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50 PENOBSCOT BAY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | 800-562-2529 | 207-596-0376

Midcoast

Sailing aboard a Maine Windjammer

offers an unprecedented vacation experience.

www.TheRealMaine.com | [email protected] 51

Windjammin’

IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY to step back in time andenjoy life at a slower pace. It’s a chance to experiencethe pristine beauty along Maine’s rocky coastline

and explore the islands, inlets, and coves of beautifulPenobscot Bay. Each schooner has its own special energy,enhanced by knowledgeable captains, lively crew, tradi-tional galley meals, and specific themed cruises. Many ofthese vessels participate in events together such as theGreat Schooner Race and Lighthouse Parade in July, andWoodenBoat Sail-In in September, with impromptu raft-ups with fellow schooners for musical events. With itin-eraries determined by wind and tides, fortunate passen-gers are able to tap into a traditional and uniquelymemorable sailing experience.

Maine sailing increases the appetite, and meals are atthe apex of each cruise. Fish and lobsters come freshfrom the Port Clyde Co-op, Jess’s Market in Rockland,Graffam Bros. Seafood in Rockport, and Stonington Lob-ster Company. Galleys are stocked with locally grownand harvested produce from such places as WhitefootFarm in Waldoboro and Brodis Blueberries in Union.Locally sourced eggs come from Bowden’s Egg Farm inWaldoboro and meats from Curtis Meats in Waldoboro,Terra Optima Farm in Appleton, and Agricola Farm inUnion. Cheeses from Appleton Creamery are popular, aswell as Rockland’s Sweets & Meats cured meats and spe-cialty cheeses. Megunticook Market in Camden, Beth’sFarm Market in Warren, and local farmers’ markets all

BY THE STAFF ATMAINE FOOD &

LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS BYJIM BAZIN


provide seasonal produce and meatswhen schooners are in port. Maple syrupfrom Maine Maple Farms, grains fromMorgan’s Mills in Union, and chutneysfrom Nervous Nellies in Deer Isle stockthe pantries. Rock City Coffee Roastersin Rockland supplies most schoonerswith their coffee. Offering culinary mir-acles on wood cookstoves and preparedin view of passengers, the anticipation fortraditional New England fare is a high-light of each day.

Set sail aboard a National Historic Land-mark, American Eagle, with Capt. John

Foss. Certified for international voyages,the American Eagle offers 6-day cruisestowards Mt. Desert Island, Boothbay Har-bor, and Down East to Canada and NovaScotia for the Folk Harbor Festival inLunenburg. She also sails back to her homeport of Gloucester, MA, for the EsperantoCup Race, and has won the Labor DayGloucester Schooner Race eight times.

Built in 1930 for fishing in Gloucester,the American Eagle is a deep draftschooner designed for open water. Aftera 53-year fishing career, she was restoredin Rockland Harbor in the early 1990s by

Foss with the help of five other schoonercaptains. Foss has a 1600-ton oceans saillicense and 40 years of Maine windjam-ming experience.

Cabin amenities offer hot and coldwater and full headroom. Featuresinclude a shower stall down below, a hotwater heating system which comes inhandy for chilly spring and fall sailing, awood paneled main cabin, a roomy gal-ley and foc’sle forward, and the safety ofinboard diesel power.

Serving robust fare in plentiful quan-tities, the American Eagle appeases freshair appetites with meals made fromscratch using seasonal produce, eggs,Maine maple syrup, and locally harvestedblueberries and herbs picked from theirhome garden.

With winds and tides steering the itin-erary, windjammer captains have learnedto continually evaluate conditions andadjust course as needed. It’s always agood surprise. Anchoring away from vil-lages in off-the-beaten-path coves, pas-sengers aboard the Mary Day are offeredopportunities to meet islanders toenhance their Maine experience.

Teachers at heart, Captains Barry Kingand Jen Martin have a built-in love forsharing the joys of sailing the bays ofcoastal Maine. Years of travel and Expe-riential Education degrees bring diversityand the ability to accommodate guestsfrom all walks of life. With trained crewsharing knowledge in an inviting way,passengers are encouraged to be involvedat individual comfort levels.

