Thursday, March 28

This Summer’s New Cruising Destination: The Maine Island Trail

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If you’re looking for another reason to go cruising in Maine this summer, think about exploring the Maine Island Trail, a 375-mile water trail that connects more than 200 wild islands and mainland sites from New Hampshire to Canada. You can visit them individually, or plan a summer-long cruise to stop at them all, and enjoy the best of Down East cruising while you’re at it.

Many people’s plans for long-distance cruising have been upset this summer, by a combination of COVID-19 problems and previously announced lock closures for long-delayed maintenance. People planning on cruising the Great Loop, for example, now have to work around lock closures this fall on the Illinois River, between Chicago and the Mississippi. The Erie Canal will open late because of lock maintenance. Canada’s historic Rideau Canal will open in June, at the earliest.

All of those problems make Maine an even more attractive cruising destination than usual this summer. And the Maine Island Trail gives you a route to follow, and things to do all along the state’s ragged coastline while you’re at it.

The trail is operated by the Maine Island Trail Association, a non-profit organization in Portland with more than 6,000 members. On its website (see below), the association says that most of the islands and sites on the trail are open under the current COVID-19 rules and guidelines, although some individual spots may be closed by owners.

The association was founded in 1988 by people who wanted to encourage stewardship of Maine’s coastal islands. The association does not own the islands; it administers the trail by working with public and private owners to allow access to their property. And it relies on the owners’ trust that people will visit the islands responsibly and follow the Leave No Trace behind philosophy.

All of the trail’s sites are accessible by PWCs, kayaks, power and sailboats. Most are concentrated between Casco Bay and Mount Desert Island, an area that covers some of the best cruising grounds in the U.S.

You have to join the association to get its annual guidebook or mobile app that shows the details about the trail, including pictures, NOAA charts, and information about anchorages, pump-outs, and launching areas. Memberships cost from $25 to $65 a year.

Most islands are served on a first-come, first-served basis. They don’t have fresh water; bring your own. Read more:

http://mita.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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