Sail Away in Different Ways – Maine Experiences!

Sail Away in Different Ways – Maine Experiences! All about the different ways to explore #Maine #USA on water. #Canoe, #Kayak, #Schooner and more.
Historic Schooners at Portland Harbor

When a state that is known for its iconic lighthouses, Acadia National Park, and cute little coastal towns, one can only run out of places to visit and admire! But just sightseeing can’t really give you a feel of the place now, can it? The small state of Maine, in the north eastern corner of the USA, is protected by Appalachian Mountains, hundreds of small streams and rivers, thousands of lakes and the mighty Atlantic, which makes it a playground for nature and a favorite hub for outdoorsy people.


Sail and Explore the Portland Coast with Portland Schooners
Remember a couple of months back, when I told you about my skiing experiences in the US, I promised to be back with some more interesting activities and experiences I have had in US so far. So here I am with a list of three amazing outdoorsy ways to explore some very interesting parts of Maine.

Sail Away in Maine Style!

Timberwind sailing away on a sunny day
Before I tell you about my experience, let me give you a little background here. Schooners are wooden sailing ships with 2 to 7 towering masts, that were first built by the Dutch in the 16th century and were used mostly in Netherlands and Scandinavia. Soon they became famous in western Europe and “New England” due to their ability to carry a lot of goods and still being really fast! While, with time, people in Europe moved on to newer models of ship, but North America had a new found love for Schooners and sailing races! In the late 19th century, New England states of Maine and Massachusetts had become major hubs for schooner building and Maine was known throughout the country for its classic Schooners and Windjammers. 

This is Bagheera. She was my sail for the day!
Unfortunately, the craze for schooner races died down, but Maine still manages to flaunt its Schooners with pride! And guess what, you can sail around Portland harbor or explore the length of East Coast of North America in schooners dating back to late 1800s! The oldest two Lewis R. French (1871), Stephen Taber (1871) are in Camden and can still be seen and booked for multi-day tours. The other old historic Schooners – Bagheera (1920), Timberwind (1931) and Wendameen (1912) are in Portland and can be taken out for a couple of hours in group or even be booked for private experience! I had booked a group (general) ticket with Portland Schooners and luckily got to sail around the Maine coast on Bagheera!

Navigate, steer, hoist and sail away...
The sailors on board, tell you about the navigation system of the ship, teach you how to handle the sails and the mast, let you steer the ship and just enjoy the sea breeze and cacophony of sea gulls hovering over lobster traps! It was all so interesting and calming! 

The historic trio at Camden. The center one is Lewis R. French - oldest schooner built in Maine and still functional!
In Camden, I also got to talk to the captain of Mary Day (1962) – who told us where and why these schooners were made in Maine and showed us a part of the ship, explaining the difference between the old schooners and the new one. She also inspired us to consider learning sailing and trying out a short 2-3 days sail next time we go out in the sea (which I am seriously considering!) So basically, to visit Maine and pass a chance to sail in one of the few historic Schooners of the state would be such a crime!

The captain of Mary Day was so inspiring.

Canoe your way through the second largest tidal marsh of the US!

Canoeing at Scarborough Marsh
Given the number of water bodies and fjords in Maine, you can literally hire a canoe or Kayak anywhere and get exploring. But for canoeing experience I chose to head over to Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center. This 3100-acre estuary, fed by the meandering Nonesuch (Dunstan) River, is just twenty minutes south of Portland but it totally transports you to a different slow-moving world from the vibrant city ambiance of Portland. You can either canoe or kayak in this marsh, while admiring the hidden world egrets, Ibis and tiny shorebirds have made in amidst the all the salt hay. If you are lucky like me, you can see a pair of cormorants soaring above you or be audience to an orchestra of colorful song birds! Needless to say, canoeing itself was challenging (being my first time ever) and the 2 hours guided tour was extremely rewarding and exhilarating. For people not fond of birds in the wild, and not interested in going on self-guided tours, this might not be very interesting. But if you are looking to do something challenging and different in Maine, give a good thought to Canoeing in Scarborough Marsh.

Since I didn't carry my camera or phone on the canoe, this is all I could get for you guys.

Kayak in the heart of Acadia!


Okay, kayaking is not unique to Maine, but it is not every day you get to kayak in crystal clear waters of a lake in the heart of Acadia National Park. Rent a kayak from Acadia’s National Park Rentals and kayak, canoe or paddle at your own pace in any of the lakes of Acadia. You can kayak in Long pond or Jordan pond, overlooking the Bubble Mountain while gaping at the lake floor at numerous points. If you are more adventurous and would want to get close to marine life, you can also go sea kayaking or paddling in Acadia. Irrespective of what you choose to do, in addition to hiking and sightseeing, Acadia has so much more to offer that you won’t be disappointed!

Or take a sea kayak if you want to get more adventurous
I also considered white river rafting in Kennebec River in Forks, but given we just had three days and wanted to cover most of the Maine Coast, decided to give it a miss this time. But well, everything I did get to do in Maine just made me fall in love with the state more!

Sail away in different ways like I said! :D


Sail Away in Different Ways – Maine Experiences! All about the different ways to explore #Maine #USA on water. #Canoe, #Kayak, #Schooner and more.
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Comments

  1. This is amazing. I am not an outdoorsy person at all. But every time I read your posts, you make it sound so simple and easy that it makes me want to try out that sport. Though the history lover in me was so happy to find that bit of history about the Schooners. I am sure I can simply visit to do an old Schooner trail.

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    1. Schooners are something that even non outdoorsy people would enjoy! Just laze on one and watch the sun go down - it just doesn't get better than that.

