The Natural
Get in touch with your wilder side, plan a cruise to the coast of Maine.
If one of your goals is to get away from it all, an excellent way to do that is to head for the craggy coast of Maine, where cruising Down East can be akin to traveling back in time, or at least to a place where cell-phone coverage is chronically iffy. Yes, there are crowded ports along the Maine shoreline—tourist towns with perhaps a few too many T-shirt stands or saltwater-taffy shops—but they differ in degree and size from other popular boating destinations. Fishing villages are more the norm here, as are the rough-hewn spits of seaboard that have long inspired painters and poets. And then there are the serene coves surrounded by pine trees and granite cliffs that remind busy boaters what quiet really sounds like. August is one of the best times to cruise Maine. It’s when weather often provides a window in the fog and the prevailing southwest winds are light to moderate. With warm days and cool nights, it’s prime time, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be beating off the crowds. While there may be times when you can’t find a mooring in that perfect harbor awash with pleasure cruisers, there’ll also be moments when only lobster boats break the horizon with any regularity. That variety is part of the beauty of exploring Maine. If you’re planning to visit next summer, consider putting these ports on your float plan.
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
