Who here is near the Penobscot?

[Ralph M Bohm]

Hi all!

In my search for information on various topics of sailboat ownership, I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman over by Winterport (Maine) Marina. Apparently if one puts in too soon on rivers like the Penobscot, s/he runs the risk of debris coming downriver damaging their boats. :eek:

In our case, the cold spring and serious floating debris moving just under the water's surface (telephone pole-like items as he put it) has kept many from launching as of today. Is this something most people have to face in other parts of the country? :confused:

Ishmael! You in Bangor?
:cool:

[JeffH]

'Tain't so bad anymore, now that they removed the dam by the old Bangor waterworks. It was one of those where wood pilings were a major part, and used to be that bits of the dam would break off and float, just below the surface, into Pen Bay. Lethal.

Jeff

P.S. Noticed Orono listed as your hailing port. Spent 20 years there, myself.

[Joe Dupere]

Must be old home week on the forum. Whereabouts in Orono do you live? I'm down in the Basin. Johnny Mack Brook runs through my front yard and I'm about 50 yards from the Penobscot.

I've heard from a few people who kept their boats at Winterport that it's not so much the logs and such that are a problem, it's the current and how it kicks up bottom sand and such. It can scour your boat pretty badly below the waterline from what I was told.

And while it's true the old waterworks dam has been breached, it's not completely gone, plus there's always deadfall, storm damage and scads of other places where there are old pilings on the riverbanks upstream from Winterport.

I was at Fort Knox about three weeks ago and was watching a dead tree floating down the river. Still had all the roots on it, and had snagged some fairly large fir branches from somewhere.
The tide was going out and that tree was moving pretty good.

If you're looking for a mooring, you might want to try Stockton Springs. It's not that much further down the road from Winterport, and it puts you past that wicked bend in the river by the Bucksport Mill.

Joe

[ishmael]

I'm here. Halfway between Bangor and Bucksport, about a half mile from the river. But I've never had occasion to put a boat over in the spring yet, so I don't know about spring run-off and debris.

Was in Bucksport a few days ago, and there are a few boats out on moorings.

I suppose it depends on the winter. A heavy snow pack combined with a lot of spring rain would bring more debris down the river.

What do you have in mind?

We should have a meeting of the Penobscot contingent sometime.

Jack

[C.Carini]

common sense indicates yes, it is certainly true on the Hudson. But it may be an another way to keep less than die-hard fisherman off the river. BTW, how long into the year does the shad run last(in the Me. rivers)?