Local experts, naturalists, and photog-raphers share expertise on several cruises.Lighthouse and sail training cruises arealso available. Interactive trips affordopportunities to participate with thecrew, learning confidence that carriesbeyond the decks of a windjammer.

The first schooner launched for wind-jamming, Mary Day was built with safety,passenger comfort, speed, and stability inmind. Cabins have sinks with cold run-ning water, 9' of headroom, windows, sky-lights, and heat for chilly or rainy days. Asloping staircase and fireplace grace themain cabin, the central spot for eveningentertainment. Wide decks allow passen-gers to stretch out for an afternoon nap,late night stargazing, or simply taking inthe panoramic view in a rocking chair.

Seasonal availability dictates the menuaboard the Mary Day. Blueberry or

The Stephen Taber under sail.

pumpkin pancakes, bacon and fresh fruit,and fresh baked bread, homemade soupsand salads are served up buffet style,allowing for scenic views with lunches ondeck. Passenger favorite meals includeseafood medley: scallops, crabmeat, andMaine shrimp atop seashell pasta andcream sauce. A home garden yields veg-gies, fruits, and honey, and eggs are pro-vided from their flock of ducks andchickens. Dinner is served family style inthe galley and may include chicken, roastpork, fish, ham, or turkey. Summersquash, a salad with Captain Barry’ssecret dressing, a slice of Rangeley Cakeand Prank Crank (aka decaf coffee) areserved topside at sunset. Recipes are inthe Mary Day’s cookbook Ring That Bell.

The Maine State Quarter holds animage of the last three-masted schoonerfrom America’s Golden Age of Sail: theVictory Chimes. Maritime history comesalive as passengers, under the guidance ofCaptain Kip Files, retrace the experienceof schooners that delivered goods foreconomic growth. The largest passengersailing vessel under the American Flag,Victory Chimes sails today just as she waswhen launched in 1900.

Like other windjammers, Victory Chimesrelies on changing winds and tides todetermine her route. Options for explor-ing are vast along Penobscot Bay’s pristinecoastline. Many have difficulty graspingthis concept in our regimented age, but itallows for an unforgettable, historic sailingexperience.

Specialty cruises vary seasonally.Favorites include a Father’s Day cruisefor dad’s special day, a Story Tellingcruise, Lighthouse Parade, Wooden BoatWeek cruise, and an Irish Music cruiseevery other year.

Twenty guest cabins are available, eachwith hot and cold running water and aport hole. Four are suites with double bedsand private heads. A deck cabin accom-modates passengers wishing to sleep closerto the stars. Spacious decks with built inbench seating allow for comfort.

The chef aboard the Chimes serves uphearty schooner fare, made fresh withlocally grown ingredients. Passengers eattheir fill at a traditional lobster picnic.Eggs Benedict and Homemade Cinna-mon Rolls are passenger favorites, as wellas late summer corn.

Another piece of Maine maritime his-tory, the Stephen Taber is the oldest doc-

umented sailing vessel in continuous serv-ice. The only second generation schoonercaptain in the fleet, Captain Noah Barnesgrew up with sailing in his blood.

The Taber explores secluded coves,islands, and the areas of Stonington, Mt.Desert Island, Sorrento, Isle au Haut,Monhegan, Pemaquid Point, and Booth-bay Harbor. The Taber offers specialtywine trips, and wine is served on boardeach night. Music is played by the livelycrew on every trip.

Specialty cruises, trips, and packagesinclude Wine, Dine, and Chocolate, Sail

and Parks (with passes to great Maineparks to explore), an Air & Sea Package(learn how to explore Maine car-free), andLand & Sea ‘Scapes Package (Historic Innsof Rockland, Farnsworth Art Museum,Maine Lighthouse Museum, and the All-Aboard Trolley Company). The Taber isfamous for their gourmet galley fare,sourced mostly from Rockland area mer-chants and farmers’ markets and featuredin their cookbook A Taste of the Taber.Meals include fresh daily bread and pas-tries made on the vintage woodstove.Lunches consist of hearty soups, chow-


The schooner Heritage heads for open water.

ders, hot rolls, and fresh salads. Dinnersare an event, featuring seasonal vegetablesand herbs from their own garden, freshlycaught seafood, and old-fashioneddesserts such as pie and hand-churned icecream. The highlight meal is an all-you-can-eat lobster bake, cooked and servedon a secluded Maine beach.

