Exploring Maine Coast by Windjammer

                                    By:Moira McCarthy

                        

Hauling on a windjammer, Bridget Besaw Gorman, courtesy Lewis R. French


Soon, the air will be warmer and the coast of Maine will be ready for you to enjoy. A great way to do that is a windjammer vacation. Each year, more people discover how truly unique and exciting a Maine windjammer vacation can be. Three to six-day themed cruises are designed to suit guests' passions and hobbies while they experience a sailing getaway along the scenic coast of Maine.


The 2015 list of specialty cruises include choices for the mind and body. For instance,  passengers can express their creativity with a writers' workshop or photography course where the scenery is the inspiration. Knitting cruises are popular with fiber artists with a passion for their hobby and the great outdoors.

For the fitness lover, you can spend the week learning ways to improve your health and limber up by doing yoga on the deck of a windjammer! Or, for the dreamer in you, stargaze the night sky with an astronomy cruise.

Maine is known for its foodie scene. The windjammers' on-the-water chefs have galley kitchens where they turn out  incredible fare for their guests. Many ships have gourmet, wine, beer or even chocolate tasting cruises on tap for 2015, featuring guest chefs from award-winning restaurants, handpicked wines, craft beers and locally made chocolates.


For the wildlife watcher and naturalist - Wildlife watching is an adventure in Maine and seeking out the elusive whale is a hard task for most, but schooner captains seem to have all the luck finding finback, humpback and minke whales, and other marine life. While out on a cruise, guests are likely to see seals sunning themselves on the rocky coast, pelagic birds and eagles soaring overhead, and puffin colonies.


For the adventurer - Be completely immersed in sea life with experiential sailing instruction. Guests have the opportunity to steer, plot a course, stitch a ditty bag, and if interested, go aloft to stow the topsails. Become part of the crew and even participate in schooner races.


Travel beyond Penobscot Bay - Venture to the less visited ports and sail beyond the traditional Penobscot Bay territory. There are cruises that visit Boothbay Harbor and Down East, and even travel to Gloucester to participate in the Gloucester Schooner Race. Another vessel does unique excursion trips around Acadia National Park, where guests can explore the park by guided bus tour after sailing around the rocky coast of Mount Desert Island.


The 2015 season also includes cruises themed around pirates, lighthouses, foliage, Bastille Day, music, geology and more. For more info on specialty cruises, visit www.SailMaineCoast.com for more details and to book a cruise.