Cruising in "Katie"
The Rivers of Maine Part II
The Back River
by Steve Bosquette
THE BACK RIVER RUNS SOUTHWEST TO
NORTHEAST WITH IT’S MOUTH INTERSECTING THE MIGHTY KENNEBEC
RIVER A FEW MILES NORTH OF THE KENNEBEC’S MOUTH. IN PART
I ONE WE EXPLORED THE SASANOA RIVER WHICH ACTUALLY
CROSSES THE BACK RIVER IN HOCKOMOCK BAY.
THE BACK RIVER IS FORMED BY A NARROW CLEFT IN
THE ROCK BETWEEN ARROWSIC ISLAND AND GEORGETOWN ISLAND. THE
LOWER HALF OF THE RIVER IS NARROWER AND SHALLOWER THAN THE UPPER
PART. IN FACT AT LOW TIDE IT IS NOT PASSABLE WHERE IT FLOWS
INTO HOCKOMOCK BAY.
MY BROTHER-IN-LAW STEVE CONNOLLY JOINED ME ON
THIS VOYAGE. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOS IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL
SUMMER DAY. WE WAITED UNTIL NEAR HIGH TIDE TO LEAVE WANTING
TO AVOID THE SHALLOW AREA MENTIONED ABOVE. WE LEFT THE PUBLIC
BOAT RAMP SOUTH OF BATH . THIS WAS THE SAME JUMPING OF POINT
THAT WE USED IN PART ONE, ALTHOUGH THIS TRIP WE HEADED SOUTH
ON THE KENNEBEC INSTEAD OF NORTH. YOU WILL NOTICE IN THE PHOTO
BELOW THE BATH IRON WORKS SHIPYARD IN BATH.
SOON AFTER WE LEFT BATH WE CAME UPON THE FIRST
OF THE LIGHTHOUSES THAT MARK SAFE NAVIGATION FOR THE KENNEBEC.
IT IS BUILT ON A GRANITE FOUNDATION ON THE EDGE OF THE TIDAL
RANGE OF THE RIVER AND IS CONNECTED BY A WOODEN CATWALK TO THE
DRY EARTH ON SHORE. THE ORIGINAL LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S HOUSE
CAN BE SEEN IN THE WOODS. ALL LIGHTHOUSES ARE NOW AUTOMATED
ALONG THE MAINE COAST, INCLUDING LIGHTHOUSES ON MAINE’S
RIVERS. THIS LIGHTHOUSE IS ON THE EAST SHORE OF THE RIVER. (REFER
TO MAP-ABOVE)
ALONG THE COAST OF MAINE ARE MANY ISLETS AND
EXPOSED REEFS THAT ARE MARKED BY DAY MARKERS. THESE ARE COMMON
AIDS TO NAVIGATION USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BOUYS. THEY REQUIRE
LESS MAINTENANCE BY THE COAST GUARD.
THIS ONE MARKS AN ISLET IN THE KENNEBEC JUST SOUTH
OF THE LIGHTHOUSE.
WE PASS PHIPPSBURG WHICH IS ONE OF THE MANY PICTURESQUE
SMALL TOWNS ALONG THE MAINE COAST AND RIVERS. IT HAS A CHURCH
SPIRE IN THE CENTER OF TOWN THAT DOMINATES THE SKYLINE.
SOUTH OF PHIPPSBURG ON THE EAST SHORE IS ANOTHER
LIGHTHOUSE WHICH MARKS A DOGLEG TURN IN THE RIVER. THIS LIGHTHOUSE
IS BUILT ON THE SHORE. NOTICE THAT THE KEEPERS HOUSE IS VISIBLE
AND THERE IS A BOATHOUSE WITH A “WAY” WHICH THE
KEEPER USED TO LAUCH HIS ROWBOAT FOR WEEKLY TRIPS UP TO BATH
FOR PROVISIONS. AT THIS POINT IN THE RIVER THE LARGE WARSHIPS,
MADE AT BATH IRON WORKS, HAVE TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AND PASS
ONLY AT HIGH TIDE. THE CHANNEL IS NARROWER AT THIS POINT AND
THE DOGLEG PRESENTS AN UNUSUAL CHALLENGE FOR THE SKIPPER.
