Expedition to Downeast Maine

ITINERARY Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

Day 1

We’ll meet at Compass Rose headquarters in Whitefield, ME at 7am. Once everyone has arrived we’ll have a quick orientation meeting over coffee, then pack our dry bags and load up the van. We hope to depart for Jonesport by 9 am to arrive by lunch time. Kayak instruction will follow a hearty lunch and boat packing. Finally, we’ll hit the water and head southwest to Stephen’s Island. Stephen’s is a small wooded island that provides great access to the furthest reaches of the Western Bay. After setting up camp, we’ll gather
on the rocks for a big dinner and to watch the sunset.

Day 2

Early morning wake up to beat the afternoon winds. We’ll fuel up with coffee and a fresh breakfast on the rocks, then jump in the boats to explore further south and check out some of the other islands in Western Bay. There are plenty of ledges and sandbars to play around and test our paddling skills. We can also expect to see a few bald eagles and perhaps a seal or two. This day of exploration will take us over to Sand Island, essentially just an exposed sandbar, but a great lunch spot with a fantastic 360 degree view. In addition to warming up to the boats we’ll spend some time talking about navigation and sea conditions, as we are likely to experience the extreme fog that often drapes the Downeast coast. Navigating the fog can be intimidating at first, but our guides are highly experienced and happy to let you in on all of their secrets.

Day 3

Today we’ll wake up early once again and break camp as breakfast is cooking. We’ll be heading around the south end of Great Wass and can expect more exposed sea conditions and a longer day of paddling. The dramatic coastline
we’ll see is worth the long day on the water. As is our destination, Little Water Island. Little Water is basically a meadow perched on top of a large granite ledge. Camping there is like staying on a balcony over the sea.
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Day 4

This morning we’ll leave camp set up on Little Water and head up into Eastern Bay. We’ll check out the Mistake Island Lighthouse, and head north around Steelhead Harbor Island. The geology in this region is dramatic, and we’ll paddle along some coastline that is truly sub-arctic, with tundra-like meadows fingering out along cliff-lined coast dotted with scrub pine. While cruising in and out of island passages we’ll keep our eyes peeled for the diverse bird life that populates the region, including terns, eiders, and razorbills.

Day 5

Our last day on the water, we’ll break camp and fuel up before heading north along Great Wass and Beal’s Islands towards Jonesport. While paddling back towards the mainland we’ll have the opportunity to check out the local fishing harbors. These small, hard working island communities are some of the few remaining true fishing villages left in New England. Finally, we’ll take out back in Jonesport around noon, where we’ll have a quick lunch before heading back to CRE and hot showers.

Click on the links below for more information on the expedition:

Expedition Summary
Itinerary
Cost
Register
About Downeast Maine
Summer Expeditions List

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