Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - maine windjammers

Last summer my husband and I took a five day cruise on The Grace Bailey out of Camden, and had a fabulous time. Penobscot Bay is incredibly beautiful, with hundreds of little (and big) islands, dramatic rocky shorelines, evergreen trees, and lots of lighthouses. Bring your camera, and plenty of film. We had each brought several books along, but never read any of them because we couldn't stop looking at the breathtaking scenery. However, we were lucky to have beautiful weather the whole time, so it would be a good idea to bring a book , cards, or small game in case you get some heavy rain and have to stay below in the salon for awhile. Your kids should love the cruise, especially if they have a sense of adventure - there were several teenagers on our trip, and they were all entranced, and vying for chores, like washing down the decks. Our ship was beautiful and romantic, we really loved sailing on her, but the accomodations were not what you'd call luxurious. The cabins were very small and stuffy, and we didn't spend any time in ours except to sleep and change clothes. I recommend taking sleeping bags and extra pillows (and maybe a foam sleeping pad) so that you can sleep out on deck if you like. Lots of the folks on our cruise did that, as did I one night. The stars were spectacular, as we were so far from any cities that the sky was very dark, and it was nice to wake up to a beautiful sunrise. Pack your things in soft sided luggage, and don't bring too much stuff, as you probably won't have a lot of room in your cabin to stow things. Do be sure to bring layers, including something wind proof, as it can get pretty chilly out on the water, especially if it's breezy. I found that a nylon windbreaker over a polarfleece pullover over a tee shirt worked pretty well, as I could add and subtract layers as I needed. Be sure to bring some long pants, not just shorts (windpants would be helpful, too). You'll also need a hat with some kind of strap to keep it from blowing overboard (my husband bought a Tilley hat for the trip, and it was great). Take sunscreen, and sunglasses. You might also want some bug spray - we only had a problem with mosquitos one night at sunset, but you never know. If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to hear the fantastic steel drum band "Flash in the Pan" play. They have about 30 members, and are based in Blue Hill, Maine - they play all over the area, but I think they play a regular gig every two weeks in front of the general store in Buck Harbor. We happened to anchor in the harbor on a night they were playing there, so our captain took everyone ashore who wanted to go hear them. It was a great concert, and a lot of fun (they had everyone up dancing). I think that all of the cruises probably offer a lobster bake on an island beach during the trip. We had ours on a really beautiful little sandy beach with a great view. We had a campfire, and they steamed the lobsters in seaweed; they were delicious. In fact, all of the food we had on the trip was really good, they fed us well (and it was all cooked on the ship's wood burning stove). You'll get to know the other passengers on your cruise quite well by the end of the trip. We were lucky to have very congenial shipmates, I hope you do too. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. I'm envious, I can't wait to take another windjammer cruise!