Local food, camaraderie, beautifulviews and historic adventure are all partof the alchemy of the J & E Riggin.Chef/Captain Annie Mahle draws mealsfrom the time-tested recipes in her AtHome, At Sea cookbook, using the recipesas springboards for new ideas. All foodaboard the Riggin is sourced by local pur-veyors within a 100-mile radius.

Seasonal menus dictate with favoriteslike raspberry pancakes, whipped almondcream, Maine maple syrup, butcher’s cutbacon, and hearty oatmeal garnishedwith granola, spiced apples, brown sugarand raisins, and warm fruit compotemuffins. Lunches on deck include inven-tive soups and salads with popular mealssuch as sausage and fennel soup, lobsterand sherry stew, lemon and chive biscuits,green bean and red onion salad or gardengreens accented with nasturtiums. Butterand olive oil tastings with baguettes,herbs, and mozzarella balls ward off pre-dinner hunger. A sample dinner menumay include poached salmon, tri-peppersalsa, basmati rice, roasted kale withmushrooms, whole wheat walnut breadand strawberry peach shortcake.

Rustic vessel amenities are enhancedby the beauty of nature. The Riggin’s sail-ing grounds extend from Boothbay toBar Harbor with stops in Stonington,Bucks Harbor, Wooden Boat, Castine,and the islands of North Haven andVinalhaven. Theme cruises include: It’sAll About the Food, Knitting Cruises, anda Lighthouse and Lobster Tour.

Cozy, private cabins of varnished pine

are furnished with handmade quilts,wool blankets, running water, a window,and headroom. Hot water is availablefrom the galley. The Riggin has two headsand a hot/cold shower on deck.

Fast and sleek, try sailing aboard theSchooner Nathaniel Bowditch, built forracing. A family business, Captain OwenDorr sails the boat, brother Paul is thechef, and wife Cathie is shore support,sailing occasionally with their two chil-dren. This family centered vessel offers kidfriendly trips for children ages five and up.

Nathaniel Bowditch also offers Light-house cruises that begin with a privatelighthouse museum tour, Cooks Cele-bration culinary cruise, and Oktoberfest.

Most trips explore Penobscot Bay, withtrips to Boothbay Harbor for Windjam-mer Days, and to Boston for the TallShips Festival. When guests ask, “Whereare we headed?” Capt. Owen replies,“Someplace beautiful. We’ll get there atjust the right time.”

A large garden provides fruits, herbs,and vegetables, with other fresh producepurchased from local farm markets.Honey comes from backyard hives,accented with flowers from the gardensand fields at home. Chef Paul’s specialtiesvary. Hearty breakfasts consist of steel cutoats and fresh fruit, scrambled eggs andcheese grits, and fresh baked bread orcheese blintzes and quiche. Lunch mightbe chili or soup and a garden salad toppedwith goat cheese and strawberries. Slowroasted ribs and coleslaw, curried chickenwith mango chutney, and hand-churnedlime ice cream are dinner specialties.

The Bowditch is a traditional vesselwith heads below deck, a roomy galleywith plenty of headroom, and a beauti-ful skylight.

Maine Windjammer Cruises (Mistress,Grace Bailey, Mercantile) are comman-deered by Capt. Ray and Ann Williamson.

From left to right:

Chef Pam Sheridan prepares breakfast on the Victory Chimes

J & E Riggin catches the wind

Salmon dinner on board the Stephen Taber

Anne Mahle prepares breakfast on the J & E Riggin

American Eagle First Mate climbs to adjust sails.

Each schooner

has its own

special energy,

enhanced by

knowledgeable

captains, lively

crew, traditional

galley meals,

and specific

themed

cruises.


