A tidal paddle of the Narragaugus Bay and River from Stover Cove to Cherryfield, ME. Put in at Stover Cove and paddled with the incoming tide. Timing the tide and the access points at both end required some tight scheduling. The ramp at Stover Cove is limited to about 2 hours before the predicted high tide in Milbridge or you will be in the mud. We paddled up the bay into a 5 mph breeze from the NNW that occasionally gusted higher though otherwise it was a gorgeous day. Some local boat traffic before we passed under the bridge in Milbridge and entered the river (see below under safety). Plenty of wildlife as we made our way up the river 8.3 miles total to take out at slack high tide in Cherryfield.
An intermediate paddle because of the planning for tidal conditions and other complexities. Maybe a beginner paddle if the put in was in Milbridge and you just did the river section but watch out for the rips under the bridge.
Safety Notes
As with any tidal paddle there is a lot to think about. Paddling into the wind with an incoming tide was a consideration and our bailout plan for missing our timing window was to turn around at the Milbridge ramp and return to Stover Cove. Once you pass under the US 1A bridge in Milbridge you are committed to making it to Cherryfield or just waiting for the tide to turn. The reason is that the bridge has constricted the tidal flow and there is a good rip into the river from the bay. The west portal seems to have more obstructions and so we used the E portal which was exciting enough even at one hour before high tide as the eddies on the river side were tricky.
Don't forget the lobster boats and other large boat traffic. On a weekday not bad but it is a working area and making sure the lobster boats or other cruisers see you and acknowledge your presence.
Gear Notes
CD Vision 14 & Stellar S14 G2 Excell
Conditions
wind 5-10 MPH with gusts from the NNW which was directly our line of paddle. A slight (2') swell from the SE that was easily washed out by the occasional boat traffic. Sunny and warm.
