57th Annual Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days Festival
57th ANNUAL BOOTHBAY HARBOR WINDJAMMER DAYS FESTIVAL
* All events held in downtown Boothbay Harbor unless otherwise specified * All events subject to change
June 25 and 26: 9 AM – 9 PM - Friends of Windjammer Days information tent - Shuttle maps, Festival guides, raffle tickets and raffle winner announcements,
sign up site for Lobster Eating Contest and Fish Relay Races!
To see full event schedule on this page, click here
For up-to-the-minute Festival details, visit www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org
Lighted boat parade July 6
The Windjammer Days lighted boat parade, scheduled for Saturday, June 29 was postponed due to weather concerns.
The parade, the final event of the festival, has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 6. And there’s still time to register! Go to www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org/lighted-boat-parade
See you at the waterfront in Boothbay Harbor - 9 p.m.!
Clear Stream Construction wins tug across the harbor – again!
And they yanked the arms right off the other teams, OK, not really, but Clear Stream Construction did yank the rope out of all of their opponents’ hands. That’s right, Clear Stream Construction won the sixth annual tug of war and set a Windjammer Days Festival record June 24, becoming the first team ever to win twice – and in consecutive years!
The Friends of Windjammer Days renamed the event the Stephan Branch Memorial Tug of War Across the Harbor. Stephan and Margaret Branch had…
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Schooners ahoy! Windjammer Days are here
For the 57th year, Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days are upon us … and what a rockin’ good time those seven days, June 23 - 29, will be!
The Friends of Windjammer Days, at the helm of the festival since 2013, have charted our course. Let’s check out what points are not to be missed (and yes that means all of them).
A new event for the Festival, Sunday, June 23, but not new to the region is the…
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Windjammer Emporium: A community celebrates its maritime history
The 18” x 24” black and white photographs lining the top of the wall entreat you to step back in time … back to the days when four and five-masted schooners were regular visitors to the Boothbay region. These photos depict schooners picking up ice from the West Harbor Ice Company. Another preserves the launching of the Ada Cliff (1918, East Coast Shipyard. The original Nellie G is in the forefront.
When Mark and Dianne Gimbel bought the former Mountain T’s T-shirt…
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Boothbay’s Got Talent contestants announced
Join us on Monday, June 24, at 6 p.m. in the Boothbay Region YMCA Gymnasium for the 2019 Boothbay's Got Talent Competition! Watch as contestants are judged on their poise, interview and special talents. The evening will also include performances by past winners.
Who will be crowned the next Miss Windjammer? Don't miss a fun evening and a chance to support our local youth. General admission is $5 and the 2019 host is Roosevelt Bishop.
2019 Miss Windjammer contestants
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Historic schooner cruises begin with the Mary E
Beginning June 5, Maine Maritime Museum is excited to offer sailing trips aboard the 1906 schooner Mary E., the last surviving schooner built on the Kennebec River, was purchased and restored by the museum, and relaunched in 2018. Mary E Kennebec River Sails will be offered Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 4 pm, June 5 through Sept. 28.
The 2.5-hour cruises will take passengers past Doubling Point Light, the Kennebec Range…
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Bowdoin and Ernestina-Morrissey: restorations draw Bowdoin museum attention
Two big pieces of sailing history, schooners Ernestina-Morrissey and Bowdoin, sit a couple hundred feet apart at Bristol Marine in Boothbay Harbor keeping some of the East Coast’s finest shipwrights and craftsmen busy.
On May 8, shipyard manager Eric Graves and Bowdoin project manager Ross Branch led a tour and detailed introduction to the work being done on both vessels. In…
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Boothbay Harbor’s Windjammer Days 57 fast approaching
Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days returns for its 57th season, with the return of many favorite offerings along with fun new events to the week-long celebration of the region’s maritime heritage.
Featured among the many ships that will arrive in the harbor during the festival will be the Coast Guard Cutter Thunderbay, a 140-foot icebreaker. Thunderbay will arrive on Wednesday during the Gathering of the Fleet, which will feature more ships…
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All hands are on deck as 57th festival approaches
The Friends of Windjammer Days have been working diligently the past few months on the 57th annual Boothbay Harbor Windjammer Days Festival sailing into the harbor June 23-29. This year marks the group’s sixth year at the helm of this week-long event, the longest running of its kind in Maine. And, yes, adding Boothbay Harbor to the Festival name is a new and permanent change to distinguish it from other windjammer festivals in the state.
Speaking of windjammers ... might as well…
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VISITING SCHOONERS
ACTRESS ~ www.sailactress.com
ADVENTURE ~ http://schooner-adventure.org/
ALERT ~ http://seaescapecottages.com/
AMERICAN EAGLE ~ www.schooneramericaneagle.com
ARDELLE ~ http://schoonerardelle.com
BOWDOIN ~ www.sailtraininginternational.org
EASTWIND ~ www.schoonereastwind.com
ERNESTINA-MORRISSEY ~ www.ernestina.org
HARVEY GAMAGE ~ www.ocean-passages.org
HERITAGE ~ http://schoonerheritage.com
JENNY IVES ~ https://sailjennyives.com
LEWIS H. STORY ~ www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org
SYCAMORE ~
TRUE NORTH ~
The Aquarium is a free shuttle stop!
TUESDAY, JUNE 25
Explore the Zone (10 -11 a.m. ) – Experience the thrill of finding hermit crabs, green crabs, snails, clams, and more in the intertidal zone. Aquarium staff will discuss the challenges that these animals face living between the tides. Children must be accompanied by an adult and water-shoes or boots are a must.