National Landmark schooners, Grace Bai-ley and Mercantile are former cargo tradeships that became part of the historic fleetof vessels in America.

This fleet sails in Penobscot Bay, withtrips determined by the winds and tides.Specialty cruises this year include a Yogacruise led by Kristi Williamson, with Sun-rise Meditations, Hiking Adventures,Chanting, Music, Creative Exploration, andhealthy food being the focus of the trip.

Sailing without engines as in the daysof old, wind, tides, and canvas providethe means of getting from one place toanother. The Mistress, a smaller, modernversion of her sister ships, accommodatessix guests. Three private cabins haveheads, sinks, and private companionwaysfrom the deck. Grace Bailey and Mercan-tile have three heads and hot showers.Below deck facilities are close to the cab-ins, which offer single or double berths.An owner’s cabin on the Grace Bailey hasa double bed and private head. Spaciousgalleys are on both vessels and serve bothas dining area and family room.

Meals are prepared on wood burningstoves. Early risers are greeted with thearoma of fresh baked goods and hot cof-fee, followed by blueberry pancakes,sausage, juice, and milk. Chowder withbiscuits or chili with cornbread are lunchofferings. Spinach lasagna, baked chicken,and Captain’s barbecue or a lobster din-ner ashore are the evening meal.

Sailing between Boothbay and BarHarbor, and sometimes for extendedtrips to Boston for the Tall Ships Festival,the Lewis R. French mostly explores thecoves and islands of Penobscot Bay. Cap-tains Garth Wells and Jenny Tobin keepthe windjammer sailing a straight courseto exploration.

Lewis R. French offers a Birding bySchooner trip, with Maine Guides Derekand Jeannette Lovitch on hand to point



out the species along the way. Alsooffered is a WoodenBoat School Week,spending a day at the WoodenBoatSchool and using their smallboat sailingand rowing fleet.

Built in Christmas Cove, Maine, tocarry bricks, coal, and fish, the home portof the oldest windjammer in the fleet, theLewis R. French, has always been in Maine.One of the smaller schooners of the fleet,with room for 21 passengers and fourcrew allows visitors the opportunity to getbetter acquainted, heightening the sail-ing experience.

Delicious and hearty New England fareis featured aboard, with local and organicfoods preferred. Ham, turkey, roast beef,homemade soups, salads, breads, apple-sauce, jams and jellies, and temptingdesserts are standard fare, with adjust-ments made for seasonal availability anddietary restrictions. The cook’s creativityis different for each trip.

Cabins are cozy and comfortable, withrunning water and an opening window ineach. Five are single cabins, six are doublesand two are bunk bed cabins. Passengersshare two heads and one hot water shower.

As the solo female captain of the IsaacH. Evans, Brenda Thomas has alwaysincluded families with young childrenaboard, leading the way to fun with kiteflying, bubble blowing, costumed piratereenactments and impromptu marsh-mallow fights with passing schooners.Amping up the fun does not get confusedwith running a tight ship, for safety isalways primary.

Born and bred in Maine, CaptainBrenda’s familiarity with the anchoragesin Penobscot Bay comes from spending alifetime exploring them. The shallowdraft on the Isaac H. Evans allows the ves-sel to explore intimate anchoragesunreachable by larger schooners: DuckHarbor on Isle au Haut, The Basin onVinalhaven, Blue Hill’s inner harbor andPerry Creek are just a few of the placesthe Isaac H. Evans can maneuver into.

The places the Isaac H. Evans visitsoften include: North Haven, Vinalhaven,Deer Isle, Stonington, Isle au Haut, Isles-boro (Gilkey’s Harbor and Cradle Cove),Russ Island, Wreck Island, CalderwoodIsland, Fox Island Thorofare, Swan’sIsland (Burnt Coat Harbor, MackerelCove, and Buckle Island), Bass Harbor,Eggemoggin Reach, Brooklin (Wooden-Boat), Bucks Harbor, Pond Island, Cas-

Some “Favorites” of the

Maine Windjammer Association Captains Favorite Restaurant

Angelique: Hatchet Mountain House,Hope

Isaac H. Evans: Home Kitchen Café(breakfast); Rustica; Café Miranda,Primo; Waterfront (dinner)