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  2. The water looks so clear - beautiful. Glad you enjoyed it so much!

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  3. I wouldn't mind sailing in a Schooner! Really cool to read a bit about the history of these sailboats as well and how they were once flaunted in races. Even though the racing enthusiasm with these sailboats has died, I'm glad that one can still enjoy the experience of sailing in a Schooner.

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    1. Yes, one can still experience their charm and the sail is totally worth it! :D

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  4. Give me the sea any day of the week, I would love to be on a sail boat right now soaking up the sun. Even more I would love to check out the Acadia National Park, I have been eyeing up this park for a while and would love to explore this area next when I get back over the pond.

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    1. Can totally resonate with the sea lover in you :) Hope you get to visit Acadia soon :)

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  5. Maine is incredibly beautiful and one of my favorite states. While I have visited the state, I focused more on the lobster rolls than the sailing, but I did get a chance to see all the beautiful sailboats docked. Our only regret was not having enough time to go on a Schooner ride. Definitively for next time.

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    1. Totally agree, Maine is blessed by nature! Providence and Maine are probably the only two states in East coast that I loved! Hope you get to sail on a schooner next time :)

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  6. I love the water and Maine looks like a great spot to sail, especially on a schooner. Kayaking would be fun too.

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  7. What an epic way to see Maine! I'd never have considered doing this myself, until I saw your photos.

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    1. Hope you get to experience Maine and its magic soon :)

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  8. Canoeing / Kayaking is such a wonderful way of exploring a new city. Given a chance, I would do this anyday! The Schooners look beautiful and it's so nice of the sailors to give first hand lessons on the steering and the navigation - adds so much to the experience. Canoeing in Scarborough Marsh is something I imagine I'd totally enjoy. Beautiful pictures, Vaisakhi, totally inspired!

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    1. Thanks Arti! All the activities were super fun and I ended up kayaking regularly during my vacations after this trip. It is so much fun :D

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  9. I so want to visit Maine! And how cool to visit Acadia on a sail boat. Such a cool exerience

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    1. Maine is beautiful! Hope you get to visit it soon :)

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  10. The Schooners look like they are straight from a story book. The best part is that it was not just a sailing experience but an educative and immersive one where you learnt about the navigation system of the ship, how to handle the sails and the mast and they let you steer the ship! How cool.

    I’d love the canoeing experience in the marshes being an avid birder, to see cormorants and Ibises! :) Kayaking in Long pond overlooking the Bubble Mountain where you can even see lake floor is in my opinion the perfect Instagrammable location!

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    1. Haha Bubble Mountain and Cadillac Mountain are indeed the most instagrammed spots of Acadia. :D Schooner sail was also super interesting! :)

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  11. Got to know so much about the physics of sailing. And the differences between the old and new. I bet the tour would have given me even more interesting tidbits. I am now curious to try it out myself.

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  12. I have yet to experience sailing, but reading your post makes me want to give it a shot. Kayaking seems like a better alternative for a novice like me, though. See the lake floor, you say! Wow.

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    1. Hope you get to try it out soon! :) Jordan Pond is a gem of a place!

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  13. I love being outdoors and I’m excited to be visiting Maine in September. I will have to do some planning so I can ensure we get to explore some of this!

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    1. Woah! Maine is the perfect time to visit Maine! Hope you have fun :)

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  14. I've always been saying that cruising the Maine is an underrated experience. Sure it isn't an ocean cruise in the Caribbeans but it's interesting in a different way. I did this a few years ago and your article reminded me of the great time I had. Thank you for sharing

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    1. Glad my article could bring back some good memories for you :)

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  15. I wasn't aware of Maine before. It looks like a really beautiful place in the US. I would love to spend a weekend there and sail in the Maine style. Kayaking in Acadia will be a nice additional adventure too.

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    1. Maine is super underrated, but it is a must visit in the east coast of USA.

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  16. I have ridden boats already but I feel like sailing on those Schooners like the olden days would be a unique and amazing experience. Well, you get to be like the captain of the ship for a brief moment and that sounds awesome! I like to sound of kayaking in the crystal clear waters of a lake in the heart of Acadia National Park. I find it really captivating for a body of water to be so clear.

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    1. Schooner sail felt pretty unique to me, so I am guessing you will like it too :)

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  17. Maine is such an up and coming destination. I love sailing on schooners - so romantic! You really explored all the water options with the canoe and kayak too. A day on the water can be so relaxing. What great options for the outdoor lover.

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    1. Maine is a tiny but cool paradise for outdoorsy people :)

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  18. Admittedly, Maine is one of the states I've always said I'll visit whenever I'm in the East Coast - but never truly made it out there. After reading your post, I'll definitely consider visiting there this summer! I"m very much looking forward to following your recommendations!

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    1. Hope you get to visit Maine next summer and have a great trip :)

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  19. Maine looks interesting place with full of beautiful blue waters. I never knew about Maine before reading your post but would love to visit this place. Canoeing at Scarborough Marsh would also be fun thing to do here.

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  20. Somehow I connected Maine with sailing and you proved me right. Your Schooner experience was great and I got to learn about the sail boat, too. I never thought there are marsh there, but kayaking on crystal clear water in Acadia... who can say no?

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    1. Haha exactly! Maine has a way to charm you :)

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  21. I tried sailing using a humble private boat when we are in Panglao, but nothing like your experience. But still, travelling via sea is such an amazing feeling. The waves seems like communicating with you while the wind blows awesomely. It gave me a good feeling!

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  22. Great post
    What an epic method to see Maine!

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