Come Sailing This Summer Aboard The Maine Windjammer Isaac H. Evans

The Evans specializes in family trips. Special 'family trips' were created on the Evans in 1988 and by 2003 we were welcoming children on all of our cruises. We've earned the reputation of "the family boat" because we spend lots of time ashore exploring and have activities and food for the whole family. Our family adventures are the perfect way to introduce kids to the wide world beyond TV, video games, and the mall. It is an opportunity for unparalleled experiential learning, where your children will have the opportunity to experience the sea in a safe and comfortable environment. We don't stress education, but everyone learns something about nature, maritime history, and teamwork on a schooner. We even carry our own lobster traps and fishing poles.

Anyone age 6 or older is welcome on any of our adventures; younger sailors welcomed on a case-by-case basis. Click here to read an article by Brooke Cunningham, a.k.a. TravelLady, about the trip she took with her daughter.
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One-night and two-night cruises. You asked for it...we've got it! Not everyone has the time nor the budget for a six-night windjammer adventure so we've created the perfect way to get out on the water on a tall ship.

For your one-night adventure, join us between 1 and 2 pm, settle in to your cabin, and depart after a safety briefing. We'll explore Penobscot Bay, enjoying an afternoon snack of chips, dips, and vegetables, before anchoring in a protected cove for dinner. The captain and crew will prepare an onboard smorgasbord of fresh steamed lobster*, corn on the cob, fresh lemon wedges, melted butter, dinner rolls, and dessert. No restaurant has scenery that can compare! You'll be satiated as the sun sets and you star-gaze on deck before retiring to your cozy cabin for the night. Wake to the smell of the wood stove and enjoy a full breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, muffins, and fruit while we make our way back to the dock for our 9:00 am arrival.

For your two-night adventure, join us between 5 and 6 pm, meet your shipmates and crew during Captain's Call, and enjoy lobster* dinner right at the dock. Settle in to your cozy cabin for the night, and wake to the smell of the wood stove and freshly brewed coffee. We depart after breakfast (after a 10:00 am safety briefing) just like on our longer trips. There will be sailing throughout the day with lunch underway followed by dinner at anchor. You won't believe the trip is over so quickly as you're enjoying breakfast underway on the last morning and we arrive back at the dock in Rockland at 10:00 am.

These two options are the perfect introduction to windjamming and we bet you'll be back for a longer trip next time!

*Alternate menu choices are available for those that don't like, or are allergic to, lobster. Advance notice necessary.
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Season Premiere. It has been a long winter and it seems like we've been sanding and painting for months (because we have!) What we want more than anything is to go sailing and we hope you'll join us. The days are long, the boat is as beautiful as she'll be all summer long, and the crew is ready and anxious to make your trip along the coast of Maine fun and memorable!
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The Schooner Gam is a very informal gathering of the fleet on Monday night. Often we’ve even been able to all tie up together, a giant raft-up. In typical relaxed windjammer fashion, we don't know where it will be till just before we anchor. After dinner you'll be welcomed aboard the other vessels where you'll meet other passengers, crew, and captains, and also get to compare the size of your bunk! As the sun sets and the brass lanterns are lit on deck, instruments and voices are warmed up for an evening of informal music and story telling. When everyone heads back to their cozy cabin for a peaceful evening of the sound of water gently lapping against the hull, they all profess that the boat they chose is the best! When you wake in the morning to the smell of dozens of wood-burning stoves fired up to cook breakfast and you wander the deck with your first mug of hot coffee, you'll think you've stepped back in time to an era when hundreds of schooners graced the waters of Maine.
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Maine Windjammer Parade. Our parade will take us by the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse with over a dozen other historic boats and dozens of spectator boats. We'll tack around the harbor getting close-up views of everyone in the fleet. You'll want to have your camera ready!

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Maine Lighthouse Week. Everyone loves lighthouses and during the third week of June we will seek out as many as possible in celebration of Maine Lighthouse Week. We return to the dock on Saturday and you will have the opportunity to walk the length of the Rockland Breakwater (9/10 of a mile) to be greeted by volunteers that will give you a tour of the lighthouse including a view from the light tower! Your trip includes a free souvenir lighthouse map to keep track of the lights that we discover.

