H. M. S. Bounty Under Restoration

Boothbay Harbor Shipyard

On Square Riggers and Schooners

From Capt. King in Texas...

Giant Texas Windjamming (sort of)

Captain Barry King (Mary Day) has arrived in Galveston to help man the 1877 barque Alissa. He is joined by Captains John Foss (American Eagle) and Kip Files (Victory Chimes.)

His first report....

Windjammer Oriented Links

If you like looking at the kind of stuff that would be on a schooner, here is a link to Paul E. Luke inc., one of Maine's most storied custom marine purveyors.

Paul Luke launched his first custom sailboat in 1937 and the Luke family still runs the operation that now specializes in custom sailboat hardware and fixtures.

The site includes a good bio of Paul E. Luke himself and his boat building legacy.

Their products include steel and bronze hardware, stoves, and of course; Custom Feathering Propellers.

LINK

http://www.peluke.com/

Good Night

Ghost Ship Tabor Boy

Bugeye Passed Over by Windjammer Blog

Due to excessive fatigue owing to playing Euchre on my pocket pc until 2:00 am this morning, I omitted one of the coolest daysailers in Maine. As Elizabeth quickly commented, Jenny Norman of Rockland is a must sail if you get the chance. If you don't have time then at least take an up close look.

"Jenny" is a fine 1980's replica of one of my favorite types of sailing work boats. The "Bugeye" was a Chesapeake Bay work boat used for oystering that combined some of the same features as the Northeastern coasters while being quite distinct.

The most unique features are deeply raked masts and the use of the "Leg o' Mutton" masthead rig popular on sailing sharpie skiffs. Like its cousin the Skipjack, most had "Bateau" hulls with pretty clipper bows that partially hide their rather blunt shape. Some had masts so raked as to look like cartoons that couldn't sail; They could.

Jenny Norman is being restored and sailed by Mike and Julie Rogers who formally crewed on Victory Chimes. See a photo.

Daysailers

There are several windjammer-like vessels who specialize in day sails in the midcoast maine region. All three windjammer home ports have at least one. Camden has several vessels. There are also a number of others throughout New England. Here are some good midcoast area ones.

• Schooner Olad in Camden
• Schooner Surprise in Camden
• Schooner Heron in Rockport
• Schooner Summertime in Rockland, Brooklin
• Schooners Wendameen and Bagheera in Portland
• Schooner Lazy Jack in Boothbay
  

Windjamming Book Selection

All of the Maine windjammers use the classic "Gaff" sail rigging configuration. This older, salty looking rig had many advantages when it was the dominant sail rig before WWII.

"The Gaff Rig Handbook" by John Leather provides a good overview of the history and workings of the rig that all the Maine schooners use. Even if you are not fascinated with the technicalities, you will get a good idea where everything is and the key parts involved. This will help in assisting the crew in sailing during your trip.

The book is available at Amazon, WoodenBoat Store, Borders and Barnes and Noble. It can be ordered at your local book store if you are still fortunate to have one in your community. Price is $29.95 retail and less at the online stores.

Featured Windjammer: Nathaniel Bowditch

Schooner Nathaniel Bowditch is the only classic sailing yacht in the Maine windjammer fleet She was built in East Boothbay and designed by American Naval Architect William Hand as an offshore racing yacht.

As " SV Ladona" she competed successfully in Bermuda Cup races of the 1920's. She is fast and maneuverable. Hand specified similar construction strength to his famous "Arctic" schooner Bowdoin which is now the training vessel for Maine Maritime Academy. Bowditch carries far more sail. She is the only vessel in the fleet to fly a "Fisherman" sail.

• Schooner Nathaniel Bowditch
• Launch: 1922 by Hodgdon Brothers
  
• Rig: Topsail with fixed keel
• Auxiliary Power: Single Diesel Inboard
  
• Length On Deck: 82 Feet
• Beam: 21 Feet
• Draft: 11 Feet
• Capacity: 22-24
• Owners: Captain Owen and Cathie Dorr
• Home Port: Rockland Me.
  

