When the United States was still young and the interior of the country was barely developed, ships served as the most important means of communication between the former colonies. Boston in particular became the centre of the rapidly growing trade along the Atlantic coast. Sailors whose ports of destination were in Maine set course eastwards from there. In doing so, they had the prevailing wind at their backs, a mostly fast and uncomplicated passage for crews and passengers, downwind eastward. This was shortened to down east, and this term soon came to stand not only for the promising voyage itself, but also for its destination. It was retained. When people talk about Down East today, they usually mean the eastern half of the state of Maine, from the wide Penobscot Bay all the way up to Canada, a distance of around 120 nautical miles in an almost straight line. The view from on board has changed little since the nation's beginnings: The North Atlantic still crashes against a wildly jagged, densely forested rocky coastline. Granite, moulded by glaciers. Offshore islands and historic lighthouses are both landmarks and important landmarks. Behind this rugged exterior, however, lies paradise in many respects. If you come on your own keel, you will discover sheltered bays and lively harbours where the maritime tradition is still upheld. And all this in the midst of magnificent nature. It is therefore hardly surprising that this far corner of the country has an almost magical attraction, not only for the local recreational boating scene, but also far beyond its borders. Let's go Down East!
Need more information? You can find the "Down East" report with more pictures in BOOTE issue 10/2021 from 15/09/2021 at newsstands or online at Delius Klasing Shop.
Even though the region has no clearly defined geographical boundaries, for many it begins in the west with Penobscot Bay. The bay is suitable for this because it literally marks an incision: Emerging from the dense forests of the hinterland, the Penobscot River flows into the Gulf of Maine on a broad front here. 10,000 years ago, when the sea level was much lower, the river branched out into a multitude of estuaries in the marshy lowlands. Then the water rose again and the delta sank. In its place remained this striking funnel, which reaches almost thirty nautical miles inland and is just as wide on the seaward side. A large number of islands are scattered across its waters. Of the two largest, Deer Island and Vinalhaven, the latter in particular, Carvers Harbour, has a very active base for the economically important lobster fishery.
Yachting on Penobscot Bay, on the other hand, is concentrated in the small towns along its western shore. Where the timber industry used to boom and in good years whole fleets of schooners were launched, tourism has taken over: In summer, the population of places like Belfast, Camden and especially Rockland triples. This has done no harm to the maritime heritage. It is cultivated all the more enthusiastically, especially in the welcoming yacht clubs. In addition, the holiday season seems to be one big celebration, usually with a direct - or at least indirect - connection to the sea. Rockland attracts visitors to the North Atlantic Blues Festival, Camden to the Windjammer Festival, Belfast to Harbour Fest. Not an evening in August without fireworks!
But as soon as you follow the wind further, the calm returns: to the east, Penobscot Bay is bordered by Mount Desert Island, Maine's largest island. When the explorer Samuel de Champlain cruised off the coast at the beginning of the 17th century, he named it after its bare mountain ridges, monts déserts. In fact, the summit of the 466 metre high Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the entire US east coast - and the first place to be touched by the rays of the rising sun during the winter months.
Apart from that, Mount Desert is anything but a desert - on the contrary. The majority of its area is part of Acadia National Park. The settlers who followed their French compatriot believed they had found paradise on earth when they arrived in the New World: Acadié, the mythical Arcadia. This name has also stuck. Anyone who follows the paths of the park for a few hours between red spruce, hemlock and pine trees or spends an afternoon on the perfect beach of Sand Beach knows why. For boating holidaymakers, Mount Desert is not only a tempting destination because of its green idyll: the fact that the island becomes a meet and greet for yachts of all sizes in summer is also due to its three excellent harbours: Southwest and Northeast Harbor offer both sheltered buoy fields and fully serviced jetties. In addition, Bar Harbour is not only the tourist hub of the entire region (even cruise ships stop by here), but is also known nationwide. Of course, there is also a shop right on the waterfront that sells Christmas items 365 days a year - even though Santa Claus lives at the North Pole and not in Maine. A little kitsch is a must. But there's really nothing wrong with a Blueberry Ale or Coal Porter at the Atlantic Brewing Company after a busy day in paradise. After all, you need new energy when you pull out your tongs in the evening for the battle at the lobster buffet!
Apart from that, Mount Desert is anything but a desert - on the contrary. The majority of its area is part of Acadia National Park. The settlers who followed their French compatriot believed they had found paradise on earth when they arrived in the New World: Acadié, the mythical Arcadia. This name has also stuck. Anyone who follows the paths of the park for a few hours between red spruce, hemlock and pine trees or spends an afternoon on the perfect beach of Sand Beach knows why. For boating holidaymakers, Mount Desert is not only a tempting destination because of its green idyll: the fact that the island becomes a meet and greet for yachts of all sizes in summer is also due to its three excellent harbours: Southwest and Northeast Harbor offer both sheltered buoy fields and fully serviced jetties. In addition, Bar Harbour is not only the tourist hub of the entire region (even cruise ships stop by here), but is also known nationwide. Of course, there is also a shop right on the waterfront that sells Christmas items 365 days a year - even though Santa Claus lives at the North Pole and not in Maine. A little kitsch is a must. But there's really nothing wrong with a Blueberry Ale or Coal Porter at the Atlantic Brewing Company after an exhausting day in paradise. After all, you need new energy when you pull out your tongs in the evening for the battle at the lobster buffet!
The further east you go, the stronger the pulse of the ocean becomes noticeable: while the average tidal range in Bar Harbor is still a moderate 3.60 metres, it is now increasing rapidly. 50 nautical miles further on in Cutler it is already 4.80 metres and in Eastport on Moose Island on the border with Canada it is an impressive 6.20 metres. But all this is nothing compared to the waters that are responsible for this ever steeper rising tidal curve due to their special hydrological characteristics: the Bay of Fundy, which begins here. Twice a day, the Atlantic has to squeeze into the 120 nautical mile long and 35 metre wide bay between the Nova Scotia peninsula and the opposite coast of the province of New Brunswick, while at the same time overcoming the edge of the continental shelf. It is the world's largest bottleneck: one hundred billion tonnes (!) of seawater are moved every day, more than all the rivers on our planet combined in the same period of time. The kinetic energy - if it could be utilised - would easily be enough to supply the whole of Canada with electricity. At the same time, the tides that occur are also the highest in the world, with an average of 13 metres between high and low tide, and even 16 metres at spring tide.
These are the nautical extremes that prevail not far from the easternmost harbour in the United States. Even if you "only" have to cope with 6.40 metres and the corresponding tidal currents in Lubec (named after Lübeck) itself. The town of 1,300 inhabitants is only separated from Campobello Island, which already belongs to Canada, by the passage of the Lubec Narrows. If you have a boat here, the Maritimes, as the coastal provinces of the neighbouring country are called, are closer to you than the rest of the USA. Strictly speaking, however, Down East ends at a different point: the rocky end of the Quoddy Head peninsula juts out a little further into the Bay of Fundy than Lubec. It is the most easterly point in the country. Only Nova Scotia remains to be circumnavigated before the wind takes us out into the open Atlantic. Next landfall: Portugal.