Lewis R. French: Scott’s Hot Dog Shack,Camden

Victory Chimes: The Boat HouseRestaurant & Raw Bar (view); Rustica (food)

Favorite Place to ShopAngelique: Rankins; Hamilton MarineHeritage: Rockland Antiques

MarketplaceIsaac H. Evans: The Island Institute’s

Archipelago, RocklandLewis R. French: Reny’s, CamdenVictory Chimes: Beth’s in Warren

(farmstand); Grasshopper Shop(variety)

Favorite Place to See ArtAngelique: Neal Parent Gallery, Belfast;

Farnsworth Art Museum & the MaineLighthouse Museum, Rockland

Heritage: Art of the Sea, SouthThomaston

Isaac H. Evans: Eric Hopkins Gallery,Rockland

Victory Chimes: Galleries of Rocklandand the Farnsworth Art Museum

Favorite GardenAngelique: garden behind Post office in

Castine; “then Lynne’s garden”Heritage: Linda’s herb and flower gardenIsaac H. Evans: Muir Garden for

Contemporary Sculpture, RocklandLewis R. French: Children’s Chapel,

RockportVictory Chimes: Kip’s garden;

Merryspring

Favorite Place to See SunsetAngelique: Gilkey’s Harbor; Cranberry

IslandIsaac H. Evans: St. George PeninsulaVictory Chimes: Rockland Breakwater;

Beech Hill Preserve

Favorite Place to Eat Lobster Angelique: Mike does not eat lobster;

Lynne’s favorite place: Young’s LobsterPound, Belfast

Victory Chimes: Dip Net, Port Clyde

Favorite Place to Share with Guests

Angelique: AngeliqueIsaac H. Evans: Mt. Battie; M/V

Rendezvous; Landings Restaurant,Rockland; Waterfront, Camden

Lewis R. French: Somes SoundVictory Chimes: Rockland Breakwater;

Beech Hill Preserve


tine, Fort Point, Holbrook Island, SmithCove, Clam Cove, Bartlett Harbor. Some-times they make trips south to TenantsHarbor, Port Clyde, Owls Head and Port-land, or perhaps north to Schoodic Point,Mt. Desert Rock, and Matinicus.

Cruise themes are innovative. The IsaacH. Evans is the first vessel to incorporateboth Knitting and Wellness Cruises, invit-ing aboard a massage therapist, Tai Chiinstructor, and a non-violent communi-cation consultant. The only boat thatoffers an exclusive night sailing cruise,and also short, one-night trips for guestswith price or time constraints, the IsaacH. Evans also offers cruises focused onPhotography, Chocolate Lovers Cruise,Geology & Astronomy Cruise, Isle auHaut Sailing & Hiking, Drawing & Paint-ing, and a Pirate Adventure Cruise.

The Isaac H. Evans serves copiousamounts of basic comfort foods sansfancy descriptions. They participate inand source from the Weskeag Farms CSA.Breakfasts of eggs, bacon, homefries, blue-berry muffins, French toast, sausage, applesalad and berry compote or breakfast bur-ritos and quiche begin the day. Granola,yogurt, and fresh fruit and cereal arealways available. Lunches of chili, seafoodand corn chowder, or lasagna are popular,with afternoon snacks of shrimp cocktails,salsa and tortilla chips, bruschetta, cheeses,and grapes. Sample dinner menu includesbaked haddock with risotto, baked hamwith honey mustard glaze and bakedbeans, pastas, and turkey with all the trim-mings.

Captain Brenda’s garden at home pro-vides herbs, vegetables, fruits, and wild-flowers for the cabin bud vases. Passengersare educated on the environmental effectsof blindly throwing trash overboard, andall materials are recycled. Food scraps arepassed on to local pig farmers.

Leaving her berth on the Mondaymorning tide, Angelique sails the baysand islands between Portland and BarHarbor, concentrating on Mt. Desert,Swan’s Island, Frenchman Bay, Deer Isle,Merchants Row and Acadia NationalPark. Angelique schedules a 3-day FamilyCruise, and 4-6 day Naturalist, Photog-raphy, Whales & Seabirds, and Light-house cruises. They also schedule cruisesto coincide with the Windjammer Raceand the Camden Windjammer Festival.

