One of Eastern Yacht Club’s great traditions is the Summer Cruise which has been conducted for 155 years. The cruise is organized by the Club’s Fleet Captains and is for members to head off on their boats to explore an area of New England by visiting a set of predefined ports. One of my responsibilities as Commodore is to “lead the cruise” and in that capacity I have the privilege (one of the few) to extend an invitation to folks to join the 2026 Summer Cruise to Downeast Maine’s Penobscot Bay.

The Cruise typically attracts an average of 40+ sail and power vessels and 150+ attendees ranging in age from newborns to 80+ years old. The Cruise includes a series of events such as a traditional lobster bake, cocktail parties and the infamous “Bang and Go Back” race in RIBs, plus a series of distance races for some of the Club’s most prized silver.

The fleet will rally in Tenants Harbor, Maine, on Saturday, July 11, for the Skippers’ Meeting and will disband on Friday, July 17, in Buck’s Harbor.

One of the best cruising bays in the world

The coast of Maine offers one of the ten best cruising venues for pleasure boaters in the world and “the jewel of the Maine coast” is Penobscot Bay, considered to be among the state’s best and most scenic cruising grounds.

Penobscot Bay originates from the mouth of Maine’s Penobscot River and is the deepest body of water in the Gulf of Maine. Forty miles long by just 20 miles wide, Penobscot Bay is populated with a few larger islands, Vinalhaven, North Haven and Islesboro, and hundreds of smaller uninhabited islands with secluded anchorages, quaint fishing villages, working harbors and summer resort destinations.

Penobscot Bay shelters mid-coast Maine, and its renowned waters are home to an extensive lobster and fishing industry, cruising ports of call for the Maine Windjammer fleet, and incredible panoramic vistas from every vantage point. You will find some of Maine’s more picturesque coastal scenery on this part of the coast—secluded offshore islands and majestic hills rising above the scenic bay.

The following this letter is the announcement from Eastern Yacht Club’s Fleet Captains Steve & Julie Pitt. Note within the announcement there is a survey that we request you complete if you are interested in joining us. At the end of the survey is a Comment block—please enter your name and your yacht club here so we can identify you.

A few items to keep in mind: there is a fee assessed to each participating boat, as well as additional fees for the arranged dinners ashore. Captains are responsible for all dockage and mooring fees for their vessels. In several of the harbors we will be visiting, anchoring will be required, and participants should be prepared for a range of weather conditions.

There are a number of options to charter boats in the area where we are going as well as secure crewed charters, but one should not delay in arranging these options. The information below includes details for Northpoint Yacht Charter for sailboats and for Ellis Boat Charters for power boats.

Any questions don’t hesitate to email me at Commodore.McKinnon@easternyc.org

Cheers,

Alan McKinnon

As Fleet Captains for the 2026 season, we are delighted to announce the upcoming Eastern Yacht Club Cruise. This year’s cruise will take us to Penobscot Bay, Maine, one of the world’s premier cruising destinations. With more than 200 islands, picturesque and protected harbors, charming villages, and rugged, secluded anchorages, Penobscot Bay offers outstanding cruising and sailing.

The fleet will rendezvous on Saturday, July 11, in Tenants Harbor and conclude on Friday, July 17, in Brooksville/Buck’s Harbor. Ports of call include Tenants Harbor, Camden, North Haven, Swans Island and Brooksville.

We have a full and fun agenda planned for sailors, families and land cruisers alike. We will host four races, along with a Fishing Derby. For kids, we will organize activities at each stop. And of course, we will enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinners, entertainment, the Bang & Go Back Race, the popular Cocktail & Appetizer Contest and conclude with a lobster bake. Land cruisers are welcome to attend any of the events, so please join us even if you are not cruising by boat.

For those interested in chartering, we recommend Northpoint Yacht Charter or Ellis Boat Charters.

To assist with planning, please complete the “Cruise Survey” link here EYC Cruise 2026 Survey to indicate your level of interest.

