We have been going to Vinalhaven, Maine, for many years to visit our son and his wife, and to vacation. One year we decided to take a cruise on a tall ship, the American Eagle, a schooner. (A schooner has two or more masts, with the forward mast equal to or shorter than the others.)
The American Eagle was launched in 1930 from Gloucester, Massachusetts, as a fishing vessel. Today, she sails tours out of Rockland, Maine. She carries up to 26 guests with a crew of six. The deck is 92 feet long (123 including the forward spar). Her beam is 19’9” and her draft is 11’4”. There is one shower available to guests, and meals are served topside when weather allows. True to tradition, cooking is done on a wood-burning stove — and the meals were outstanding!
Our cabin was cozy. I couldn’t stand up straight in it, but Marianne could. We had comfortable bunk beds with reading lights at each head. Normally, we shower nightly before bed, but with only one shower for all guests, we had to adapt.
This wasn’t our first time around tall ships. Back in 1986, while sailing our own 34’ O’Day sloop out of the Raritan Yacht Club in New Jersey, we were in New York Harbor for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. They estimated 30,000 boats there, including 22 tall ships. As it turned out, the American Eagle was among them. The captain showed us a plaque on the wall commemorating the ship’s presence that day.
On our cruise, one evening we dropped anchor off a small island. The crew ferried gear ashore, then the guests. Before long, we were eating lobsters with all the trimmings on the beach — a meal to remember!
A typical day started with the American favorite, coffee, followed by breakfast topside. Guests were invited (not required) to help raise the anchor and sails. It was fun to pitch in, and soon we were gliding across the waters of eastern Maine, enjoying the sunshine, scenery, and peacefulness that only sailing brings.
In one harbor, the captain pointed out a green-hulled sailboat, 125 years old and restored by a local school. After rowing ashore, we toured the school and saw the meticulous work being done on wooden canoes and other boats. Another day, anchored in a different harbor, the crew offered small-boat sailing, and we eagerly volunteered.
Tall ships are not like luxury liners. Many conveniences are missing — as you’ve probably noticed. But the quiet is priceless. Sailboats heel to the wind, unlike power vessels, and there’s no engine noise as you move from place to place.
Try sailing. It is FANTASTIC.
