Windjammer Layouts: Lewis R. French

Lewis R. French is the smallest "big" schooner in the Maine fleet. However, because it is a keel boat there is good room inside.

The French carries 22 people and has a wide range of bunk types, including 4 singles. 8 are housed in the aft main cabin and 14 more amidships in two more sections.

French's galley.saloon is forward and can seat the whole company. Heads are on deck level.

Click the photo for a bigger view. Lewis R.French sails from Camden. A link is in the windjammer list.

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.

Speak French

I like coasters. I like keelboats. Lewis R French is both. French is an authentic working cargo boat from 1871 and the last of her type remaining that was built in Maine. She has several "centerboarder" cousins in the fleet. Mercantile was also built in Maine in 1916.








Lewis R. French
Type : Topsail Schooner
65 feet on deck
19 foot beam (width)
7.5 foot draft (depth)
Home Port : Camden, Me.
Captain : Garth Wells
Lewis R French can be recognized at a distance by the distinctive upper "hole" of sail between its masts when fully rigged.