SAILING THE COAST OF MAINE
The very loud boom of a very tiny canon marks the start of Great Schooner Race along the coast of Maine in the USA.
12 schooners, their giant sails unfurled to catch the breeze, cut through the water racing from Camden to Rockland hugging the coastline. It’s an impressive sight to see so many of these historic boats in one place. Some date back to the late 1800s, others are little more modern – but all of them carry a piece of Maine history in their varnished decks and huge wooden masts.
I am on a six-night trip aboard the ‘American Eagle’; a beautifully maintained schooner that has been sailing these waters for many, many years – with the last 30 as a passenger ship. She is captained by John Foss, his weathered face, easy charm, and relaxed sense of humour the perfect accompaniment to the beautiful natural scenery and the picturesque fishing villages we glide past.
Of the 24 passengers on board, 17 are returners. Some have taken this trip 25 times – and by the end of the week, I can understand why.
Let’s start with the schooner herself; she was originally launched on June 2nd 1930 as the ‘Andrew & Rosalie’, but was renamed the ‘American Eagle’ in 1941. Her crew, Krista, Andrew and Zach, under the calm, watchful eye of Captain John handle all the heavy lifting of a sailing boat this size – but if you want to get involved there are plenty of opportunities to pull ropes, fold sails, man the oars (of the small rowing boat) and ‘be a sailor’. However, if you just want to relax on deck, soak up the sun and watch the scenery go by – that’s fine too.
And that brings me to the scenery; it’s pretty. Really pretty. Diamonds dance on the surface of the water, colourful clapperboard houses dot the shoreline looking out over thousands of islands where giant firs grow, and seals bask in the heat of the sun. White wood-panelled lighthouses with red-domed roofs throw their warning beams across the water, and small harbours mark the entrance to picture-postcard fishing villages that cluster the waterline and climb the steep hills behind.
Then there’s the food; the galley crew, Matthew and Sarah cook up three delicious hot meals every day. These are served buffet-style on deck (weather permitting, which most of the time it did), with options for vegetarians and enough to go back for seconds. Bring your drinks, and help yourself to tea, coffee and fresh-baked cookies.
But the surprise of the trip for me was my fellow passengers. The people you are with can make or break a trip – and on the ‘American Eagle’, they made it. It was great to have time to get to know people, to have ‘proper’ conversations with them. We discussed everything from politics to travel, from our favourite movies to doll collecting. We shared funny stories and divulged a few secrets. We’d chat or just sit in companionable silence – it didn’t matter. We were all sharing the enjoyment of a beautiful boat in a stunning setting, while soaking up Maine from the water.
Being on board a Schooner is the perfect way to experience the Maine coastline – yes, you can drive it (and it looks great from the road), but to get a real sense of its place and its beauty you need to see it from the water, and approach the villages by boat; it feels as though that’s the way they were meant to be seen and experienced. To reach the shore, we climbed down the short ladder to ‘The Cappy’, a small rowing boat that seats about nine passengers – six rowing and three ‘supervising’, plus two crew to steer and ensure we reach land without any daft mishaps.
One day we stopped for a couple of hours at Buck’s Harbour and took a stroll into the village to the Farmer’s Market where you could buy Maine maple syrup, fresh baked cakes, local cheeses, jams and chutneys, and a variety of crafts from rustic pottery to glittering glass jewellery, from intricate wood carvings to colourful rugs woven from recycled fabrics.
At Swan’s Island we hiked along the forest trails and the beach to the lighthouse to sit on the veranda and drink in the view across the water. At Stonington we strolled through town, admired the famous pale pink Deer Island granite, browsed the quaint gift stores, posed by the giant inflatable lobster, gawped at the peculiar items in the antique chandlery and admired the craftmanship of local jewellery makers. Then it was back to the schooner to eat lunch and spend the afternoon reading, chatting, napping or just enjoying the view and sound of the wind in the sails and prow breaking through the water.
At night we’d anchor and watch the sunset, then as the stars came out above people would drift off to their cabins to be rocked gently to sleep. One evening, as my trip covered the 4th of July, we sat just outside Stonington and watched the fireworks lighting up the sky to celebrate Independence Day.
The ‘American Eagle’, and her fellow schooners from the Maine Windjammer Association all offer a variety of trips from three to eleven nights, taking in different parts of the Gulf of Maine coast. The trip I joined culminated in the Great Schooner Race which finishes in Rockland, with a party on shore with trestle tables, red and white gingham tablecloths, a live band, and pot-luck desserts. Speeches are made, prizes are handed out, and plenty of backs are given congratulatory slaps. As a Brit the whole affair seems quintessentially American – and therefore not to be missed.
And it’s even better when the schooner you are on wins its class and has the fastest time of the race.
FACT BOX
Maine Windjammer Association – sailmainecoast.com
American Eagle – schooneramericaneagle.com
Visit Maine Tourism: visitmaine.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET.
Chantal is passionate about tourism being used as a force for good.
You can follow her adventures on Facebook and Twitter @chantalcooke and on Instagram @Chantaldcooke