Every week on Penobscot Bay, Maine, the 9 vessels in the Maine Windjammer Association provide three- to six-day cruises that transport guests back to the golden age of sail where deadlines and itineraries take a back seat to relaxation and beauty. Most of the windjammers are turn-of-the-century wooden cargo schooners that have been retrofitted to carry passengers. More than half are National Historic Landmarks. Together, they represent the country's largest fleet of historic sailing ships.
Guests spend about six hours a day sailing past lighthouses and lobstermen, through narrow channels and across great bays. Every evening, the windjammers drop anchor in the safe, snug harbor of a quiet fishing village, a bustling waterfront, a cove below the cliffs of Acadia National Park or an island inhabited solely by nesting eagles and terns. Guests are invited to participate in all shipboard activities, from taking a turn at the wheel to raising and lowering sails. With more than 3,000 islands, the Maine coast is well known for abundant wildlife and spectacular scenery. One night everyone goes ashore for a traditional island lobster bake.
There are cozy accommodations for between 16 to 40 guests, depending on the size of the windjammer. Trips range from weekend getaways to week-long sailing adventures. A range of specialty cruises are offered each season, such as knitting, wine-tasting, seamanship, photography, SailBoston, or Talk Like a Pirate cruises. The MWA fleet also sponsors several gatherings of the fleet, such as the Great Schooner Race, Schooner Gam and Maine Lighthouse Parade.
The fleet sails from Camden and Rockland located in mid-coast Maine. The season starts in late May and goes through mid October. With 9 windjammers in the fleet, there are more than 200 cruises available each season, ranging from overnight trips to 10-day adventures.
Maine windjammers anchor every evening in a new cove or harbor.
Windjamming is fun!
Families with young children can find just the right windjammer to suit their needs.
Relaxing.
Guests have a chance to go ashore.
The Great Schooner Race takes place every year, attracting more than a dozen tall ships.
Windjamming is a great multi-generational vacation.
Soak up the sights on a Maine windjammer cruise.
Maine's windjammers offer a traditional sailing experience.
The highlight of every windjammer cruise a lobster bake!
Lobstah!
Maine's windjammer fleet represents the oldest sailing vessels in North America.
Wildlife is abundant on the Coast of Maine.
Penobscot Bay is home to the Maine windjammer fleet.
Local
Eat and Drink
- Blue Hill Inn - Blue Hill (1.6 miles) - Located in the center of quiet, serene and historic Blue Hill village, this 1835 Federal-style inn o...
- Rose Eden Lobster - Bar Harbor (12.9 miles) - Rose Eden Lobster is the former Travelin' Lobster. We are continuing to serve fresh Maine lobste...
See and Do
- Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Deer Isle (14.3 miles) - Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an international craft school located on the Atlantic Ocean in...
- Schoodic Ferry Bar Harbor (17.2 miles) - Discover even more of the raw beauty of Acadia National Park and Maine’s rugged coastline aboard t...
- Argosy Dance Bar Harbor (18.0 miles) - Partner dance (ballroom, latin, swing, etc.) instruction (private and group), events, excursions, et...
- Argosy Gallery Bar Harbor (18.0 miles) - A nationally recognized gallery focusing on and continuing to highlight several centuries of origina...
- Mathews Brothers Company Belfast (20.9 miles) - Mathews Brothers is America's oldest window manufacturer, starting in business in Belfast in 185...
Shopping
- Swans Island Company - Northport (21.0 miles) - Swans Island Company has crafted fine textiles on the Maine coast for 25 years. From our signature h...
- whopaints Gallery & Studio - Winter Harbor (23.8 miles) - whopaints Gallery and Studio in Winter Harbor Maine is where art is created and enjoyed. Explore how...
