Over the past forty summers we have rented a dozen or so cottages on Spruce Head and Owls Head. This may be the best. The house (it is not a cottage as that term is usually used) is located fifteen minutes out of Rockland, five minutes from the Knox County airport with non-stop service to Boston, on the water with a nice view restricted by trees but a stunning 180 degree view of the Mussel (or Muscle) Ridge Channel and the islands down a short, albeit somewhat steep, path. It is toward the end of a very quiet, dead end, private road which, unlike most roads in Maine, is safe to walk. It faces south (on a map it's parallel to Birch Point State Park) and is shaded so it stays cool even during hot days and usually has a breeze which also keeps the mosquitos down. The house itself is remarkable--a bedroom and full bath on the first floor and two bedrooms (queen size bed in one and four single beds in the other) and another full bath on the second floor, very large kitchen and food preparation area, nice living room, pleasant deck (not screened), massive BBQ grill, big electric heater as well as a wood stove, full set of kitchen utensils (both a mixer and a Cuisinart), enough dishes for a party of twenty, washer and dryer, etc. Drawbacks:
the staircase to the second floor is very narrow, especially when you are carrying luggage, and while I applaud their decision to compost garbage, finding and operating the composter is something of a trial, especially at night.
It is owned by a family trust. Sue Hufnagel lives close by (during much of summer she is literally next door) and is extremely helpful. The rent is also reasonable by local standards.