Built in 1980 for windjamming andmodeled after an 1880’s gaff rigged top-

sail ketch fishing trawler, Angelique wasconstructed with modern day comfortfor guests in mind. Sporting traditionalred sails that resist mildew with tallow,tannic acid and red ocher, she cuts astriking figure through the waters ofPenobscot Bay. Captain Mike McHenryfell in love with sailing at the age of fivewhile exploring the shores of Connecti-cut. Now a 30 year veteran of windjam-ming, he, wife Lynn, and children Katieand Ryan share the joys of the sailinglifestyle with passengers.

The above deck salon is well protectedfrom the weather, with windows to viewthe changing scenery and the warmth ofa pot-bellied stove. This area transformsinto the nightly center of entertainmentas guests and crew circle round for a songat the piano. Cabins are well ventilated,with standing headroom, carpeted floors,a fresh water sink, reading lights andlinens. Heads and showers are conve-niently located below deck.

“Good food and plenty of it,” is pre-pared in the on deck galley and servedfamily style aboard the Angelique. Roasts,onboard baked pastries, salads and lobsterare in plentiful supply. Prior to sailing, theschooner stocks up on Maine produce.Available daily are fresh baked muffins andbreads, meals like pork tenderloin andchicken alfredo, and homemade soups, sal-ads, and lobster. Special diets are accom-modated with advance notice of sailing.

One of the few windjammers that sailsto Boothbay Harbor for WindjammerDays, the Heritage also sails from east ofBoothbay to Schoodic Point. Favorite des-tinations are Stonington, Swan’s Island,Castine, Bucks Harbor, Pulpit Harbor,North Haven Village, Brooklin (Wooden-Boat Harbor), and Pretty Marsh.

Race Week, Maritime History, StoryTelling Week, Lighthouse Week andBoothbay Windjammer Days are some ofthe most popular cruises available.

Designed, built, owned and operatedby Captains Doug & Linda Lee, SchoonerHeritage is the newest Maine windjam-mer, being launched in the 1980s. Withover thirty years of experience in Mainewaters, these renowned maritime histo-rians have built the next generation ofwindjammer, a wide, stable coastingschooner designed for passenger safetyand comfort.

There are skylights for ventilation,

For more information orto book cruises, refer to

the following listing ofMaine Windjammers.

American Eagle Capt. John Foss, 800.648.4544 schooneramericaneagle.com

AngeliqueCaptain Mike & Lynne McHenry800.282.9989, sailangelique.com

HeritageCapts. Douglas and Linda Lee800.648.4544schoonerheritage.com

Isaac H. EvansCaptain Brenda & Brian Thomas877.238.1325maineboatingadventures.com

J & E RigginCaptains Jon Finger/Annie Mahle800.869.0604mainewindjammer.com

Lewis R. FrenchCapts. Garth Wells & Jenny Tobin800.469.4635, schoonerfrench.com

Maine Windjammer Associationsailmainecoast.com

Maine Windjammer Cruises(Mistress, Grace Bailey, Mercantile)Capt. Ray and Ann Williamson800.736.7981 mainewindjammercruises.com

Mary DayCaptains Barry King and JenniferMartin, 800.992.2218 schoonermaryday.com

Nathaniel BowditchCapt. Owen & Cathie Dorr800.288.4098 windjammervacation.com

Stephen TaberCapt. Noah Barnes, 800.999.7352stephentaber.com

Summertime CruisesCaptain Bill Brown, 800.562.8290 schoonersummertime.com

TimberwindCaptains Bob and Dawn Tassi800.759.9250 schoonertimberwind.com

Victory ChimesCapt. Richard (Kip) Files800.745.5651 victorychimes.com

continued on page TO BE DETERMINED ‰


plenty of headroom below decks, stairsinstead of ladders, three heads on deck,and a pressurized hot fresh water shower.Cabin amenities have hot and cold water,electric lights and reading lights, and theconvenience of receptacles for chargingcameras, cell phones or laptops. Two cab-ins have double beds and private heads.

