SAIL MAGAZINE • July 30, 2025
We’d been hiking for an hour in Seal Bay on the east side of Vinalhaven. A blaze mark had led us to a 2-mile trail that climbed a steep hillside through firs and birches. It had been a lovely leg stretch—just what we needed as a little break from our Sabre 30, Ora Kali—but when we descended, a wide mudflat devoid of puddles stretched between our dinghy, open water, and our boat resting peacefully at anchor some 400 yards away. We waited an hour and a half for the tide to return. By the time the sun was descending towards the trees across the way and the air was starting to lose its heat, a rill of water finally reached the plank we laid across the mud to bridge the last gap, and we got home in time to watch the full moon rise. Such are the risks one encounters when trying to take advantage of the many hiking trails and paths that Maine’s islands have to offer. They’re more than worth it.