One of the benefits of being a member of the Penobscot Paddle & Chowder Society is that if you want to organize an impromptu outing, there is usually someone available to join you. That was true when I recently decided to organize a sea kayak trip on Quahog Bay near Cundy’s Harbor.
Hot, sunny but windy weather was forecasted for the following day. Peninsulas and islands surrounding the bay appeared to offer partial protection from predicted gusty southwest winds. A club email resulted in two Chowderheads, Andrea Reising and Eggman DeCoster, agreeing to join me on short notice.
Situated in the middle and south of the horseshoe-shaped Sebascodegan Great Island, Quahog Bay offers paddlers opportunities to explore a multitude of islands and inlets. A circumnavigation of substantial Yarmouth Island is often an option.
The best kayak access to Quahog Bay is a tiny boat landing at Bethel Point, a couple of miles west of Cundy’s Harbor on Sebascodegan Great Island. The congested launch area located next to a working lobster fishing dock offers a handful of public parking spaces. Additional parking is available nearby for a nominal fee.
Three of us met at Bethel Point on a steamy, late June morning. As predicted, wind was gusting out of the southwest. We were the first boaters on the scene, so we occupied the convenient public parking spaces.
The often busy landing ramp is used by fishermen, recreational boaters, kayakers and those commuting to and from homes and cottages on the islands, particularly Yarmouth. There was no competition when we embarked in calm water. Low tide had occurred an hour earlier so it was rising.
Despite the windy weather, we decided to test the conditions on the west side of Yarmouth Island, situated directly south of the landing.
Turning the northwest corner into lower Quahog Bay, we immediately encountered a strong headwind. Relief from the unrelenting gale was found in a narrow channel between Yarmouth and Little Yarmouth islands.
Unfortunately, the tidal level was insufficient to allow a trip through the entire scenic corridor.
Unwilling to persist in the wind, we decided against a Yarmouth Island circumnavigation. Instead, we ferried out into the bay and turned north. The result was instant bliss. Our upper bodies acted as small sails as we rode the wind and tide past Pole Island into the protected confines of upper Quahog Bay.
The strong flood tide helped propel us toward the northern terminus of the bay. A narrow inlet at the top seemed ripe for exploration. We navigated deep into the attenuated passageway where it ended at a collection of cottage docks.
Reentering the bay, we progressed east along the northern shore sheltered from the wind by several islands populating the area. We were in search of a Maine Island Trails Association campsite, our intended lunch spot.
Eggman’s topo map indicated the campsite was on a small island east of the largest, Snow Island. Precisely which island was unclear. We investigated two without success.
Andrea disembarked on the northern tip of an elongated twisting island with forested patches on both ends. We were in luck. She had landed at the Little Snow Island MITA site. Another campsite is located on the southern sector of the island. We stopped for a leisurely lunch on scenic ledges adjacent to the camping area.
From Little Snow, we paddled due south to a prominence of land on the southeastern arm of Sebascodegan Great Island. Temporarily secure from the wind, we anticipated a powerful blast when angling southwest. Hugging the shore, we were relieved to find a passageway free of strong winds.
Except for a brief blustery broadside turning east, we experienced relatively benign conditions proceeding to the landing.
Unlike the beginning of the day, the ramp at the landing was bustling with activity during our return. As three Chowderheads approached, a motorboat was departing. A large pleasure craft was preparing to launch when we disembarked.
In no rush after a thoroughly enjoyable day, we pulled our kayaks off to the side to permit the vessel an unencumbered departure.
My book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine” narrates numerous sea kayak exploits along the Maine coast from Casco Bay to the Bold Coast.
