For our first canoe outing of the spring, the plan was to drive up to Liberty and explore the crystal clear waters of Lake Saint George. Fortunately, we called the state park ranger on Friday to make sure the ice was out. It wasn’t.
Plan B turned out to be just fine — a 3-mile morning paddle from the Wright Landing boat launch site on Westport Island north to the beautiful riverside town of Wiscasset.
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Westport Island is 10 miles long and surrounded by river — the Sheepscot to the east and the Back to its west. The nutrient-rich waters provide a prime staging ground for the spring bird migration.
Arrivals and departures change daily, but many species are hanging out now, waiting for ice-out on the waterways in their northern breeding grounds.
We enjoyed paddling up to many small flocks of buffleheads, each large-headed male sporting the characteristic brilliant white patch on the back half of its head. Along with the green-winged teal, the bufflehead is the smallest duck found in New England.
We were thrilled to see our first ospreys of the season, their high-pitched calls truly one of the signals that spring is here. It seemed we were catching them just arriving. On our return downriver, we would see many more ospreys.
Just north of the Route 144 bridge over to Westport Island, we caught a flash of wings off to our right and turned to watch a mature bald eagle tussling with an osprey over who might be controlling the air space this summer on that portion of the river.
The Sheepscot River is tidal all the way up to the village of Head Tide and provides a saltwater experience amid a protective cocoon of steep, forested slopes and small coves. We started out at low tide, so were unable to explore any of the coves, but paddled along the margins of the mud flats, scanning the shoreline for our first blue heron sighting. None seen.
Canada geese stood at water’s edge surveying the scene. Two pairs of eiders swam away from us, chattering away. A number of loons sank low in the water and then quickly ducked below as we neared.
The hillside village of Wiscasset rises above the river. We paddled over to the low ledges a few yards east of Le Garage restaurant and sat and reminisced. When I was a youngster, our family used to drive up to the Boothbay region for a day trip early each summer, and I was always wide-eyed at the sight of the decaying wooden hulks of the Luther Little and Hesper as we reached the Sheepscot River.
Now there is no trace of those old four-masted schooners that served as a symbol of Wiscasset shipping dominance for nearly 70 years.
We walked around the village, enjoying the impressive row of colonial homes up on High Street. At the end of High Street, at the top of an open field, sits Castle Tucker, an oddly shaped mansion built in the early 1800s.
Red’s Eats, known far and wide for its lobster rolls, did not yet have its customary summertime line of hungry patrons stretching down to river’s edge. Red’s will open on Monday — another sure sign that winter is over.
Use caution if crossing the mile-wide channel over to Edgecomb. Midday sea breezes spring up fast, and combined with swirling currents near the Route 1 bridge they can make paddling difficult.
On the south side of Davis Island sits an impressive blockhouse-style wooden fort, Fort Edgecomb. While this state historic site is officially closed until Memorial Day, the grassy knoll adjacent to the fort is a great spot to rest, soak up the warmth of the sun and gaze out over the river.
There is a small cove south of the fort where you can land. The bold ledges on each side of this cove also offer outstanding views out over the river.
It is readily apparent why the fort was built at this spot in the river in 1808. Its commanding views down river offered strategic protection of the shipping interests of wealthy Wiscasset merchants.
The disastrous Jefferson Embargo Act of 1807 quickly brought an end to Wiscasset’s prosperity, and signaled the long, slow decline of the town’s maritime influence.
The story goes that the only time Fort Edgecomb’s cannons were fired was in celebration of the inauguration of President James Madison and the end to the embargo.
If the weather forecast calls for developing sea breezes by late morning, you might consider starting your outing at the boat launch in Wiscasset and heading south from there, enjoying the helpful push from the wind on your way back to town.
Also be aware of the swirling currents near the Route 144 bridge, and off the northern tip of Westport Island. Paddlers should possess basic Class I whitewater skills in negotiating these portions of the river.
To get to the boat launch site on Westport Island via Route 144, you can consult the Delorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer (Map #7).
You can also begin your outing from another boat launch site on the western side of the river opposite Wright Landing. This site is near the former location of Maine Yankee, closed down in 1996.
Michael Perry is the former director of the L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools and founder of Dreams Unlimited, specializing in inspiring outdoor slide programs. He may be contacted at:
michaelj_perry@comcast.net
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