Well, we found a great deal in a land of expensive dockage: $1.50/ft. instead of $4.00 a foot. The South Portland municipality has just built the first part of what will later be a 150 slip marina. No one knows about it, apparently, as we were the only boat there. You pay on the honor system (like those unattended parking lots). Very private, really pretty quiet, and the price was right. If we were staying for any length of time, I guess we would have gone to a slip near the action on the northside. But for an overnight tie-up, this was great. Now we head for Judy and Nic's in Mass.

Portland, by the way, is a very interesting port city. Though industrial and nautical, it remains very much "Maine."