Mid-coast, MAINE—While the days of Gershwin, Greta Garbo and the Great Depression are a distant memory, another 1930's phenomenon – Windjamming – continues to thrive in the State of Maine. This summer the Maine Windjammer Association will salute Frank Swift, founder of the industry, in a series of special events to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of his company Maine Windjammer CruisesTM.
To mark this historic milestone, the organization that includes more than a dozen windjammers, will host a celebratory raft-up, as well as a windjammer parade and concert open to the public.
Schooner Gam: June 13
Kicking off the season of festivities on June 13th, the Schooner Gam will include a raft-up of the entire Windjammer Association fleet, with a special anniversary ceremony, guest speakers, grog toasts, flag-raising, live music and a cannon salute. All passengers sailing during this cruise will be invited to tour more than a dozen traditional windjammers that will be tied up side by side during the event. Guests may sign up for three-, four- and six-day Schooner Gam cruises starting at $545 per person, all meals, accommodations and activities included.
Maine Windjammer Parade and Anniversary Party: July 15
The Maine Windjammer Association will host the Windjammer Parade and Anniversary Party on July 15 in Rockland, Maine. Open to the public, festivities will include an afternoon sail parade past the mile-long Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, a free evening concert at Sharp's Point South by folksinger Gordon Bok deemed by Time Magazine the "poet laureate of those who go down to the sea in ships," a multi-media display of historic photos of the 75-year-old company, open schooner tours and more.
The Origin of Windjamming
What started in 1936 with a bold idea and an idle schooner has grown into America's largest concentration of traditional sailing vessels. At a time when "working sail" had begun to diminish and trucks were being used to carry everything from one end of the country to the other, Captain Frank Swift saw the beauty in these old wooden ships and wanted to preserve them as examples of America's maritime heritage. Confident that the lure of the sea and the graceful lines of a salty old schooner would appeal to "rusticators" who sought to escape from the hustle and bustle of the cities, he offered his first vacation-cruise in 1936 aboard the schooner Mabel. He called his venture Maine Windjammer Cruises.
Today, 75 years later, Maine Windjammer Cruises continues to offer unforgettable cruises among the picturesque islands of Maine. Under the ownership of Captain Ray and Ann Williamson, Frank Swift's original schooner company includes the schooners Grace Bailey, Mercantile and Mistress. To celebrate their company's 75th Anniversary, the Williamsons are compiling a commemorative book that captures the history of their company with over 100 cherished photographs from its beginning in 1936 to the present. A complimentary copy will be given to all passengers sailing aboard the "Original Fleet" during their Diamond Anniversary.
"In appreciation to the tens of thousands who have sailed and helped keep this tradition alive, we are also offering cruises at historic prices," said Captain Ray Williamson. "Passengers sailing this year are invited to sail for the same price they paid on their first cruise." When this offer was made to celebrate the company's 60th Anniversary in 1996, "Old Salts" from each of the previous decades came to celebrate, some paying as little as $35, (1939 fare). Guests are encouraged to bring photos, journals and other memorabilia to share with others.
The Industry Today
One by one, other captains started their own windjammer companies and joined the passenger trade. In 1977, the Maine Windjammer Association (MWA) was founded to help promote the industry and to ensure the highest standards of safety, comfort and professionalism. These historic vessels honor a proud heritage rooted in the days when thousands of coasting schooners carried much-needed cargo from port to port, fished on the Grand Banks, or dredged oysters in Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. Carrying on a 75-year tradition, the captains work in concert to offer visitors safe and pleasurable sailing vacations and an opportunity to relive a part of nautical history along the gloriously beautiful coast of Maine.
Each year, more and more people are discovering the unique experience a windjammer cruise along the Maine coast offers. Three to six unstructured days in a wild and natural environment renew and invigorate today's vacationers in much the same way they inspired the rusticators of old. For more information about the Maine Windjammer Association and 75th Anniversary events, visit www.sailmainecoast.com or call 800-807-WIND.
Maine Windjammer CruisesTM is a trademark of Maine Windjammer Cruises, the original schooner vacation company, est. 1936.
|
Recognized as the founder of the windjamming industry, Captain Frank Swift offered his first cruise in 1936; pictured here in 1950, his Camden fleet had grown to include 9 vessels.
Photo Credit: Penobscot Marine Museum,
Carroll Thayer Berry Collection
Kicking off the season of 75th anniversary festivities, the Schooner Gam & Raft-up will take place on June 13.
Photo Credit: Jean Pothier
Cannon salutes, grog toasts, live music and festivities will be included in the Schooner Gam & Raft-up on June 13 to celebrate the industry's 75th Anniversary.
Photo Credit: Captain Kip Files
The Maine Windjammer Parade and 75th Anniversary Party on June 15 will include an afternoon sail parade past the mile-long Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse and a free evening concert by folksinger Gordon Bok.
Photo Credit: Bob Angell |
