The Tide Goes Out.....

When viewing this harbor in Bar Harbor everything looks normal. I have heard of tide's going out but I didn't really think it happened in the United States. My son talked about it on the telephone but we really got to see what happens when the tide goes out. This is not a normal view once I show you that the water on this scene is probably dropped ten feet at the time.
The position of the moon causes changes in the height of the ocean water and at this harbor it goes down 12 feet. Look at this photo and see the water line on the poles of the dock. The boat tied to that dock is on a very long line so it can adjust to the height of the water.
It is hard to imagine how they work around this, but to the left of this picture is a movable ramp and you can see two chains in the photo. Can you see that the water level is lower with the moss and water line underneath that land dock above the water level?
The chains extend out to hold onto that flat deck out there at the end of the bridge. The top of the bridge is attached firmly on hinges to the land dock. As the ocean water lowers, the bridge slides on the plate at the bottom on that flat floating dock. Everything raises or lowers in unison with that floating flat dock, boat and bridge both. The poles around that flat platform are probably fake and are there to make the structure look strong. I doubt the reach the harbor floor.
Another bridge extended out to this large mooring platform. Can you see the one metal loop that is loosely fit around the second vertical pole to the left of the green boat. That whole docking system raises and lowers 12 feet on all of those vertical poles.
In this last picture, Aaron and Keegan were having their picture taken, down on the rock where the tide had gone out. By late afternoon, their heads would be underwater there. So now when I hear about the tide is going out, I really do see how it can get very complicated.
For the people who work along the shore they have to leave early in the morning before the tide goes out in order to get their lobster traps set.
The smell of the coast near the island also smells really bad as while the water is out the dead creatures, kelp, etc rot and smell. It isn't everywhere but in some areas it is really pungent.
Ok, I will stop for now. I know this is more than one needs to know.
I went to a dog show today with my wife. You are going to get some dog show info soon that may really just bore you, but I got some great shots of the things that go on in these shows. The people watching is just as fun as the dog show itself. Thanks for reading.....