We’re smack dab in the middle of what is traditionally the height of the summer tourist season in the Boothbay Region, with a jam-packed week of Windjammer Days activities followed closely by the Fourth of July holiday.  Hotels and motels, restaurants and shops count on summer visitors to help replenish their bank accounts after the cash-starved days of winter and spring.

Seeing the harbor filled with boats of all sizes is a joyous sight this time of the year, especially when the windjammers themselves swing to their moorings. They’re always impressive no matter where you see them, but it’s a special treat when you can view them up close and personal right here in the inner harbor.

To us, they are a refreshing reminder of our heritage here on the coast and the days when both Boothbay Harbor and Wiscasset were busy ports of call. Some of our favorite photos in the archives of the Boothbay Region Historical Society are those which show both fishing and cargo schooners at anchor in Boothbay Harbor. It was not uncommon to see a number in the harbor on any given day, a popular stop-over spot because of its protected anchorage safe from stormy seas and high winds. We’ve always wished we could have been around in those days when these majestic sailing ships returned from months-long fishing trips and unloaded their catch, or a cargo-carrying vessel arrived from a distant port, delivering eagerly-awaited supplies from all over the world.On a more regular basis, ships sailed up and down the Maine Atlantic coast, transporting supplies from one town to another. The harbor itself was home port for a number of these vessels, many of them built right here. 

Shipping out, either aboard a cargo-carrying vessel or fishing schooner, was many a young man’s dream, and often several members of the same family comprised the crew.The Fishermen’s Memorial on the harbor’s east side, opposite Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, is a sober reminder of how many sailed out of our harbor never to return.It was not unusual for young men barely in their teens to be lost at sea.While today’s windjammers ply the Maine coast carrying paying passengers eager to experience life aboard a sailing ship, it’s their historic significance which makes their visit to our harbor of special importance in reminding us all of our wonderful maritime heritage.

The Maine coast has changed dramatically over the past few centuries but it’s always nice to remember who we were and where we came from. For that reason, these stately sailing vessels will always hold a special place in our heart.