp under the charming historic life saving station with its stone tower. A big bird of prey flew out of the garage-like entrance to the station , and inside we saw a large nest in the rafters. We nestled in for lunch in a grassy patch against a south-facing corner of the building, bathed in sunlight but protected from the wind, with a view out to sea. Perfect. It was remarkably silent, except for our voices. After eating and chatting we saddled up again . amidst grumblings about chilly fingers and toes: it was chilly again now that we were in the shadow of the station.
We retraced our route, happy to again stay in the lee of Damariscove. On our crossing back to Fishermans, wind was a bit stronger, little whitecaps everywhere, so we had a bumpier ride into the wind, and, again, renewed silence for our glide in the lee between Fishermans Island and the “Hypocrites” a cluster of ledges now exposed on the lower half of the tide.The outer Herons and Pumpkin ledges loomed off to the east, inviting, but for another day.
Back at the Ocean Point take-out we were accosted by Mr. Carmody and Mary Beth, out for a Sunday drive, perhaps drawn to the sight of lumbering drysuited bodies moving kayaks about in a familiar place of business. We chattered for a little while, then headed off to the Monstweag Roadhouse for some food and ale .
We were all glad that we had decided to paddle: we had all converged on Boothbay from different directions, with no contact since Friday, each of us having decided to carry on with original plans, despite apprehensions because of the cold temperatures. As others have advised here; often, conditions turn out to be more favorable than forecast, so when in doubt it is often wise to carry on with paddling plans , and make the call at the launch site.