The Heritage was serving homemademeals in the 70s when packaged mixeswere en vogue. Soups, breads, and bakedgoods are made from scratch with wholegrains, natural ingredients, and homegrown herbs. Trip favorite foods includelobster, fresh strawberry shortcake, anddark chocolate dipped strawberries.

The Schooner Timberwind was builtin 1931 for the rugged duty of radio dis-patch for Portland pilots. One of themore rustic of windjammers in the fleet,cabins are deep, tidy, and spotless. Thereare electric lights, but no plumbing.Water is provided in barrels.

Three- and four-day cruises in greaterPenobscot Bay are available aboard the 20passenger Timberwind, and Captains Boband Dawn (also chef) Tassi tell the storyof how they came to own this vessel. Theytook a cruise aboard the Stephen Taber in1998 and for three years following actedas that schooner’s deckhands. Falling inlove with schooner living, the Tassis pur-chased Timberwind in 2003. Since then,they have forged a relationship of affec-tion and pride with their passengers,schooner, and her carefully chosen crew,creating a family of strong bonds and act-ing as mentors to crew members.

Designed by Dawn to reflect the imageof a sailor at sea, the Timberwind strikesa classic nautical pose as she gracesPenobscot Bay. Her colors are white, navyblue, and a light blue/gray, giving her theappearance of wearing a white oxfordshirt, blue blazer, and khaki pants.

The emphasis in the tiny galley is onexquisite food with an artistic presenta-tion. Chef Dawn makes New Englandboiled dinner, slow roasted chicken,chowders and soups (a favorite being anauthentic French onion soup), and a clas-sic lobster bake. Bob joins in and has funmaking homemade raviolis and sauce.

Affordable 3- and 6-day cruises ideal forsmall groups and families are available on

board the Summertime. Launched in1986, the Summertime is a New EnglandPinky, well known for their seagoing qual-ities and ability to weather storms. Builton the coast of Maine by George Allenand Bill Brown, along with many inter-ested volunteers, the Summertime wasbuilt using a variety of locally cut woods.

Captain Bill Brown, owner and skipper,is a USCG-licensed captain, Mainelicensed EMT, and has sailed previouslyaboard the Victory Chimes, Mary Day, andcaptained the Mercantile and Timberwind.On board the Summertime, he’ll take youto coves, harbors, and pebble beaches. Pri-vate charters and tailored cruises accom-modate special interests such as coastalecology, boatbuilding, and Maine history.

The Summertime sports three privatecabins, crisp sheets, and warm blanketsfor cool Maine evenings. A low-flow,warm water shower is available for after-swim rinsing. A uniquely designed lad-der makes climbing aboard easy for pas-sengers of all ages.

In the morning, you’ll awaken to thearoma of freshly baked blueberrymuffins and start your day with hot tea,coffee, or cocoa. Family style meals comestraight from the Summertime’s woodburning stove and hearty breakfasts ofeggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, andFrench toast are served. Lunch is soups,chili, salads, and fresh baked goods anddesserts. Gourmet dinners complete theday with seafood, pasta, or chicken, andvegetarian, low-fat, and special dietaryneeds are accommodated.

Maine’s maritime history will comealive as you explore Penobscot Bay andits environs. While most windjammerstake a tour of the Midcoast, there may bespecific destinations en route that youhave in mind, as well as particular typesof cruises which best suit your tastes.Whichever cruise you choose, be assuredyour adventure will reflect Maine sum-mer at its best.

L. Jaye Bell is a freelance journalist and travel

writer who did the majority of research and

drafting of this article for Maine Food &

Lifestyle. Melanie Hyatt is the editor of Maine

Food & Lifestyle magazine and the Plating Up

blog. She is a Maine native with a passion for

writing about all things Maine. Jim Bazin isthe publisher, creative director, and principal

photographer of Maine Food & Lifestyle mag-

azine, and the Plating Up blog.

WINDJAMMERS‰ continued from page 59

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