Windjammer Parade
As I stroll down the atmospheric streets of downtown Rockland, Maine my mind drifts back to a day last Summer, when I boarded the Stephen Taber for a mystical week of fair winds, stunning coastal vistas and fabulous food, culminating in the spectacular Windjammer Parade in Rockland Harbor. Suddenly, the wharf comes alive inside my head, the sounds and smells of that early Summer morning are reborn. The gulls screech overhead as my olfactory nerves process the combined scents of galley wood stoves, salt air and canvas – a bouquet unique to the Maine windjammer trade. It’s so wonderful to be alive at that moment. And to be on board the Stephen Taber.
What a week it was… the first day out, stiff and steady winds send the Taber flying up the Bay with a bone in her teeth until the end of the day, when we drop the hook just off Swan’s Island. Not too long ago Captain Noah Barnes had fitted the Taber with a new set of sails, cut to wrench every last drop of power out of the wind, and his intuitive helmsmanship had taken full advantage, keeping her at near hull speed, over 9 knots- one of the most exhilarating days of sail I had ever experienced.
Underway
As the sun sets over the Bay, the Taber crew tucks in the sails; ducks, seals and a bald eagle make their appearance, almost as if they were sent over from Central Casting. Crew member Celia entertains us with a lovely bit of strumming and folk singing; a double rainbow graces the sky. Galley Chef Anna Miller prepares a mouth-watering dinner, one of many that week which will include hand-made fettuccine in Alfredo sauce, roast duck, seafood chowder and, of course, a decadent lobster clambake on a rocky, secluded island beach. As the Milky Way fills the crystal-clear Maine sky, a fully sated company of passengers fall into their bunks, to be gently rocked to sleep by a benign Mother Penobscott.
Mornings aboard the Taber are special, and much to be savored. The dew which accumulates overnight still clings to the deck and cabin tops; the aromas of coffee, bacon and wood smoke waft from the galley below to mingle with the heady dankness of canvas, three-strand manila line and salt water. Passengers rise, conversations spark, novels are read. Anna and crew bring up pitchers of juice, savory platters of breakfast items and urns of rich, powerful Rock City coffee. Life is good and is promising to get even better.
Anchored Off Stonington
After morning junkets in Noah’s hand-crafted wherry, “Plain Jane” and the stowing of the morning breakfast bric-a- brac, the Taber weighs anchor and the heavy gaffs with their voluminous sails are raised. On a gaff-rigged schooner, this takes a healthy number of volunteers to make the crew’s job easier; after many a heave-ho’s and a push from “Babe,” the Taber’s diesel-powered yawl boat (the schooner’s only auxiliary power,) we are underway.
Each day’s itinerary is determined by the prevailing wind and weather conditions; nothing is carved in stone, other than we can be assured that, at some point, a beach with a driftwood fire steaming dozens of tasty lobsters and corn-on-the-cob is in our future. At each day’s end we wind up in picturesque coves and harbors with story book names: Stonington, Hell’s Half-Acre, North Haven, Somesville. But at the end of the week, we are in for a special treat- the annual Windjammer Parade.
Sailing In Company
Every year Rockland hosts this gathering of working sail, featuring the cream of the Maine Windjammer Association’s fleet. Saturday afternoon we rendezvous with the other vessels to proudly gavotte past admiring spectators lined up by the Rockland Light and into the spacious harbor, a spectacular display of working sail harkening back to the nineteenth century. It is an historic panorama that not many folks ever get to see firsthand.
Following our last dinner aboard the Taber (Anna has roasted an amazing fillet of duck with potatoes and wine sauce) we are ferried ashore in the yawl boat for an atmospheric evening of traditional and contemporary sea chanteys by two prominent troubadours of the Maine maritime folk music scene- Nick Appolonio and Gordon Bok. It’s a perfect musical finale to a memorable week of sailing.
The following morning the Schooner Stephen Taber returns to its dockside home in Lermond Cove; we pick up our dunnage and exchange misty-eyed goodbyes with our shipmates. At least until next year.
But, as my mind snaps back to the present, the siren song of Springtime is just a faint chorus in the wind blowing intermittently through the hills and harbors of Mid-coast Maine, as Winter grudgingly loosens her icy grip. I take a morning stroll down to revisit Windjammer Wharf. Nestled snugly against the quay are the schooners Stephen Taber and Nathaniel Bowditch, recognizable only from the massive wooden masts jutting out from under their winter covers. With their white-clad superstructures over the decks they more closely resemble silkworm cocoons, the vessels underneath preparing to emerge in May, when they will once again spread canvas wings and soar over the Penobscott Bay for another glorious season of rustic sailing adventure.
– a grateful passenger
Combine a Maine Windjammer Cruise with a two consecutive-night stay at the Lindsey House and receive a 10% discount off your stay at the inn and exclusive discounts to local businesses when booked in advance. Click here to learn more:
Land & Sea ‘scape Package
Windjammer Sailing Season May 14, 2012 through October 25, 2012
Captain Lindsey House's Blog 