Monday morning, an ominous start... it's been raining all night. A soft drizzly rain. I stayed at a motel in Lincolnville, our launch point. Jack, Susan, and their friend Roy have yet to find me.

Warren island State Park. The warden's name is Sonshine, she spends 6 months of every year here, and she says she loves her job.

The second morning of our trip, launching from Warren Island, on our way to Butter Island. We still think fog is a nice way to keep winds down and limit sun exposure. What little we knew.

Sailboat off the north side of Barred Island.

Eagle Island Lighthouse.

I had a duff day, while Susan, Jack and Roy went exploring Bradbury and Pickering Islands, near Deer Isle. Roy and Jack went for one additional spin around Butter Island.

This sailboat spent the night on the next beach. They were still asleep when we launched for our destination of Hen Island, on the east side of Vinalhaven. On this day, our navigation was entirely GPS, fog so thick that at times our visibility was down to 2/10 of a mile. We relied heavily on Jack's GPS, as mine succumbed to moisture (fog!).

Around Hen Island.

Did i say it had been raining?

Our picnic table came complete with a nice little Zen sculpture.

The fog lifts as we get more than 2/3 the way to Butter Island, an island on the Maine Island Trail. Jack and Susan Pines travelled out here with their Feathercraft K2.

We land on a steep beach on Butter Island. Tides here average about 8 feet. That's Roy showing off his "spiderman" wetsuit butt.

In the afternoon, the fog forms in a very well defined stream right up East Penobscot Bay.

Roy gets downright dainty.

This is one of the more clear moments.

Around Hen Island. We would have seen much more of this glaciated granite if not for fog.

Jack, Susan and Roy find me right at the dot of 9:30 am, as they said they would. We are launching now, around 10:30, from the Linconville Beach town harbour. We will have a light crossing today, 3 or so miles over to Warren Island State Park.

Across the reach, on Isleborough. Is this one of Bush's "Haves" or "Have Mores"? This little summer cottage came complete with it's own 3 hole golf course.

Roy, approaching Bear Island.

We climb to the top of Butter Island, where there is a monument to the Cabot family, to whom this island belongs. Their decendents have been kind enough to open a portion of the island up to MITA members. Behind us is the lighthouse on Eagle Island.

Laminar fog

Cabbage head.

Closing in on CalderwoodIsland.

Our little cove on Little Hen Island. Fog lifted just in time for sunset. Nice little island, if not for meat-eating mosquitos!

Roy gets his gear together.

Cormorants having a huddle....

Bear Island up ahead. This turns out to be a rare clear day we get to paddle in.

Nubble Island, which is connected to Butter at low tide. The Eagle Island lighthouse is beyond. Note the little bit of fog coming in....

Dinner

Bye, Bye Butter Island. This is the MITA signage at our campsite.

And, just as we get through the foggiest of crossings, the fog begins to lift. "POOF"

Our camp.