| MISTAKE ISLAND |
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| Mistake Island Harbor | ||||||||||||||||
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| 44° 28.60’N 067° 32.50’W |
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| Charts: 13326, 13325 | ||||||||||||||||
| Chart Kit: 77, 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| Down East region chart | ||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Bay chart | ||||||||||||||||
| Harbor chart | ||||||||||||||||
ONE of the most beautiful harbors in Maine is hidden away among the ledges behind Mistake and Knight Island. Don’t mistake it for the “Mistake Harbor” shown on the chart farther north. Once inside, you are surrounded by a pink and white granite shoreline and protected from the ocean swells that crash on the rocks only a few hundred yards away. Over this tranquil scene of natural beauty stands Moose Peak Light. You may be lulled to sleep by its sonorous double note.
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Approaches. Most boats enter from offshore through Main Channel Way, leaving Moose Peak Light to port and the sloping granite cliffs of Steele Harbor Island to starboard. As you pass the lighthouse, there is a glimpse of open water at high tide between treeless Mistake Island and heavily wooded Knight Island. Do not be tempted, however. Continue past Knight Island, turning to port around the end of the island and southward back into the harbor.
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A line between the northern tips of Knight and Mistake crosses a tiny and dangerous ledge that should be left to port. The rockweed on this ledge is just barely visible at high tide, and some kind soul has placed a short metal pipe on it. The ledge is just opposite a small green cottage on privately owned Knight Island. The larger ledge to the west is visible at all tides. Leave it to starboard.
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If you are coming from Mud Hole or elsewhere in Eastern Bay, Mistake Island Harbor is easily approached from the north. Pass south of can “1,” then head for the northern end of Knight Island.
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Anchorages, moorings. Anchor in 10 feet at low off the northern end of Mistake Island, inside the ledge. The best protection is up in the corner between Mistake and Knight, although this is a cable area.
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Mistake Island Harbor is fairly well protected from ocean swells by the outlying ledges, though strong southwesterlies will blow into the anchorage. It is also exposed to the north and northwest, and boats may drag if a strong front comes through.
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Getting ashore. Row into the ways of the old Coast Guard boathouse at the northern end of Mistake Island.
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Things to do. A convenient boardwalk maintained by the Coast Guard leads to Moose Peak Light, automated in 1970. Stay on the boardwalk or granite outcroppings to avoid damage to the rare and delicate plants found on Mistake Island. These are mostly members of one plant family notable for its ability to survive in the acidic, peaty soil and the cold, moist, and salty air. They include lush blueberry, crowberry, leatherleaf, lambkill, and Labrador tea. You will also find abundant raspberries and the beautiful beachhead iris.
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Most of Mistake Island was acquired by The Nature Conservancy from a grandson of the man who was lighthouse keeper from 1890 to 1910. The remaining six acres are still owned by the Coast Guard.
From A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast