Wednesday is “Shore Day” – the day we leave the island to run errands and resupply for the week. Honestly, we still haven’t really gotten the hang of it. Matt and I are enjoying our time on the island so much that we’ve decided to take turns going on shore. Every other week, one of us heads to shore while the other stays back at Seguin with the dogs.
A shore day starts early. We’re up getting things ready by no later than 6:30am to meet the boat around 8:30am. We strip the linens off the beds, gather laundry and trash, and make runs down from the house to the dinghy beach with the gear needed for all the errands for the day. Whoever’s turn it is to go to shore loads up the dinghy and rows out to meet one of the FOSILS members’ boats to be ferried to Fort Popham where our car is parked.
The day is then filled with a variety of errands. I always try to get a run in and explore some new trails. We need to get mail from our PO Box in Bath. There are trips to the grocery to get Hannaford To Go or Shaws Pick Up orders. We use a wash and fold service for a week’s worth of laundry and pick up the laundry we left on shore the previous week. We often need to stop by the FOSIL’s office in Bath to pick up gear for the gift shop or drop off donations. Additionally, since it’s our only day in normal civilization every two weeks, we also like to take some time to go to a coffee shop or get ice cream.
Nothing is simple when it comes to getting on or off the island. All the mail, groceries, and laundry need to packed into water-tight bins so they can be loaded on to the dock and eventually on to a dinghy so they can be rowed back to shore. Weather, fog, and tides can make it difficult to plan exactly when to make a run for the island, but we manage and generally spend from about 9am to 3:30-4pm on shore. Our job isn’t even done then because everything needs to be haul by hand back up to the lighthouse before we can rest.
To be frank, shore days are hectic! I was going to post a picture from on-shore, but we never manage to take any because it’s so non-stop. By taking turns every other week, Matt and I find that we look forward to our day on land, but we are equally grateful for the “shore day” where we get to stay behind.
Daily Weather Report
Temperature: 69.6 / 64.2
Foggy with rain showers in the morning, clear and windy in the afternoon
Wind: WNW 6.9mph; Gust: 25.1mph
High Tide: 3:03am / 3:41pm
Low Tide: 9:25am / 9:43pm