JUST BELOW THE LIGHTHOUSE AS WE BEGIN TO MAKE
OUR TURN INTO THE MOUTH OF THE BACK RIVER WE CAN JUST SEE THE
MOUTH OF THE KENNEBEC RIVER WHERE SHE EMPTIES IN THE GULF OF
MAINE AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN BEYOND.
AFTER CONTINUING DUE SOUTH ON THE KENNEBEC WE
SPOT THE MOUTH OF THE BACK RIVER. STRAIGHT AHEAD IS A LOBSTERMAN’S
COMPOUND WHICH CONTAINS HIS HOME, WORKSHOP, BAITHOUSE AND DOCK.
AS WE PROCEED NORTHEAST TOWARD HOCKOMOCK BAY
AND WISCASSET BEYOND, THE RIVER TWISTS AND TURNS AND BECOMES
VERY NARROW ( A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET ACROSS). THE PHOTO ABOVE
SHOWS THE PRETTIEST GROUP OF HOMES THAT WE SAW ON THIS GORGEOUS
RIVER.
NOT FAR FROM THE SHARP BEND IN THE RIVER ABOVE
THOSE NICE HOUSES IS THE ONLY BRIDGE CONNECTING ARROWSIC AND
GEORGETOWN ISLANDS. IT IS A STATE MAINTAINED BRIDGE BUILT TOO
LOW TO THE WATER FOR SAFE NAVIGATION IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN
A SMALL POWERBOAT. THE CLEARANCE AT HIGH TIDE IS MAYBE 8 FEET.
A MILE OR SO NORTH OF THE BRIDGE IS THE POINT
WHERE THE BACK RIVER MEETS HOCKOMOCK BAY AND THE SASANOA RIVER.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO THE OPEN AREA TO THE RIGHT OF THE SMALL
ISLAND THE SHALLOW SPOT THAT IS IMPASSABLE AT LOW TIDE.
HAVING CROSSED HOCKOMOCK BAY AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST
ON THE UPPER SECTION OF THE BACK RIVER WE HAPPEN UPON THE NOW
DECOMMISSIONED MAINE YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. VISIBLE IN
THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO IS THE CONTAINMENT BUILDING. WISCASSET
IS BEYOND, A LITTLE FARTHER TO THE NORTH. FOR TWENTY YEARS THIS
PLANT PROVIDED POWER FOR SOUTHERN MAINE WITHOUT INCIDENT.
ACROSS THE RIVER FROM THE POWER PLANT IS THE ISLAND
OF WESTPORT. IT IS A LONG ISLAND WITH MANY YEAR ROUND AND SUMMER
HOMES. THE ISLAND STRETCHES FROM WISCASSET ON THE NORTH END
TO ROBINHOOD ON THE SOUTH END. IT’S WEST SIDE BORDERS
THE BACK RIVER AND IT’S EAST SIDE BORDERS THE SHEEPSCOT
RIVER. THE ONLY CONNECTION TO THE MAINLAND IS THE WESTPORT BRIDGE.
UNLIKE THE ARROWSIC BRIDGE THIS ONE HAS HIGH CLEARANCE UNDER
IT. EVEN A SMALL SAILBOAT COULD GET UNDERNEATH.
A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE BRIDGE ON THE LEFT
IS THE DISTRIBUTION BUILDING, NOW ABANDONED, FOR THE POWER PLANT.
IT SITS ON THE WEST SIDE OF WISCASSET HARBOR.
AT LAST WE ARRIVE AT WISCASSET NAMED “THE
MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN MAINE”. IT BOASTS A LARGE HARBOR
WHICH IS ACTUALLY MADE FROM THE SHEEPSCOT RIVER NOT THE BACK
RIVER. THE BACK RIVER ENDED JUST BEYOND THE WESTPORT BRIDGE.
WE STOPPED AT THE PUBLIC LANDING DOCK FOR LUNCH BEFORE HEADING
BACK TO BATH VIA THE SASANOA RIVER.
SADLY THIS IS THE LAST ARTICLE OF THE “CRUISING
IN KATIE” SERIES. I HAVE SOLD “KATIE” AND
AM NOW BUILDING A MICHALAK AF4
GRANDE “MISSY”. I WILL, HOWEVER, CONTINUE
THE SERIES ABOUT THE MAINE RIVERS IN “MISSY” NEXT
SUMMER.
YOU CAN CHECK MY BUILDING PROGRESS OF “MISSY”
AT: https://www.geocities.com/mainesal5/index.html