Our September Lighthouse Cruise offers the same opportunity to see lighthouses as our June trip but just doesn't coincide with the Governor's proclamation. Free souvenir map included.
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Great Schooner Race. It's a race and you're the crew! Help the crew tack the sails, strategize with the captain, and enjoy sailing amongst the largest fleet of tall ships in the world. There are usually about 20 traditional schooners in the race and you'll want your camera to be ready. If you have a need for speed or a desire to go home claiming "We won!", we're probably not the boat for you; as one of the oldest and slowest boats in the fleet, they let us get underway first and then we watch as they all pass us on their way to the finish line. We're the boat for you if you have a laid back approach and you'd like to capture photos of each boat from our stern as they approach and from our bow as they sail away. Low stress and lots of fun!

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Photography Cruise. Bruce and Eric Arnold are returning again for another spectacular photography cruise! This time they'll be joining us in late July. All levels of experience are welcome.

Join us and learn what it takes to make great images! New and experienced photographers will gain insight on what it takes to get down and creative as we explore the elements of creative imaging. The on-board session content will cover techniques that are common to both the film and digital worlds. Beginners to advanced, point and shoot to DSLR users are all welcome. You will have opportunities to create photos both on board and ashore.

What you will learn:
    -how your camera really works
    -proper exposure techniques
    -in-camera cropping, composition, and pre-visualizing your image
    -tips on the best gear for outdoor and nature photographers
    -how to take advantage of different atmospheric conditions and "sweet light" times
    -creative use of filters

You'll also discuss and use the new wave of cameras - your smart phone, iPhone, and Droid!

Your instructors: Bruce and Eric Arnold

Bruce Arnold

Bruce Arnold has worked in professional photography since 1970. As a studio owner/photographer of 18 years, he served the portrait, wedding, and commercial markets. Prior to joining Fujifilm U.S.A., Inc., he served a business development manager for companies serving the graphics, fine art, large format image output markets. He has also worked in industry digital-color management and as a work flow consultant.

In 2001, Brue joined the professional sales team at Fujuifilm and worked for the Professional Lab and in Pro Digital/Camera Technical Sales. He now serves as Senior Technical Product Manager in the marketing group at Fujifilm North America Corporation.

Eric Arnold started in photography at a very early age! Following this career path, he graduated from Mass College of Art Boston and Design with a BFA in Photography. He is the Store Manager at Hunt's Photo in Manchester, NH, and is an adjunct photography instructor at New Hampshire Institute of Art.

Both love what they do and bring a sense of humor and enthusiasm to this cruise!

Photo credit: Warren T. Jones - a guest aboard the 2011 Photography Cruise.

15th Annual Knitters Cruises. Others boats have begun offering knitting trips because they've seen our success with this unique idea. We offered our first knitting trip in 1999 and we've had at least one (and as many as four!) each season since. We have developed a trip that really works well for everyone on board...knitter or not! There will be yarn shop discounts, free patterns, and some pretty fantastic prizes, too. Book now because cabins fill quickly!
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Grab a copy of Cooking Light magazine and read about the Schooner Isaac H. Evans! That's right . . . grab the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Cooking Light and turn to page 66 to read an article for the Enlightened Traveler in the Healthy Living section. The article is titled "Vacations with art; Jump-start your creative spirit with five hands-on getaways." by Pam Grout. You'll find the Evans featured under "Knitting" on page 76. The issue had only been on the stands for a few days when we had to adjust our schedule and add more knitting cruises because the response was overwhelming! If you are a regular on any of our knitting trips, make sure you reserve your spot now for next summer!

Knitting and sailing? Absolutely! Beth Collins, of the former Unique One Sweater and Yarn Shop in Camden, taught me to knit many years ago and suggested the idea of a sailing and knitting cruise when I bought the schooner. We offered the first knitting trip in September of 1999 and attendance was less than I would have liked. Thankfully, the trip has grown in popularity and has become so popular that we have even done more than one each season. We have daily "porthole prizes" which include skeins of yarn, books, knitting kits, and organizers as well as Evans hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and more. Everyone's name goes into a hat and we draw names after meals. Of course, the earlier your name is drawn the more choices you have as to which prize you'd like. Everyone gets something and there are always more items than guests so that last person still has several to choose from! It's fun and many of the same people keep coming back year after year!
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fullmoon

