IF conditions are right, you can reach Grand Manan comfortably on your third day out of Penobscot Bay, spending the first night near Mount Desert and the second at Roque Island. You would be wise to allow at least one more day for the trip to provide for the usual surprises.
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The last leg of the voyage can begin at Roque Island, Cutler, or Head Harbour (Campobello Island). Roque is probably as far away as you want to start, about 40 miles from Grand Manan’s North Head. If the weather turns bad, Cutler can be a fallback.
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The trick is to pick a day with reasonable visibility and to maximize the hours you can ride the flood current up Grand Manan Channel. The current runs 1.5 to 2.5 knots, flooding northeast and ebbing southwest. Along the west coast of Grand Manan, the current reaches 3 knots. Grand Manan Channel can be extremely rough when the wind is against the current, creating short, steep waves. When strong southeasterlies blow up the Grand Manan Channel against the ebb, rough and sometimes breaking seas can be found in the approaches to Quoddy Narrows and off Nancy Head on Campobello.
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Grand Manan is split on U.S. charts, so you will have to do some switching back and forth between chart 13392, the southern half, and 13394, which shows the northern half.
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Approach the island along the bold western shore, rounding the southern tip of the island to reach Seal Cove or the northern tip to reach North Head.
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To avoid a substantial fee, it is desirable to arrive at Customs during business hours Monday through Friday, preferably in the morning on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. That takes a bit of planning. If you have to make a choice, opt for visibility and favorable current and let Customs fall where it may.
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