Boston to Maine

The next morning, we made it to North Station in Boston, to catch the Amtrak Downeaster that would take us to Maine. The ride on the train was extremely comfortable and relaxing allowing us to completely unwind during the ride. Although we were too early to see the full autumn color change, the Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine countryside offered views we had never had the opportunity of seeing. Once in Portland, Maine, we boarded a bus for the trip up the coast to Camden, where we joined up with the Windjammer crew.

Camden

Wow................ Camden! It's a beautiful little coastal town, nestled in the gentle hills of the Maine coast. We were first struck by the beauty of the harbor with many sailing boats anchored in the bay.

Grace

Our boat the Grace Bailey was the largest in the harbor at the time. We were met at the dock by Margaret and Captain Ray and were escorted on board the vessel. The crew members showed us to our cabins and helped us stow our gear. Once all of the passengers had boarded, Captain Ray took roll call, then spent the next hour going over the unique features of the boat. He instructed the "crew" - we had now become active members of the ship's crew, whether we liked it or not - in how to remain safe on board and he familiarized his new "crew" in the daily onboard regimen. All of the "crew" was ready and anxious to get underway. That evening, before leaving, we had our last dinner onshore at a delightful, Italian restaurant.

The Grace Bailey is a magnificent sailing vessel. It is a restored cargo ship that has been modified for passenger service. It's of wood construction with very little modernization. There are no electrical winches, pumps or cranes to assist in the operation of the ship. There is an electrical system to provide essential lighting, but that is the only extent of modernization readily visible. The sails are all canvas, the ropes are all manila ropes and all hoisting and furling of sails and lifting anchors are all done by hand. That is one of the most charming aspects of the vessel; the "crew" becomes a living part of the vessel in the most intimate way. The only way the vessel moves is once the "crew" has done it job properly.

Getting Underway

One thing about the Grace Bailey, for all its charm and beauty, sleeping comfort is not high on the list of amenities it offers. The quarters were cozy and took a little getting used to. For Bob, it meant not springing up with a bound as his head, (although it is as hard as a rock), could not withstand the continued punishment offered by repeated collisions with the beams of the boat. After the first night and day, we adapted to this seemingly foreign environment and such inconveniences were dismissed as trivial and maybe even part of the charm.

Every morning, we were greeted on the deck at 6:00 AM, by hot coffee and freshly made from scratch muffins, coffee cakes and breads. This was always our first glimpse of the day at the culinary expertise of the cook, Travis. The entire "crew" oohed and aahed in delight as we consumed the fresh baked goods, washing them down with steaming mugs of coffee. By 8:00 AM, we were having our first onboard meal, always a delicious breakfast. Every meal was exquisite - all cooked on a wood burning stove, and the galley became a warm favorite meeting place, where we socialized, or quietly read a book.

The Sailing Experience

The first task was to hoist the mainsail and the jib. Under the direction of Kristi and Timo, the "crew" undertook their first onboard task with vigor. I'm sure the sails were hoisted in record time as the fresh arms and legs of the "crew" took to the task with unbridled enthusiasm. Once the majestic sails were in place, the Grace Bailey was underway, gently moving with the waves and the wind. The entire "crew" took great delight in the experience, all lounging on deck in a serene, almost Zen like trance. This tranquility was soon broken when the call came for help in doing the morning dishes. One thing about this "crew" is that we were never lacking in eager volunteers who were raring to perform any job that needed to be done. The teamwork and harmony of the "crew" impressed us. In addition to raising and lowering sails some of the onboard tasks included furling the sails when they came down, raising and lowering the anchor, pumping out the bilges, swabbing the deck, filling and leveling the potable water tanks, tidying up the ship and just about any other trivial task that arose. The more dangerous tasks or those requiring special abilities such as handling some of the lines was left to the ship's permanent crew members.

The Bay of Maine - Penobscot Bay

The route we took was where the winds and currents would take us. At times the winds were strong and pushed us along at a pretty good clip, and at other times, the winds were so calm that Captain Ray had to call on the yawl boat to push us along. The scenery offered by the bay was stunning. Many small islands, some with light houses dotted the way. We moored at three small towns: Stonington, a small town on the southern end of Deer Island on East Penobscot Bay, Castine, the home of the Maine Maritime Academy and Brookline, the home of the Wooden Boat School. Each time, over the side of the Grace Bailey we went, and using the rope ladders, we climbed into the yawl boat and were ferried to the dock. Each of the cities was abound with shops and businesses that emphasized the closeness to the ocean.  

Castine had the State of Maine Training Vessel docked near the Maine Maritime Academy. The school's fleet of small sailing vessels was anchored there, neatly in rows near the Academy. The cadets could be seen in training exercises on the deck of the State of Maine as well practicing docking of patrol and tug vessels at the dock.

In Brooklin, our arrival was during the Wooden Boat Sail In, an annual event sponsored by the city of Brooklin and other civic organizations in the area. There were about a dozen tall ships and a host of other sailing vessels in port for the occasion. The Wooden Boat School was a feature attraction in the city. As the name implies, the school is an educational resource in the building and maintenance of wooden boats. The fabrication and finishing techniques taught at the school ranged from very basic "old school" techniques employing little if no current day technology, to the latest techniques using epoxies and wood veneers. After visiting the school, we were treated to a feast of steamed mussels, and corn on the cob. Entertainment was provided by FLASH! In the Pans, an eclectic, community based steel band, extremely popular in the Blue Hill peninsula along the coast of Maine. Their joyous music was a real treat and some of us danced to the enchanting beat of the steel drums.

We spent the remainder of the day touring the Camden area, visiting Mt. Battle and parts of the coast north of Camden. We spent the final night in Camden, at a charming bed and breakfast: The Inns at Blackberry Common, where we enjoyed coffee on our last morning there, in the beautiful backyard garden, that was an inspiration for me in planning parts of my own garden at home in Long Beach, California.

People, Places and Things

The best part of traveling is meeting gracious and kind people along the chosen paths. This trip included meeting some incredible people along the way. From Ducky Ruffles, our guide/commentator/comedian on the Duck Tour, to the bellman in Boston who corrected us on the starting time of the Red Sox game... on to the friendly staff at the greatest breakfast place/bookstore in Boston: Trident Booksellers and Cafe (order the eggs and corn beef hash)...these people and businesses all made Boston special in unique ways. The Freedom Trail held your interest every inch of the way; all the things you learned about in American History came to life before your very eyes.

At the Windjammer Cruises of Maine, Margaret, who assisted us in booking the trip and guided us through the boarding process, offered us kindness and professionalism, from our initial contact to our farewell to the Grace Bailey.

And finally, the most impressive part of the trip was our "crewmates" on the Grace Bailey. They were as nice and friendly a group of people that you would hope to encounter. They were eager to assist and pitch in whenever required. We all entered our adventure as 28 strangers from all over the country and all walks of life; and we left as a close knit group of friends.