Rockin' Out

The fog is still with us when we get up in the morning, but Rick insists that the weather report predicts a burning off. Based on that prediction, we head out of our little anchorage. At first, visibility is only good for a few feet from our boat so there’s nothing to see, save the inevitable lobster pot buoys that are everywhere.

Navigating in such thick fog, particularly this close to shore, is very anxiety producing.  There are rocks and ledges to run up on everywhere. But sure enough, the fog begins to clear as the morning heats up.

How thrilling to be able to see the dramatic Maine coastline at last! I particularly like the lighthouse atop a peak called Owls Head.

Owls Head

Approaching Rockland Harbor, we get treated to a good deal of the local boat traffic, including an incredibly well used fishing boat. Lots of sailboats are here too, and we can see the outline of the Camden Hills in the background.

We pull in to Rockland and dock at Knight’s Marine Services. Rick has been worried about the batteries on our boat; twice we’ve had to use the emergency “hot shot” to start the engine because the batteries had run out of juice, well before they should have. We had called Knights ahead of time to line up a mechanic to check them out. The poor fellow takes one quick look at the overwhelming Frankenstein-like mess of wires behind the panels and tells us we need to move to the next level. We need to call in a real specialist!

EEEK!

So, it looks like we’re here for a couple of days. We use the time to take a break from the boat and explore the little town of Rockland. One of the high points is the Farnsworth Museum which has an eclectic collection, and especially highlights the works of the well known trio of Maine artists; Andrew, Jamie and N.C Wyeth.

Andrew Wyeth - "Turkey Pond"

The Strand

We also take in a movie at the recently renovated 1920’s theater, the Strand. This old theater stayed open until the year 2000 when it was bought by the local multiplex - not to renovate it, but instead to close it and annihilate their only competition. Capitalism at its finest. Luckily, a long-time summer resident bought the theater in 2005 and it was restored to its former glory. It’s a great old place, with a balcony and a big velvet curtain that opens to reveal the screen when the movie begins. The in-house-made popcorn is outstanding. I’m pretty sure they use rarely seen white popcorn – the favorite of this popcorn connoisseur. As much as I love the Strand, I am even more blown away by the film. “20 Feet from Stardom” is a documentary about back-up singers in R&B, Motown, and rock bands from the sixties through today. Lisa Fischer, man. Whoa. She’s my new idol.

Knights Marine Services sells lobsters and crabs, along with ice and other boating supplies, and we buy three of their lobsters to steam ourselves. We’ve never cooked lobster on the boat before, and the largest pot we have makes for a mighty tight fit, but we do manage to get all the little beasties in there. They are so close to the top of the pot that we can hear them hitting the lid when they move around in the hot, steamy pot. It’s difficult not to feel badly for them – especially since Rick danced around and played with them before putting them into the pot – but not so badly that we can’t enjoy eating them. Dipped in butter, they are sweet and tender - without question the best lobsters I have ever had. Maybe it’s the colder water up here?

When we see the owner of Knights the next day, we tell him how great the lobsters were. “Well…, of course,” he says, in a great Maine twang, “they’re free range!”

Jeff, the electrician, gives the boat a once-over and he and Rick determine that two of the big boat batteries probably should be replaced. They both spend quite a bit of time working on the boat, but once it looks like things are more or less fixed, they end up talking philosophy. It turns out that in addition to being the former CEO and owner of a software development company (and fine electrician), Jeff is a sort of perpetual student and amateur philosopher. He and Rick have a grand time chewing over all sorts of topics, like the strange sexual habits of monkeys (?!!!), and certain philosophers and personalities like Jacques Lacan and Slavoj Zizek. I don’t participate in either the electrical fixes or the egghead discussions – I do the laundry.

Rick, expounding professorially to Jeff

I’ve really enjoyed our time here in Rockland – the people, the food, the artsy blue-collar-roots earthiness. Too bad we are going to miss the Lobster Festival they hold later on in the summer, but we are hoping to be farther north by then. With CLEAN LAUNDRY!