The most wonderful restaurant in our area of Maine has to be the Nebo Lodge on North Haven. More precisely, it's the total experience that's simply fantastic, because getting to the Nebo is half the delight. I'll write more about the Nebo in another posting, because this one is about the "How to get there" which is major, since North Haven is an island with no bridge access.
Marshall Dodge of "Bert and I" fame had a routine where the the punch line was "Come to think of it, you can't get there from here." North Haven is sort of like that. On the Nebo website, there is a whole page devoted to "getting there," including flying, but all the resources are in Rockland, a long way by road from the Deer Isle area. Since we can SEE North Haven from here, you ought to be able to get there, right?
Well, here's the good news: You can, and if you don't have your own boat, you can rent passage on someone else's. Bill McDonnell and his Nanatoo, for instance.
A real charmer with an Irishman's silver tongue, Bill is the proverbial Jack of All Trades. An ex diver for scallops, fine furniture builder, he now mostly contracts and builds houses on Isle au Haut. Since he lives in Stonington, he needs a way to get there, and built the Nanatoo to do the job. (The Nanatoo is one pretty boat. See the Nanatoo being built right here.) Plus other jobs: a licensed captain, Bill hires himself and Nanatoo out to paying customers for trips in the Deer Isle area, the Nebo Lodge for example.
Bill and his wife Wendy are long time friends, and last summer, we arranged a trip to the Nebo on the Nanatoo with them and another couple who are always up for an adventure that is paired with food. Here's Captain Bill getting us off the dock in Stonington and underway:
Marshall Dodge of "Bert and I" fame had a routine where the the punch line was "Come to think of it, you can't get there from here." North Haven is sort of like that. On the Nebo website, there is a whole page devoted to "getting there," including flying, but all the resources are in Rockland, a long way by road from the Deer Isle area. Since we can SEE North Haven from here, you ought to be able to get there, right?
Well, here's the good news: You can, and if you don't have your own boat, you can rent passage on someone else's. Bill McDonnell and his Nanatoo, for instance.
A real charmer with an Irishman's silver tongue, Bill is the proverbial Jack of All Trades. An ex diver for scallops, fine furniture builder, he now mostly contracts and builds houses on Isle au Haut. Since he lives in Stonington, he needs a way to get there, and built the Nanatoo to do the job. (The Nanatoo is one pretty boat. See the Nanatoo being built right here.) Plus other jobs: a licensed captain, Bill hires himself and Nanatoo out to paying customers for trips in the Deer Isle area, the Nebo Lodge for example.
Bill and his wife Wendy are long time friends, and last summer, we arranged a trip to the Nebo on the Nanatoo with them and another couple who are always up for an adventure that is paired with food. Here's Captain Bill getting us off the dock in Stonington and underway:
And here's our friend Lydia and me with Stonington in the background.
Schooner, light house (apparently rentable -- click here) and, believed by many, some of the most beautiful sailing in the world (Penobscot Bay, the Fox Island Thoroughfare, and Merchant's Row): what more can you ask for?
Dinner at the Nebo! (More about that in a later posting -- it was fabulous!)
And then the boat ride back, right at sunset. Husband Drew is getting a lesson on GPS and chart reading, then North Haven and the Camden Hills in the sunset.
Contact info for Captain Bill and the Nanatoo is on their website. Bill charges for the pleasure, of course. Running a boat like the Nanatoo takes dollars. But charges are reasonable, and who really could put a price on an evening fit for a spread in Martha Stewart's Living?
Hi Kathryn,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jocelyn and I am with Dwellable. I am looking for fun and authentic blogs about Deer Isle and yours happened to catch my eye. If you’re open to it, shoot me an e-mail at jocelyn(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you soon!
- Jocelyn