Except for way up to the head of bays like Blue Hill, or in some of the brackish rivers feeding into the coast, I haven't jumped in the water here in,... a long time. My kids have been saying the harbor is often quite warm(they're crazy!)

But in Gilkey Harbor yesterday, it was good and hot outside, and I took a dive off the rail. No shock, no scream, no bolting for the ladder? No. It was warm. The tide was going out, but we tested it later near full tide, still warm.

I checked the buoy data off the mouth of the bay and see it's gone over 65 degrees. That's on the edge of the gulf and doesn't warm up. Gilkey is about half way up the bay. I checked some data and few beaches on the coast of Maine reach 65 degrees above Portland.

My wife and I are sure the water in Gilkey Harbor was at least 70 degrees(I'm getting a good thermometer to dip next time). We swam around the boat and really enjoyed being able to. It was refreshing, and not the cold we've come to expect. We went in again today. Amazing. Bye Bye Cape Cod.