September 11th and here we are in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It took two very frustrating days to travel thirty miles. Maine and New Hampshire are two hell states for lobster traps. In less than an eighteen hour time span we got snagged twice.
Saturday afternoon we departed Portland, due to a thunderstorm and heavy winds, we attempted going into a nice little anchorage inside Wood Island (Biddeford) Maine. Just shy of a quarter mile before entering the anchorage we caught our first lobster trap. We took our boat hook and tied my never dull bread knife. This knife was advertised to cut through metal and we have proven it to be a very useful tool. Just as Ted cut us loose the winds come up at first 52 knots but went as high as 72 knots. So as stress plays its game, not only do we have to dodge traps but fight the winds and strong current as well. Once the rain came…it came in buckets..but short lived though. The positive side of this is it left behind a beautiful sunset and two rainbows. Hopefully the pictures will upload.
Next morning, the anchor wasn’t up for five minutes when the second trap snags. This one must have sunk as it was not visible. We ended up lowering the dinghy and Ted putting on his wet suit. One and a half hours later we were cut loose. No strain on our marriage during all this….no sir!!! Much!!! Not even as much as one lobster out of all this!!!
The tides here are ten to twelve feet, therefore, really causes a short travel frame. Very few areas to duck into (unlike Nova Scotia). Every piece of property along the coast there remains a beautiful home. I find the radio etiquette here on channel 16 is worse than our channel 68. Even the US Coast Guard…they must be only allowed a two second time frame to put out a ten minute notice. Security, Security, (Warning, Warning for those none sailors) and then the race begins….all you can pick out are two, or maybe three words. If you’re lucky, after hearing the notice for the tenth time, you might get the drift of the message, but not the whole message yet. Unbelievable!!!
Four monarch butterflies flew over us, they must be heading back to Mexico. As well, the geese are heading south.
Florence is coming up the coast, we will tuck in here for a day or two. Next destination Marblehead (Boston Yacht Club), Massachusetts.
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