Saturday, February 17, 2007

Good Night

Schooner American Eagle
Off Pond Island
May 31, 2006

Schooner Recipes: Bread and Soup

Dawn Tassi serves a great Bread/Soup Combo on Schooner Timberwind. Check out her recipes below.

Wooden Boat Builders: Brooklin Boat Yard

The home port of Wooden Boat Magazine is also the location for one of America's top wooden boat builders.

Brooklin Boat Yard was founded by legendary Maine designer/builder Joel White.

The yard is currently run by his son and continues to build wooden craft, both sail and power, with both classic and modern methods.

Bob Stephens is now head designer. Take a look at some of their current projects here. They have a full website with a good look at their boats and others for sale in Maine.

Good Morning

Ketch Angelique in Castine Harbor

Friday, February 16, 2007

Good Night

Blogging Post of Annie Mahle

LINK

The above link is to a post by new blogger Annie Mahle talking about a subject I often think about... What the heck is blogging about? Oh, I know what the definition is. A blog is a log of items placed on the web. But why write them? Why read them?

The answers for many people who like blogs are contained in her post. Click over and read her entry. Write and tell me what you think. I'm really interested.

Maine Adventure Sails Launches Blog

Schooners Timberwind and J & E Riggin have started a blog under the their marketing name. All four owners are set to contribute. Here is their link. I will add it to the blog roll.

Windjammer Magazines?

Wooden Boat Magazine is still the best home delivered publication for those interested in Windjammers and similar craft. They have a new and stunning glossy called Maritime Life and Traditions that looks incredible if you like the nautical atmosphere.

Maine Boats Homes and Harbors concentrates just on the Maine Coast.

Passagemaker Magazine
concentrates on long range powerboats and is great reading if you like thinking about long voyages.

There are a few terrific British magazines about classic wooden boats. I'll write more on how to subscribe to these soon.

Windjammer Wildlife Sails

Wildlife is a big feature of all schooner vacations. You generally see many creatures of many types over the course of even a short sail in Maine.

Animals along the Maine coast are a little shy compared to say, the Pacific Northwest, but I saw plenty of our living cousins especially when not expecting to. Last year's highlight was an otter popping up on the rocks of Crotch Island less than 5 feet from me.

Nature isn't choreographed for us, but some windjammers have special wildlife cruises on which they actively seek out wildlife spotting chances. These sails generally head farther offshore. Some have naturalist guides aboard as hosts.

  • Windjammer Angelique leads the fleet in wildlife cruises. Five this season.
  • Schooner Mary Day has two dedicated sailings.
  • Lewis R. French offers a bird watching cruise.
  • Isaac H. Evans has a whale watching sail that is scheduled during the Perseid Meteor Shower. (Hurry though, it's almost filled)

All the schooners headed to Boothbay on the last week of June stand a great chance of spotting offshore wildlife. I'll be on Nathaniel Bowditch. But see also French, Eagle, Heritage.

American Eagle is nearly certain to see plenty of offshore wildlife on her long range sails.

All the ships are linked on the right side bar.

Good Morning

Deck of Isaac H. Evans

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Windjammer Cruising Area: Merchant's Row

Just south and east of Stonington on Deer Isle is a group of small islands.

They are known as Merchant's Row, and when you have your lobster bake there's a good chance it will be on one of these little islands.

All are pretty and largely deserted. The schooners try to stay out of each others' way to provide a secluded atmosphere.

Rocky shores are the norm, but the captain's know where the sandy beaches can be found. There is some hiking opportunity on most of the isles.

Good Morning

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Good Night

Way Down East Windjamming

Sylvina W. Beal from EW website

Eastport Maine is about as downeast as it gets. There are some impressive windjammers to sail there. Eastport Windjammers operates two schooners. The company is run by the Harris family which has a very long history in that area.

Sylvina W Beal is a converted 84 foot(approx.) knockabout fishing schooner launched in 1911 which sails day cruises and charters.

Halie and Mathew is a brand new(2003) windjammer built by the family for custom cruises of two to seven days. She is in the Schooner Heritage size range(90 ft.+) and is certified for 30 overnight passengers.

These vessels often sail into the Bay of Fundy.

Featured Place to Stay: The Capt. Lindsey House

Rave reviews always surround this well known Rockland Inn. I have not stayed here, but I plan to this year if I can.

The Lindsey House is owned and operated by Ken and Ellen Barnes who recently retired after 25 years at the helm of Schooner Stephen Taber, but still run the inn.

Ellen is one of the best cooks in midcoast Maine and she and her husband are famously entertaining.

Decor at the inn is heavily Scottish, which I highly approve of.

Prices range from about $100 to $200 and they offer discounts for windjammer sailors. They also have special sea/shore packages with Stephen Taber, which is now helmed by son Noah Barnes and his wife Jane. Captain Lindsey House Link

Good Morning

J&E Riggin Enters Stonington Harbor

Good Night


Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Featured Bakery in Schooner Land

Atlantic Baking Co. is my favorite morning stop in Rockland. They are actually open most of the day. I drink tea, and they have a great selection to go with great pastries and breads. I usually get a giant cinnamon bun or one of their excellent scones.

ABC also offers sandwiches and soups plus cold take out drinks. I haven't tried those. There are a number of tables inside and some out on the sidewalk. The location is right across from the Farnsworth Museum and next to the town theatre. Atlantic Baking Co. Web Site

Maine Mystery Site

CLICK

Good Morning

Schooner Summertime

Monday, February 12, 2007

Good Night

Silhouette of Dawn and Emily Tassi
Schooner Timberwind

Windjammer Layout #3: Nathaniel Bowditch


Schooner Bowditch is a deep keeled vessel which affords a great deal of space below. Her main passenger space is midships with seven twin cabins and a head compartment. This is accessed by a well angled ladder down to a large open landing. All the cabins are off this open space.

Forward are three doubles and two single berths. There is a head in the bow. The ladder to this space is steeper and through a smaller hatchway.

Bowditch's medium size galley/saloon is just aft of amidships and is the most bright and open of any windjammer that I remember seeing. Head room on this boat is near the top of the scale.

Photography Cruises

In many ways every windjammer sailing is a photography cruise. However, if you are a real photog type individual there are windjammer cruises that feature top instructor/photographers to learn from. A review of this year's schedule reveals these picture taking journeys:

  • J & E Riggin with Frank Chillemi/ Last week of September
  • Mary Day with Jim Dugan/ Last week of June
  • Stephen Taber with John L. Shipman/ First week of September
These Schooners are linked in my windjammer list.

Good Morning

Schooner Heron
Rockport

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Good Night

Schooner Stephen Taber at Anchor
June 5, 2006

Long Distance Windjamming

For those who might like to explore more distant ports, Schooner American Eagle offers a few extended sails this year. In addition to his usual 10 day Canadian Maritime cruise (July this season) , Captain Foss is sailing to Mystic Conn. in early June for a two week round trip. Eagle completes her long distance itinerary with the six day annual cruise to her original home, Gloucester Mass., for the yearly Schooner Race.


These trips are more expensive but offer the only long range sailing vacations in the Maine fleet. Naturally, one must be ready for some offshore conditions. American Eagle Schedule Link

Good Morning