SMALL BOATSply Maine waters almost year round. Hardy kayakers can explore the sheltered waters in tidal rivers and estuaries in the dead of winter, but for the most part, recreational boating along the coast of Maine occurs in the summer months when the air and water are at their warmest. COPYRIGHT 2002 DIAMOND PASS PUBLISHING Maine’s spring doesn’t really begin until May or June, when the first warm fronts bring warm, moist air to the coast. But the fronts are just as likely to bring cold and rain. Some years, the second half of June is glorious; in others, it might as well be March. The water is still cold in the spring. Often, when warm, moist air blows over the cold water, the moisture condenses into fog. Most facilities are not in full swing until July. COPYRIGHT 2002 DIAMOND PASS PUBLISHING The typical boating season lasts from the beginning of July until Labor Day. The days are warm, the nights are cool. The winds are typically light to moderate from the southwest and tend to die down at night. IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU HAVE VIOLATED By September, the water has warmed enough to lessen the probability of fog and the days can be sparkling. This can be some of the best boating of the year. But by late October, the winds—particularly those from the north—carry an arctic nip that gets increasingly hard to ignore.