Kayaking Frenchman Bay Maine

Ironbound and Jordan Islands

Frenchman Bay

This is an area I never tire of kayaking there being so many bays and islands to explore, and with Mt Desert Island as a backdrop the scenery is without parallel.   There are a couple of excellent put-ins that I have used that are within a short drive of the inn we stay at in South Gouldsboro,  Bunker Cove wharf is closest and is best as you can park very close to the boat ramp and even at low tide the bottom of the ramp is almost awash.  Our first day kayaking and the bay is shrouded in fog so visibility is not great but being familiar with the area and having GPS we plan to head out with a mind to staying reasonably close to shore.  We park at Bunker Cove, this is an active fishing wharf so we are careful not to block access to any fishing boats or property not wishing to undermine our welcome for future visits.

Bunker Cove wharf

Weather on the coast is varied and can change fast and fog is something you can count on.  On this occasion visibility is probably 100 - 150 m and is not likely static but with GPS we will have no problem finding our way, just have to keep an ear to approaching traffic which might not see us.

Left, lobster boats in the cove.

Right, paddling in fog.

Not a great deal to see once you get away from shore but eerily calm in the fog as we proceed southward toward the passage between Jordan Island and the mainland.   Lobster pots are everywhere and the throb of the fishing boats engines is heard intermittently and every once in awhile their ghostly shape comes into view.  We look forward to a later rendezvous with some of their tasty catch in one of the fine dining establishments of the area.

By 11:30 we are abeam of Crow Island just off Grindstone Island which is in fact really a peninsular providing shelter to Winter Harbor, our planned destination this trip. Tide is still going out so we think we can park on an exposed sandbar to stop for lunch.  Lunch over we head SSE to round Grindstone Point then north to stop at Inner Winter Harbor for a quick pit stop before ending at Henry Cove to view the town of Winter Harbor.  This is as far as you can go so turning around we head back to Bunker Cove.

Crow Island

Lunch parking

Town of Winter Harbor

On our return trip we pass our sand bar used for parking at lunch, now it is high and dry and quite inaccessible due to all the exposed rocks, timing is everything in this environment.  For variance we decide to go further from shore cutting between the north end of Ironbound Island and Jordan Island thence along it's western shore passing Yellow Island before turning NE back to Bunker Cove.   As we approach this channel the fog thickens seemingly snagged on the islands, relying on GPS I steer for the gap and am almost on top of the island before I can see it.  Clearing the gap we emerge in the clear the fog being held by the islands but now as we look to the NE Bunker Cove and the mainland are now obscured.   Tide is low and fog thick as we arrive back from our 23 kilometer trip feeling we made the most of a foggy day in Maine.

Looking NE

Bar Harbor and Porcupines

This time we have a gorgeous weather day ideal to make the trip to Bar Harbor which is on Mt Desert Island about 9 km across Frenchman Bay.   There is a string of islands running roughly east west called the Porcupines and we can stay on their leeward sides if necessary to shelter from wind but it is looking good.  Once again we launch from Bunker Cove heading SW between Stave and Jordan islands heading for The Hop at the eastern extremity of the Porcupines 

Bunker Cove

Mt Desert Is.

Staying along the north shore of Long Porcupine we paddle SW towards Burnt Porcupine, here the retreating tide has exposed a stony beach where a quick  pit stop is made.   Clearing the southern tip of Burnt Porcupine we can now see a large cruise ship anchored off Bar Harbor.

SE tip of Burnt Porcupine

Bar Harbor is a major tourist destination situated as it is on Mount Desert Island part of Acadia National Park.  It offers all the amenities as well as opportunities for hiking, sailing and cruising for both whale watching and sightseeing, and is port of call for many large cruise ships like the Holland America line's MS Veendam pictured below.

MS Veendam

It is also the terminal for the hover-craft service from Nova Scotia so the harbor area can be quite busy with a variety of craft.   Sliding past her bows I'm thinking if she were not at anchor I doubt we would be getting into any kind of argument as to who has the right of way here. We head in towards a horseshoe beach below the promenade in front of the Bar Harbor Inn.  I had scouted out possible landing areas when on a previous visit with our wives so even if the tide was in there is a ramp to get us up from the beach.

On arrival we take our lunches and stroll up the ramp to the promenade to seek out a bench where we can sit and eat lunch.  Here one can enjoy a view of the harbor while basking in the autumn sunshine.   The Margaret Todd, a stately tall ship sits by a wharf in preparation for another cruise of Frenchman Bay as a whale watching catamaran makes for open sea with the Porcupines straddled across the bay beyond like so many green gems.   I take a quick walk into town to pick up a T-shirt I had meant to purchase on my previous visit leaving my friend to keep an eye on our kayaks.    It is now time to make our way back to Bunker Cove, and as we head out the Margaret Todd is now off our port side under full sail as she takes another load of

 tourists around the bay.   We are aiming for the southwest tip of Long Porcupine to look at the caves before paddling along it's rugged east side.    Then turning northward we will round 

Margaret Todd

the northern tip of Stave Island before returning to Bunker Cove having traveled 22 km this trip.

Long Porcupine

Rounding Stave Is.

Bunker Cove to Bar Harbor