Kayaking Somes Sound & Frenchman Bay Maine

    Somes Sound

Somes Sound

When I first heard in 2012, that Maine had it's very own fjord Somes Sound;  I got out the map to see where it was.  I determined there and then this was an area I wanted to paddle, unfortunately it was going to have to wait another year as the few days remaining in our Maine vacation were fully scheduled.    Technically speaking Somes is not a true fjord as found in Norway as it lacks the steep sides and is more correctly referred to as a fjard.   But heck who cares, fjord fjard it is still a long narrow sheltered arm of the briny surrounded by great scenery and ideal for kayaking, so September of 2013 a friend and I did just that.


When we vacation in Maine we usually stay at an inn on the east side of Frenchman Bay near South Goldsboro where it is very peaceful and our kayaks are safely stored on the property well off road.   This is also very convenient to a couple of good put-ins for paddling Frenchman Bay.  But as Somes Sound is on the west side of Mount Desert Island which is also on the other side of Frenchman Bay it is not so convenient to get to, requiring a little over an hour's drive to reach Southwest Harbor where we will find a suitable spot to launch from.  I had heard that Beals wharf on Clark Point Rd was good, but on arrival we find parking is limited to two hours and as  we are looking to make a day of it we drive around to Southwest Harbor only to find that it is private which leaves us with our other alternative, Manset town pier on the south side of the bay.  Here we find what we require, a section for all day or overnight parking and it is free.  Yeah!    Manset pier is reached by Seawall Rd to Ocean House Rd then east about 100-200 m.

George ready to launch at Manset

It is September 4 and the weather is perfect for our paddle as we set off across the bay threading our way through the many boats at anchor, mostly sailboats and small power boats.   As we clear the bay and round Clark point near Beals the Sound looms ahead, sandwiched between Norumbegan Mt on Mt Desert Island and Acadia Mt on the west shore.

towards Somes Sound

We do not encounter any traffic and wind is light so wave action is minimal as we pass Norwood Cove a natural harbour on our port side, continuing towards the narrows marking the entrance to the sound.   The west shore is more rugged rising quite steeply, the east more gently sloped with many expensive waterfront properties.   It is worth noting that most of the shoreline appears to be private so one can't just stop anywhere for a pit stop but  hope we  will find somewhere where we can go ashore to eat our lunch. 

East shore

West shore (courtesy George)

As we progress north up the west shore we notice a small tour boat head in towards shore where it lingers for awhile, intrigued we come about and head for their position to see what we are missing.    Worth the effort as here are a couple of very pretty waterfalls, obviously a tourist attraction.   I now know from my map that the larger is known as Man O' War Brook Falls and we stop to capture a few images of this picturesque scene before continuing; with an eye to finding a suitable stop for lunch.

Man O' War Brook Falls

A little further on I spot two kayakers in the shadow of Acadia Mt taking a break on some rocks that are almost awash, not a great place to take out if you value your gel coat but theirs are plastic.   I ask if they know the area and can suggest a decent place to get ashore for lunch.  I'm informed there is a small park with picnic tables on the east shore about 1 !/2 km distance so we thank them and head off.    The park was probably not designed for water access the shore being very rocky but we manage to land on some gravel with little problem.  I think this park is part of Acadia National Park and is ideal for our purpose with a nice picnic table in the shade and a toilet further up the slope.

Landing

Picnic site

Looking south
from picnic site

We don't tarry too long at the picnic site as the tide is going out and we would have to chase the water.    We set off heading NW towards Somes Pond at the top of the Sound where we will turn around and return to Manset.   This could be an alternate put-in for someone paddling the Sound, particularly if weather was such that the seas around Southwest Harbor got too choppy.   There appears to be a wharf off the highway (Main St) near Somes Pond Outlet.This area is great to paddle and the scenery is lovely but as it is almost landlocked it doesn't quite feel like being on the sea, more like the inland waters we are used to at home in contrast to paddling on Frenchman Bay.

Channel to Somes Pond

On reaching Somes Pond we turn around following the west shore southward to begin with until reaching Acadia Mt and we see a two masted schooner come in our direction.  As there is little wind she is barely making headway and I veer towards her to get some close ups of this old gal of the sea.   It is the Stephen Taber and chatting with her skipper I learn they are out of Rockport on a six day cruise.  This beauty was built in 1874 and accommodates  about 20 passengers, a great way to experience the Maine coast.

Schooner Stephen Taber built 1874

Wishing our seafaring friends Bon voyage we continue our paddle southward passing the occasional tour boat and just enjoying the scenery and beautiful fall weather as we make our way back to Manset town pier and bring to an end another spectacular paddle.

Our track