Windjamming Book Selection:

Get into the spirit of old fashioned sailing and learn some Celestial Navigation. This is the way it was done before electronics and still is if your gps fails.

This inexpensive book is a pretty complete overview whether you want to get a Sextant or not.

Wooden Boat Store Link

Featured Windjammer: Mercantile

Photo from MWC Website


Mercantile is one of the prettiest windjammers in the world. She is the last surviving ship in a series built on Deer Isle in the early 20th century.

Like her fellow "coasters" she hauled cargo up and down the coast entering smaller ports with her shallow draft. The "Merc" as she is affectionately called was converted to a windjammer late in her career.

She was restored in 1989 and now carries up to 29 people on 3 and four day sails. Merc is owned by Maine Windjammer Cruises, the direct descendant of the original windjammer company founded in the 1930's.

Sailing Vessel Mercantile
Gaff Schooner with Centerboard
Launch: 1916, Deer Isle Maine
Refit: 1989

• Length: 80 Feet on deck
• Draft: Shoal (aprox. 5 Feet)
• Sails: 4
• Capacity: 29 passengers plus Captain and Crew
• Home Port: Camden
  

Windjammer Trip One

I've booked my first trip for this summer: June 18, 6 days on Schooner Timberwind. I am planning to host some Dungeons and Dragons sessions on board so I thought a long cruise would be best and race week is not a good choice; too distracting. That should also give me some time to help sail the boat and many of the other opportunities there are on windjammer cruises.

That week is also the fleet schooner "gam" in which many of the ships head to an agreed upon harbor and anchor. If conditions are good there is often a "raft up" of the windjammers so that the whole crowd can socialize and tour the other boats.

This scene is one of the most impressive displays of parallel parking you will ever see. The captains are all pretty nervous about it as the tying up puts strain on the big girls. Whatever happens I should get to see some of the friends I made on the other 4 boats I sailed on last summer.

I may add a second cruise before or after with the purpose of taking this blog sailing.

Cold Schooner

A certain windjammer based in Rockport lies shivering at the dock despite excellent winter clothes.












Will someone put the kettle on for Timberwind?

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.

From Away

Courtesy
Linda Vetter


The schooner Zodiac is a Maine built schooner that few there know still exists. She was launched two years after Nathaniel Bowditch at Hogdon Bros. of East Boothbay and has the same famous designer, William H. Hand (Bowdoin.)

At 127 feet on deck she is nearly the length of Victory Chimes but carries just two masts. Her design is meant to be exactly as the traditional fishing schooners like American Eagle. The photo shows her reefed in without her main as she heads under the Golden Gate Bridge. She was the last working sailing pilot vessel in America and is now owned by a non profit that operates her.

Zodiac's home port is Bellingham Washington. She sails windjammer-like cruises in the San Juan and Gulf Islands and is manned by volunteers.

Striking Misfit

Angelique is a very noticeable only child in the windjammer fleet. She is the only Ketch ( a higher front mast) and the only ship not built of wood.

She was built in 1980 purposely for passenger service. Her design is a close copy of a traditional classic Northern European fishing vessel. Features include rounded stern (back), a nearly plumb stem (front) and traditional red "Tanbark" sails. Construction is of steel with traditional wooden topsides.

Angelique has twin engines and a deckhouse lounge. Owned by the McHenry family, this windjammer does quite a number of offshore wildlife oriented cruise. She is based in Camden. Angelique is one of the favorite sights to see on the bay. You can spot her from a long way off.

On race week last summer we on Nathaniel Bowditch informally raced Angelique from Castine to Bass Harbor on Mt. Desert Island. (photo is courtesy of Ted Dillard from Angelique's website.)

Good Morning Ms. Riggin

J&E Riggin in Pulpit Harbor, Morning of July 7, 2006
Photo by Jeff Sagel on Nathaniel Bowditch