Night Sailing! Enjoy the unique opportunity to sail past sunset on our night sailing adventures. Although this takes additional planning, it is an experience not to be missed! We'll spend a relaxing day on an island where you can enjoy our famous lobster bake, hike, swim, visit with your new friends, or find a secluded spot to relax on your own. We will get underway mid-afternoon, sail through dinner and past sunset. When we drop the anchor depends on the wind and weather but is typically sometime between 9 pm and 11 pm. There is nothing quite as romantic or personally moving as sailing at night and this year is extra special because of the Blue Moon!
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Pirate Adventure Cruise. Arggghh, Mateys! Sail away into the legendary world of friendly swashbucklers, spirited pirates, scallywags, and undesirables. But beware . . . you may be called upon to defend the ship by fighting with swords, firing the cannon, or shooting the sling-shot with our environmentally-friendly ammo (marshmallows and bread balls). Perhaps you'll be made to walk the plank. Discover treasure and take your share of the loot. Scarf down worm sandwiches and pirate punch but . . . bring your own grog. Are you a swashbuckler at heart? Then a Pirate Adventure Cruise is definitely the trip for you. Pirate costumes, a scavenger hunt, pirate booty, chasing other schooners, cannon firing, and lots of fun for all ages! It won't be "all pirate, all the time" but you can fulfill your fantasy to act like a pirate as much or as little as you like. "Yo, ho, yo ho, it's the pirate's life for me!"

Angel pirate

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Puffin Cruise. What do you think of when you think of Maine; lobster, moose, blueberries, lighthouses? Many people also think of puffins...and some very lucky guests have even seen them during a trip on the Evans. We know where they nest, we just don't often make it there because of the wind direction. So we've partnered with Monhegan Boat Line to get you there!

Join us for the July 15th, 6- night trip; we will sail to Port Clyde and get you ashore to board the Elizabeth Ann for your 2 1/2 hour excursion to Eastern Egg Rock where you will see an Atlantic Puffin nesting site and learn about Project Puffin. You will return to the Evans and then go sailing!

We were certain this new trip theme would be popular and, based on calls and reservations, we were right! Be sure to reserve now if you don't want to miss this one!

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Chocolate Lovers Cruise. There will be a chocolate-centric menu as well free treats from local chocolate shops! This was a new themed cruise in 2010 and it's going to be absolutely yummy again this year! In past years we enjoyed chocolate samples from Safe Harbor Confections, Chocolatier Blue, Black Dinah Chocolatier, Occasional Cakes and Candies, Wilbur's Chocolates, and more. To read about the 2011 Chocolate Lover's Cruise, check out our quick blog post.

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"Old Salts". You don't have to be old to enjoy this trip but you should really enjoy sailing! The days are shorter and the breezes are stiffer this time of year and we plan to cover some ground. We, of course, still do a shore-side lobster dinner but we may not try to go ashore every day if the sailing is great. Feel free to use our row boats or small sail boat early in the morning before we set sail because chances are we will be sailing right up to sunset most days (weather permitting). Take the helm, navigate our course, really get into "old salt" mode!

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photo credit: Russ Kinaman

66th Annual Maine Lobster Festival. Sailing and lobster. . .lots of lobster! What more reason do you need to come to Maine? Choose the July 30th trip and after returning from your 4-day adventure aboard the Evans you'll be within walking distance of all that the Maine Lobster Festival has to offer! Choose the August 4th trip and visit the festival before boarding as well as that evening! NOTE: Admission to the festival is not included in your fare.
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sails

Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The moon will be waxing in the first quarter so we should be able to see some of these bright, yellow meteors; at peak time about 20 bright meteors an hour can be expected. Because these meteors nearly broadside the Earth, their speed is a moderate 25.5 miles per second!

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Perseid Meteor Shower. The moon will be waning and nearly new so if the sky is clear for this one-night adventure, you're in for a real treat! This shower produces about 60 meteors per hour, and its performance is fairly consistent from year to year. Being out on the water for any meteor shower is ideal because we are far away from light pollution. You'll have to best viewing spots for this celestial spectacle.

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Music Cruise with Hank Cramer. Hank Cramer is one of the best-loved folksingers in the Pacific Northwest and we're bringing him to the East Coast! Armed with a booming bass voice, a slat-top guitar, and a keen sense of humor, he has recorded 20 CDs and several music videos. Sea music is his special love. He has served as shantyman aboard the brig Lady Washington, recorded an album of historic music for the sloop-of-war USS Constellations, and performed annually for the Tall Ships' Challenges on the Pacific Coast and the Great Lakes. "Sing Out!" Magazine called one of his CDs "the most beautiful and accomplished albums of sea music we have ever heard." Learn more about Hank at www.HankCramer.com and come meet him in person aboard the Evans!

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There is a traditional lobster bake on every trip. Many passengers say this is the highlight of their trip and for many it is a once in a lifetime experience!
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