Unwind at a tranquil seacoast
cottage
Islesboro, Maine
2009 Rates & Availability – WE ARE NOW FULL FOR THE 2009 SEASON. CONTACT US ABOUT 2010.
Photos of House & Vicinity
Chart of Penobscot Bay (showing rough location of our
house with an arrow)
Floor Plan of the House
Information on Islesboro
Charter our Friendship Sloop
(moored off the house)
Our home
("Crosswinds") sits on a narrow peninsula jutting out from the
eastern shore (marked with black dot in aerial photo below). The house has
oceanfront on the front and the back.
The front faces Sabbathday Harbor and Ryder's Cove, around which cottages such
as this one were built around the turn of the century (1900) by families coming
down for the summer from Bangor on the steamboats that in those days made
regular stops at Ryder's Cove.
Surprisingly little has
changed since 1900. The cottage has been extensively updated in terms of
electricity and plumbing, but it retains its original character, e.g.,
weathered gray shingles, exposed interior beams. Neighboring cottages, some of
which are visible but without intruding on privacy are also from the turn of
the century.
A sandy beach, very rare in
these parts, is literally steps away (10 feet) from a long porch (40 feet)
extending the full width of the front of the house. At high tide, only the
sandy beach is above water. At low tide, there are rocks, seaweed, and mussels
beyond the sand. Further out on the narrow peninsula there is a rocky
promontory from which still other ocean views can be had. The whole area has a
magic that words cannot describe.
The house
sleeps 6-10 persons. There are four bedrooms and one and one-half baths. Three
bedrooms and a full bath are on the second floor; there is a queen-size bed in
one bedroom, two single beds in another, and one queen and two single beds in
the third. Almost all beds and box springs were replaced as part of the
restoration of the house in 2008. The
fourth bedroom is a bedroom/office on the first floor, where there is a sofa
that folds out to a full size bed. There is a half bath on the first floor, in which the
washer/dryer is located. The first floor has a large open area for living and
dining, an enclosed porch, and a kitchen. There are many windows on the first
floor, particularly on the glassed-in sun porch, which has an especially light
and airy feel to it. The furnishings are in keeping with the age of the home.
The kitchen is fully equipped,
including a microwave, but it, too, is rustic (you will not find any Formica or
modern cabinetry). A wood stove is available in the living room, to give heat
on those cool, Maine evenings. The house is not winterized, and is completely
shut down from November 1 to April 15.
A high-output (40,000 BTU/hr) Rinnai propane heater was installed in
September 2006, making the house much more comfortable in the shoulder seasons
(late May into June and late September into October). Foundation and other major
restoration/structural work (see below) was completed over the winters of
2007/2008 and 2008/2009. There are no
televisions, but you are welcome to bring your own. There is a telephone, and
we simply ask that you charge all calls except those to the local exchanges
(236 and 734). There is a CD/tape music system in the living room. We must insist on no pets and no smoking.
Islesboro is a
quiet island of incredible beauty. There are about 600 year-round and 1,000
summer residents. There is a real feeling of community, shared by year-round
and summer residents alike. We have few security concerns about our house, as
year-round neighbors keep a close eye on it. Islesboro is a place that people
go to for long vacations, as opposed to day trips. Because of this there are
not many shops or restaurants on the island, itself, though a great many are to
be found in Camden, just a few miles south of the ferry landing. The automobile
ferry that connects the island to the mainland at Lincolnville operates every
hour from 8 AM to 5 PM (except 12 Noon).
If you are used to glittery,
fast-paced places, it may take you a while to get used to the simpler and
slower-paced life on Islesboro, but we have found it far preferable. Once you
have been on the island long enough to unwind and slow down, you will find it
very difficult to leave. Take a week or two, and unwind at our home on
Islesboro. Consider coming in September.
It is probably the nicest time of the year to be there, as the days are
clear and warm.
The house was built in 1907/1908. One hundred years later, major restoration of the house was completed over the winters of 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, including installation of foundation piers, restoration of some of the original porch at the southwestern corner of the house , interior structural improvements (e.g., stiffening of second floor), new roofing, restoration of fourth bedroom upstairs, removal of modern sheetrock in one bedroom, changes to second floor dormer windows to make them impervious to weather, small changes to kitchen, new hardwood floor on over all of first floor, new roof and some siding shingles, restoration of inoperable doors and windows, removal of thick/peeling old paint on trim and repainting. All of the work is being done with an eye to maintaining or restoring the original character of the house.
Best way to contact us is by E-mail, at roger@gailandroger.com
Roger Lee & Gail O’Donnell
26 Park St.
Belfast, Maine 04915
(207) 338-6837 (Home)
rental; for rent; lease; Maine; Penobscot Bay;
house; summer