Seguin Island, ME

James and Jenny had sent pictures from one of their stops during the week – Seguin Island – and it looked amazing so we decided to visit on our way to Boothbay Harbor.

We got in mid afternoon and with the exception of one other boat had the cove to ourselves (not that you could fit more than 5 boats anyway – only 5 moorings and you’re not allowed to anchor due to the power cable crossing the seabed from nearby Phippsburg). Our timing was perfect, the island stewards were just returning from their day ashore provisioning. We helped them carry some of the gear up to their house (not an insubstantial climb with gear, and I didn’t even bring the water jugs) and then got the full tour. Because it was their day off, there were no public tours going on and we had the island to ourselves.

There source of the name is unknown – most likely bastardization of Native American names, but my personal favorite was ‘place where the sea vomits’…..The lighthouse is amazing – you can climb to the top to see one of the last Frehnel lens (400+ prisms) left in operation. The views of both the Atlantic and land are stunning – on a particularly clear day you can see Mt Washington! We hiked the north trail which provided some additional cool views of our boat, and then eventually turned around when the (as usual) nesting gulls got paranoid and started screaming.

The gulls are not shy, by the way. Though I wouldn’t think these particularly used to people (ie. Like the ones that hang out at local restaurants looking for leftovers), we had one land in the dinghy, then get so bold as to settle in on the solar panel (which Trip had to clean the next day) and even our mainsail! We were having steak for dinner which I wouldn’t have thought would have tempted the birds, but it is nesting season and they’ll take whatever they can to feed a growing family.

Gulls aside, we were sitting directly under a nest with a pair of ospreys. We spent most of the evening and even the next morning watching the two take turns hunting, tending to the little ones, and standing guard. Absolutely magnificent birds.