Windjammer Sailing Camden Maine: Appledore II Day Sail

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/7

Duration2h

GroupUp to 49

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Take the wheel of a working schooner and sail Maine's rocky coast

A 2-hour day sail aboard the Appledore II, a 49-passenger windjammer schooner departing from Bayview Landing in Camden, Maine. You help raise the sails and steer the ship while the crew shares the vessel's history—she sails between Camden and Key West twice yearly on a 2,000-mile journey. The sail passes Curtis Island Light (built 1836), uninhabited islands, and the Camden Hills dropping into the sea, with chances to spot seals, porpoises, eagles and whales. Cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks are available for purchase; gratuity is optional.

Step-by-step itinerary

Sail Camden's Coast on Appledore II

Depart from Bayview Landing
Help raise sails and steer ship
Sail past Curtis Island Light lighthouse
Enjoy views of Penobscot Bay islands and wildlife
Spot Mount Battie and coastal mansions
Watch lobstermen and marine animals
Purchase drinks onboard
Return to Camden Harbor

The Experience

What makes this different from a typical harbor tour? The Appledore II is a working schooner, not a sightseeing boat. The crew actively welcomes you to participate—help haul the sails up, take a turn at the wheel, ask about the ship's voyages around the world. She's seaworthy enough to make the 2,000-mile run between Camden and Key West twice a year, and some crew members have made that journey themselves. With only 49 passengers and wide decks, you're not squeezed in or ducking rigging; there's room to move and breathe while the ship works.

The sail departs Bayview Landing and heads out of Camden Harbor into Penobscot Bay, a cruising ground ranked among the world's best. You'll pass Curtis Island Light, a lighthouse standing since 1836, then move into waters dotted with uninhabited islands and framed by the Camden Hills and coastal mountains rising straight from the sea. The route takes you past the summer estates and million-dollar yachts that line the shore, and you'll watch lobstermen hauling traps from their boats. Wildlife appears regularly—seals sunning on rocks, porpoises playing in the water, ospreys and eagles hunting, and occasionally whales. Guillemots, cousins to puffins with bright red feet, waddle along the rocky shoreline.

The whole sail runs about two hours. Beverages—cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks—are available to purchase on board. As you head back into Camden Harbor, the wind and the motion of the ship are the main event; there's no narration or schedule to follow, just the work of sailing and the view opening up around you.

What’s included

Sightseeing cruise aboard the Appledore II schooner.
participation in raising sails and steering the ship with crew guidance.
live English-speaking crew.
beverages available for purchase (cocktails, beer, wine, soft drinks).

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Schooner Appledore Maine

Is this one for you?Book this sail if you want to be part of the ship's work rather than a passenger watching from a chair—the crew actively involves you in raising sails and steering, and the small passenger count (49 maximum) means you're not lost in a crowd.