Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Pilots in the Penobscot Bay






Tugster's recent post about Sandy Hook pilots reminded me of a smoky afternoon in summer 2005 as I headed single-handed in the 18 foot Parker skiff down the edge of the West Penobscot Bay shipping channel - bound for North Haven for a look-see.  Out of the mist appeared a huge bulk carrier with a pilot boat escort.  When something like that appears suddenly at 11 O'Clock one mile off it is alarming.

The size of the ship that is shown by the way it dwarfs the little (80 foot?) PenBay pilot boat.


2 comments:

will said...

were these tankers headed into portland? very summer haze pics

GeorgeConk said...

The ship had to be coming out of the big tank farm at Searsport.

If they had a Maine destination South Portland is the only port in Maine I can think of it that could handle something that size.