Passage to Portland and South Freeport 7_7 to 7_15

The passage to Portland was running along so well we had to actually slow it down to ensure we did not get into Portland in the dark. We sailed most of it wing on wing (the jib sail on one side and the main on the other) to catch the maximum wind available. The whale sightings this trip were two Minke whales. These are smaller whales that somewhat resemble a shark given the position of their dorsal fin.

Minke whale – From internet – for those that thought we took this – lol

Another interesting sighting on the passage was a tuna boat. See they guys at the top of the boat? Well, they are the lookouts searching the waters for tuna. Once spotted, the harpooner heads to the bow to throw the harpoon in hopes of catching this high valued fish.

Tuna boat – those are people at the top of the boat

Twenty-six hours from our departure we entered the Portland harbor. The fog distorted our view of the famous lighthouse so we took the liberty of letting google show the image.

Portland Lighthouse

The best way to describe Portland is a city with a small town feel.  Given this is tourist season (still trying to get used to the summer being season) the streets and restaurants are bustling with the new entrants sightseeing and locals enjoying the amazing weather.  We haven’t done any of the tourist attractions here, but have been enjoying a few of their MANY restaurants. The waterfront is peppered with every type of food service you can image from Sushi to local craft brew pubs.

Flatbread Company – on the wharf – great food.

Of course this being Maine, we have been sampling the local lobster rolls. The best so far has been the one at this little seafood shack.

3 Bouys Seafood

We took a side trip up to South Freeport to venture into retail land with a trip to the L.L Bean store.

LL Bean shopping day – this store has 3 million visitors per year.

Downtown Freeport is basically two streets comprised of various retail outlets including Talbots, J.Crew, Coach, etc. Like any outlet store you have to look for the bargains. We did find a few.

Once outside of the downtown, the residential area is delightful. In the early 1900’s there was a castle here that was used as a hotel. The only remaining remnant is the tower.

Castle in South Freeport

Typical home in South Freeport

South Freeport Waterfront

Tomorrow we are heading out to do some coastal sailing and explore a few of  the many islands. Until then….