| The
2021 North American Rally Hermit Island, Maine * August 14-21 attendees confirmed thus far declaration of seaworthiness updated: 4 October 2020 at 1141 hrs ... |
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Notice of Rally
From: Tom Graefe [mailto:tmgraefe@comcast.net]
NA
Cruise Rally—Hermit Island 2021 (August 14-August
21) --Update #1 Hello
all, Following
on the heels of this difficult spring and summer, we
all wonder what the sailing season will hold for
2021. At the very least we can plan for getting
together and hope for the best! This
is the initial call for participants for the 2021
Cruise Rally at Hermit Island. This will be the
sixth time we have held a rally at Hermit Island
(starting in 2005) so most of the reservation and
planning process will be familiar to those who have
attended before. A brief review of the locale is
included, followed by instructions for
registering. If
you are interested read on. If
you are not planning on attending and do NOT
want to receive future emails about the 2021 Rally,
please reply and let me know that. Hermit
Island Overview Hermit
Island
Campground at Small Point is a large privately
run campground on the very tip
of Cape Small. Hermit Island is about
25 minutes south of Bath and Bath is
approximately 35 miles east
of Portland. Cape Small marks the
eastern boundary of Casco Bay. Casco Bay is
beautiful, full of interesting
islands, and perfect
for Wayfarer cruising. There are rally
write-ups and photos from past years available on the
CWA site for those not familiar with the setting and
available cruises. Future emails will be provide more
information as well. Maine
Sailing This
is cold water, coastal sailing with 10 foot tides and
exposure to the Atlantic Ocean. All boats
and crew need to be prepared with proper options for
rigging and anchoring, as well as suitable
clothing. More details will be included in
future updates. There
are a variety of options for day cruises out of Hermit
Island, including familiar destinations:
Docking
& Mooring As
noted
in past rally announcements, Hermit Island has limited
space compared to the other two regular venues
(Wellesley Island and Killbear). The
main
option for dockage is at the public first-come first
serve Yardarm dock co-located with the put-in ramp,
both adjacent to the block of sites we plan to
reserve. Unlike
in
the past there is virtually no space at the marina
(only one slot available). So whereas in the
past we have had several boats at the marina, in 2021
that is not an option and experience from prior
rallies suggest this will constrain the number of
boats for this rally to about 15, pending review of
those who are prepared to moor their Wayfarer. There
are
two available HI moorings and in the past some
Wayfarers have set their own mooring, and this has
been a help with the limitations. In
your
reply to this email please indicate if you are able
and willing to set your own mooring. Advice
on
setting your own mooring will be included in a future
email. Finally,
a
number of regular attendees of the Hermit Island Rally
have opted to add a motor to their Wayfarer to ease
the travel in and out of the Branch within Cape Small
Harbor. Campsite
Reservations Hermit
Island supports our group by allowing us to send in
one letter with a list of requested sites.
Hermit Island then bills all the parties listed in
that request individually. You can reserve
independently if you so choose, but please let me know
your intention to do so. Rates for 2020 were
apx. $49/night for choice sites. I
will compile the list and send it to Hermit Island at
the beginning of December. I would like
to complete the initial reservation list by
November 1. As
in the past, for 2021 we have been allowed to request
sites grouped together along the Branch, including
East Tack Way site numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 and
Branch Site numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13,
14. We also have had some folks on Harbor Grove
2. If
you have not been to Hermit Island their website now
has pictures of the sites online What
I'll
need from you:
If
you are participating, but do not require a campsite
reservation please let me know your dates of
attendance, number of people and boat name/number. Once
the
draft registration list is complete, I’ll send it out
for your final review before I send it to Hermit
Island. COVID
19
and refunds Hermit
Island’s
policy for 2020 was to provide full refunds for all
reservations cancelled by Hermit Island due to Maine
State restrictions. The manager told me that
would be the policy going forward if such constraints
came into play next season. I do not know if
this refund policy included ongoing cross-border
restrictions in 2020 I.e., where HI is open according
to Maine rules, but folks cannot enter the USA.
Standard cancellation policy for Jan/Feb week-long
reservations is a fee of $125, the deposit amount. Staying
at
a B&B? Hermit
Island
has strict rules about campground access and an around
the clock gate person, as well as car limits on
campsites. I think Uncle Al is the expert on
this, so if you are considering staying outside the
campground I suggest consulting him. In the past
it has not been a problem for our group. Cheers, Tom
Graefe
W9668 |
 Fun at the Hermit Island Rally 2008 |
|
(3 Oct
2020) In 2021
we hope to return to the
marvelous mid-coast region of
  The location, Hermit Island Campground at Point Small, is a large privately run campground on the very tip of For anyone who has not previously sailed this rugged coast, this will be a totally new and exhilarating encounter. We will enjoy the thrill of open sea sailing, the scenic grandeur of http://wayfarer-canada.org/nostalgia/events/event.nostalgia_M-Z/Rally.reports/Rallies_index3.html About the region.
 Cape The rally cruising will include island visits and beach landings, as well as other sailing activities. The
About
There is an outstanding small boat harbor which includes a paved launch ramp, large dinghy float, and several moorings. Space at the float and moorings is free on a first-come basis. Near the southern harbor entrance is a marina where slips can be rented. The dinghy float and moorings should be able to accommodate many, but possibly not all, of the Wayfarers. The other option is to anchor out. (The tidal range is on the order of 8 to 10 feet.) Other About Reservations at
Hermit Island will bill directly the individuals listed. They will send one bill after they complete the reservations. The bill will show a due date for the $125.00 deposit, and a due date for the remaining balance after deposit. You may send full payment at once, or send a deposit followed by the balance but they do not generally send another bill after they receive a deposit unless we are asked. So you may send full payment or break it down into two separate payments. After the site is paid in full we will send out a confirmation.
Any subsequent changes and adjustments will be handled on a direct basis (the organizers don't need to get involved in schedule changes). Note that these winter reservations for 7 days for Prime sites are special—so changes have their own rules. Click here for more detailed change/cancellation policy.
Photos of many of the requested campsites can be viewed here. Late registrants
should let the organizer know of
their interest, but will need to make their own
site reservations using the standard Hermit Island
process as described on their website.
The Main Campground Rules: One car per site, no pets. If more than one car is needed, there is off-site parking at the trailer park campground just outside the drive off the main highway leading to Hermit Island. Cost is $5/day. Consult the website for more information on campground policies.
Next steps: For
reservations, keep your eye out for billing from
Hermit Island. For rally planning there will be
additional emails and updates to this page
regarding:
|
|
link
to updates will be placed here
registrations received so far |