[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference unifix::sailing

Title:SAILING
Notice:Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:UNIFIX::BERENS
Created:Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2299
Total number of notes:20724

1136.0. "The Kennebec or Not?" by HYEND::SVAILLANT () Fri Feb 24 1989 11:40

    
    
    Attention Maine Sailors!  We have a summer place at Popham Beach
    and sail out of Stroughts Point, Casco Bay.  We have entertained
    the notion of mooring our boat by the Fort Popham.  My question
    is, have any of you ever navigated the Kennebeck River?  The
    tide change, the current - how difficult is this to manage?  There
    are now (in the summer) three sailboats moored by the fort, which
    indicates it is not am impossibility...........
    
    Just curious as to how you "experienced" sailors handle the river....
    
    Sandy

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1136.1Cruising GuideECADSR::FINNERTYFri Feb 24 1989 14:038
    
    I'd suggest you get hold of a copy of "A Cruising Guide to the New
    England Coast" by Roger F. Duncan and John P. Ware.  There are 
    photographs and 6 pages of information on the Kennebeck River.
    
       - Jim
    

1136.2CRUISING GUIDE TO MAINECVG::MONTIVIRDIFri Feb 24 1989 16:356
    "A Cruising Guide to Maine" is also an excellent reference.
    I can't remember the author, offhand, I'll post it here on 
    Monday.
    
    VM 

1136.3usually OK, sometimes notDNEAST::BELTON_TRAVITravis BeltonMon Feb 27 1989 11:1117
    I've sailed (actually motored) down the Kennebec and out and it
    wasn't pretty.  The wind was stiff and out of the east, straight
    up the river.  I guess the tide was running out because when we
    got past Fort Popham we encountered huge waves that lasted until
    we had cleared Cape Small.  It was brutal.
    
    For the next two years we regularly went around Sequin Is. to avoid
    the area around the mouth.  Now, however we almost always cut inside
    Seguin on our way past the Kennebec and have found it to be fine.
    You just have to watch the weather and tide.  The current seems
    to run about 3 kts max in that area so you will be able to motor
    against it.
    
    Travis
    
    P.S.  Where is Strought's Point?

1136.4Can be interesting!SAGE::WALKER_KMon Feb 27 1989 15:477
    We've been past the mouth of the Kennebec several times and I certainly
    agree with .3. If the wind is from about SE to NE blowing against
    an ebb tide it can be VERY interesting and much better to stay outside
    of Sequin Island. I wouldn't want to enter the Kennebec in those
    conditions unless I was in one of those BIG ones with the guns that
    they build upriver in Bath!

1136.5GONAVY::GINGERMon Feb 27 1989 16:3610
    I have also sailed by Seguin several times, and concur its a great
    place to sail WELL PAST, like 5 mi offshore.
    
    As an example, the tour boats from Boothbay that make the run past
    Bath alter their direction in accordance with the tide, since they
    cant make it reliabliy up the Kennebec against the tide.
    
    I would keep a boat around the other side of Cape Small, well away
    from the Kennebec.

1136.6Strought's PointHYEND::SVAILLANTWed Mar 01 1989 13:124
    Strought's Point Marina is in South Freeport on the Harraseeket
    River.  Quite/protected harbour.
    

1136.7If you find an anchor....BRAT::FAULKNERTue Mar 07 1989 15:5520
    I think it was four years ago I anchored in behind Ft.Popham on
    a cruise downeast. It seems to be a quiet and interesting spot,
    especially if you're a history buff what with the fort and all.
    I didn't especially care for it as an anchorage however, probably
    my own fault for not being more carefull where I dropped the hook.
    There's apparently a large eddy in that area from the river/tide
    which I found out later collects all manner of dead trees and god 
    knows what else. When I was there it seemed to shallow up fairly 
    quick when you get away from this central eddy so we anchored in
    what we thought was good depth with soft mud bottom according to
    the lead line. That night we were woken several times by large logs
    which had apparently been floating down river and out to sea before
    being caught in this eddy, and CATHUMPing into the side of the boat!
    In the morning we discovered the anchor had snagged on something
    on the bottom that clearly didn't wish to give it back, try as we
    might to free it for better part of the morning. Being on a tight
    schedule I opted to just tie a float as far down the rode as I could
    then "cut my losses".  Not a bad spot other than that !
    

1136.8Try the New Meadows around SebascoRAINBO::BURRThu Apr 27 1989 23:0117
    If you have a place near Cape Small, why not look for a place on
    the eastern shore of the New Meadows River.  Check out the cruising
    guides.  You will find that there are several excellent and well
    protected harbors quite near the mouth of the New Meadows including
    the area around Sebasco and Sebasco Harbor.  I have a house across
    the river with a mooring behind Rogue Island off of West Cundy's
    Point so I have spent a fair bit of time in the area.  The area
    behind Bear and Malaga Island is VERY pretty, very well protected
    from almost anything and is still in the same town (Phippsburg)
    that I assume your house is in.  You could probably drop a mooring
    there for free.
    
    I wholeheartedly agree with the others who have commented on mooring
    in the Kennebec.  Unless you are only a fair weather sailor or get
    your fun from going backwards over square waves or have a BIG boat,
    the Kennebec is not my idea of a place to keep a sailboat.