On cold winter days, people from the Cranberry Isles will still make the three-mile trip to Northeast Harbor so they can go to work, do some grocery shopping, see the doctor, take a class, meet a friend for lunch, go to the dentist, etc.
On any day off-island, at this time of year, I will inevitably be asked at least twice, “How was the boat ride this morning?” On a day when the weather is too dangerous for travel, the Beal and Bunker boat captains will cancel their trips; though even on the worst days they usually make one run to deliver mail, leaving Northeast Harbor at 11 a.m. and getting back to their safe port by noon.
The first boat of the day is the “work boat” that leaves Northeast Harbor at 7:30 a.m. In January and February it can be a pretty cold ride. Though the captain warms up the engine before leaving, the cabin and the wooden seats hold the cold from the night before. Along with islanders and other workers, there are carpenters, repairmen, and teachers who ride this boat. Occasionally the boat stops at Sutton Island to drop off workers, but at this time of year they have to make sure the weather and tide will cooperate for the boat to retrieve them from the minimally protected dock. It can be a pretty wild transfer. The usual first morning stop is at Great Cranberry. Passengers get off, and three warmly dressed students get on to go to Islesford, where they will walk a quarter-mile up to the school. Folks on Great Cranberry can sit in the newly reopened general store, near the dock, and have a cup of coffee, a donut, and some conversation while they wait for the boat to come back for them in about 30 minutes.
Lately, as many as 60 people have come off the work boat on Islesford. They pick up their trucks in the parking lot, back them down the dock about 250 feet, and load up the supplies they have brought over for the day. Competing for space on the dock are the people who are leaving the island and who also need to back their vehicles down to unload bulky items such as suitcases, tires, or car batteries. Once off the dock, it can be especially hard to find a parking space at this time of year when there are snow banks to contend with.
Here are 10 tips to consider when taking the winter ferry ride to the mainland:
1. Know the local weather forecast for the day. If a storm is predicted for the afternoon, you could be stranded on the mainland by a canceled afternoon boat.
2. Dress warmly and in layers. You may not feel the wind at your house, but it is almost always blowing at one of the docks.
3. Leave enough extra time before the boat leaves to scrape the windshield of the vehicle you are using to get to the dock. Also enough time to shovel, if there has been snow. Then take that shovel and scraper with you to the mainland because you will probably need them there.
4. Have a plan B in case you can’t get your island car started. As in: find someone else to give you a ride, or leave time to walk to the dock.
5. Make sure you have the phone number of the mailboat and of Ted, the faithful crew member, in case you are running late. In the winter they are usually very good about waiting the extra few minutes, if they know you are coming.
6. Before boarding the boat, hang on to the railing and watch your step as you make your way down the stairs on the side of the dock. They can be extremely icy. Especially if the tide is going out.
7. When the wind and choppy water cause the boat to smash against the dock, or go up and down precariously, say “yes” to the person who offers to take your bags and reaches to give you a steadying hand as you board the boat. No matter how spry you may be, the moving target of a slushy boat deck is an unstable step.
8. The inner benches of the Sea Queen‘s cabin are the most comfortable seats. The boat windows above the outer bench seats have been known to leak in a few places, dripping slightly, and causing a wet bottom to the passenger who is unaware. This is not such a worry when the outside temperature is cold enough to freeze the spray before it leaks through the window.
9. Don’t sit at the stern end of the middle benches if you are a woman who is pregnant or of the age to experience hot flashes. The heater on the boat is just below those seats. On a cold winter day it runs at full blast. Conversely, do sit in those seats if you tend to feel cold, or you have poor circulation, or your thyroid is not quite working up to par. The new heater works very well.
10. Before you board, check the demeanor of those who are getting off the boat. If these people are shaky, ashen-faced, rolling their eyes, or looking stoically frightened; they may have had a pretty rough ride. This is your chance to reconsider your own plans, and go off the island on a calmer day.
So, “How was the boat ride today?” My usual answer is something like; “Not bad, ” or “A little choppy, but not too bad,” or ” A little cold, but really beautiful.” There are two simple reasons for my carefree responses. One is that I really love living on Little Cranberry Island, and I accept the boat rides as part of the package. The other is that when the temperature is below 15 degrees, its windy, and the boat ride is going to be really rough, you won’t have a chance to ask me that question.