SURVEY LINK >>

Below you will find the itinerary, activities and details on anchoring, mooring and slips. Dockage reservations will mostly be handled through Dockwa. While some marinas may not yet be accepting reservations, they are expected to open shortly. The cruise registration page will be live in the coming weeks.

Please reach out with questions. Thank you and we look forward to a fun, safe and memorable cruise.

Fair Winds!

Stephen and Julie Pitt

Fleet Captains

Stephen

415-302-8447

smpitt@gmail.com

Julie

646-884-4165

jajpitt@gmail.com

Schedule & Mooring / Dockage Information

Saturday, July 11 | Tenants Harbor Boatyard, Tenants Harbor, ME

Activities:

• Skippers Meeting & Opening Party
• Cocktails & Dinner at Tenants Harbor Boatyard.

Moorings and Dockage Contacts:

• Tenants Harbor Boatyard through Dockwa. Reservations will open May 15, 2026 at 9:00am EDT. Please reference Eastern Yacht Club when booking.
• Anchoring is permitted outside the no-wake buoys.

Sunday, July 12 – Monday, July 13 | Camden, ME

Activities:

• Cocktails & Dinner at Salt Wharf Restaurant at Lyman-Morse on July 13.

Moorings and dockage contacts:

• Lyman-Morse through Dockwa for moorings and dockage. Reservations are open. Please reference Eastern Yacht Club.
• YS Moorings through Dockwa. Reservations will open 05/01/2026 at 8:00pm EDT.
• Do not anchor inside the mooring along Eaton Point, where it is a shoal. Anchoring is not allowed in the inner harbor.

Tuesday, July 14 | North Haven, ME / Fox Island Thoroughfare / Fish Point

Activities:

• Bang & Go Back Race
• Cocktails, Hors d’oeuvres & Dinner at Turner Farm

Moorings and dockage contacts:

• Multiple anchoring and mooring options are located in Fox Island Thoroughfare.
• Turner Farm is located between the Cubbyhole / Waterman Cove and Armstrong’s Cove on the North Haven side of the Fox Islands Thoroughfare on Fish Point Peninsula. They have a private dinghy dock available for visitors coming by sea. The walk from the dock up to the Turner Farm Barn is about 1000 feet. (Latitude: 44.0827 | Longitude: -68.5051).

Wednesday, July 15 | Lay Day

Recommendations:

• En route to Swans Island, recommended stops include Seal Bay (Vinalhaven), Merchant Row, Stonington, Isle au Haut and surrounding areas.

Thursday, July 16 Swans Island, ME / Burnt Cove

Activities:

• Model Boat Race
• Cocktail & Appetizer Contest at Swans Island Yacht Club in Burnt Cove

Moorings and dockage contacts:

• Moorings off Fishermen’s Co-Op marked by green pickup buoys.
• Anchoring off the west side and east side (Long Cove) of Burnt Cove Harbor.
• Swans Island Yacht Club is located just north of Johnson’s Island on the east side of Burnt Cove at Traftons Wharf. (Latitude: 44.139301 | Longitude: -68.439313).

Friday, July 17 | Brooksville, ME / Bucks Harbor

Activities:

• Lobster Bake on the beach at Oakland House Inn.
• Transportation provided from Bucks Harbor to the event.

Moorings and dockage contacts:

• Note: You can anchor in front of the Oakland House or nearby Deadman’s Cove with a launch service and dinghy dock or go to Bucks Harbor where transportation will be provided to the event at Oakland House.
• Anchoring in front of Oakland House Inn with launch service and dinghy dock. (Latitude: 44.313462 | Longitude: -68.70725).
• Anchoring at Deadman’s Cove with launch service and dinghy dock. (Latitude: 44.319153 | Longitude: -68.717857).
• Bucks Harbor Marine through Dockwa for moorings and dockage. Reservations are open. (transportation provided to event).
• Bucks Harbor anchoring on the east or west side of the harbor. (transportation provided to event).