Crafts on the Porch (10 a.m – 3 p.m.) Fish prints, facepainting ... and that’s only the beginning ...
Lobster Presentation (11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.) Do you love the sweet, succulent taste of a Maine lobster but curious about how this delicious crustacean makes it to your dinner plate? Then attend a presentation on the porch and staff will teach you about the fundamentals of the lobster industry, its people, and the techniques used to catch them.
Creature Feature (Noon, 2 and 4 p.m. ) Do you want to learn more about the unique features of Maine’s invertebrates? Then join us for a 15 minute presentation about fascinating hermit crabs, ancient horseshoe crabs, squirting sea scallops, gross sea cucumbers, and more.
Behind the Scenes ( 2:30 p.m.) – sign up in advance due to limited space call 633-9406. Are you curious about what’s on the other side of the glass? Here is your opportunity to get an insider’s view of the tanks, support systems, and animal storage facility. A 30 minute tour will provide the answers on how the Aquarium’s animals are kept happy and healthy.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
Explore the Zone (10 -11 a.m.) – Experience the thrill of finding hermit crabs, green crabs, snails, clams, and more in the intertidal zone. Aquarium staff will discuss the challenges that these animals face living between the tides. Children must be accompanied by an adult and water-shoes or boots are a must.
Sport-fishing off the Dock (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ) Do you want a new fish story to tell? Try your luck at an activity that is fun, exciting, and relaxing. Rods and reels are available free-of-charge on our dock, and staff will provide necessary instruction.
Lobster Presentation (11 a.m., 1 and 2 p.m.) Do you love the sweet, succulent taste of a Maine lobster but curious about how this delicious crustacean makes it to your dinner plate? Then attend a presentation on the porch and staff will teach you about the fundamentals of the lobster industry, its people, and the techniques used to catch them.
Ernestina-Morrissey Reception Fundraiser
MONDAY, JUNE 24
4-5 p.m.
No tickets necessary.
Donations will be accepted and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Schooner Ernestina-MorrisseyAssociation.
TUESDAY, JUNE 25
THURSDAY, JUNE 27
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
1 p.m.
A 90-minute walking tour ... hear facts and lore about the surrounding fisheries, schooners, rum-running, lighthouses, pirateers, and ... sea serpents??!!
By reservation only: 207-380-3806.
Please allow ample time to find parking. If you try to book tickets at the last minute and it says we are full, please call us! Sometimes we have cancellations. 207-380-3806
Friday, June 28
4-6 p.m.
Carousel Marina & Whale’s Tale Restaurant
125 Atlantic Ave., Boothbay Harbor
Tour the historical schooner, meet the captain and crew, hear tales of their journeys ...
Tour Schooner Adventure
Tuesday, June 25
Wednesday, June 26
Adventure will be docked at Brown’s Wharf on Atlantic Avenue in Boothbay Harbor. Tours at captain and crew’s discretion.
Donations will go directly to the schooner’s foundation.
Tours of the Sail Loft of Nathaniel Wilson
Nat Wilson is an innovator in the sailing industry helping to develop the modern ship sail cloth.
Master sailmaker Nat Wilson is known the world over for his extensive expertise and knowledge regarding sail making and rigging.
Wilson uses centuries-old tools and authentic fabrics ... for example, when he and his staff made 19 new sails for the Charles W. Morgan the materials were the same as were used between 1880 to 1900. The cotton duck fabric was woven in India, and the finishing work completed in the U.S.
“It's nice to see historic ships come back to life; to restore a vessel for sail,” Wilson said. “But what is also restored, and what may be even more important than the ship itself, is the memory it will invoke of the ship's sailing days. Restoring a ship also rekindles the skills needed to do it. More people become trained in those skills that then also move forward into the future.” - Nat Wilson, Boothbay Register article, “Bullard christens Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport,” July 13, 2013.
Parking for this event is in a designated area located at Ocean Point Marina, 216 Ocean Point Road, East Boothbay. The Sail Loft is just a short walk around the corner.
The Annual Windjammer Days Festival is presented by Friends of Windjammers, a nonprofit community organization made up entirely of volunteers.
It is the collective passion for the sea and for keeping traditions alive for future generations that drives this event, and keeps our community inspired to bring Windjammer Days to you year and after year.
Volunteer Board of Directors
Dianne Gimbel
Mark Gimbel
Nat Wilson
Peter Ripley
Bill Logan
The All Volunteer Crew
Stephanie Hawke ~ Bill Bailey ~ Rusty Court ~ Jack Herger ~ Bruce White ~ Kris Ward ~ Laura Blake ~ Darrell Gudroe ~ Kim Gillies ~ Doug Goldhirsch ~ Rosemary Bourette ~ Lori Bailey ~ Sandy Wheeler ~ Janet Brennan ~ Eben Court ~ Pam O’Connor ~ Debrah Yale ~ John Smigielski ~ Doug Gimbel ~ John Bertolet ~ Emily Mirabile ~ Patty Sterling ~ Dave Butterworth ~ Tom Blake ~ Patty Seybold ~ Nancy Rowe ~ Cathi Bertin ~ Trish Warren ~ Catherine Tracey ~ Mike Tomacelli … and countless others …
Artist Alley
This year Artists’ Alley is being held in the Whale Park on the waterfront in downtown Boothbay Harbor from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artists working in a variety of media, from oils, acrylics, watercolors, gouache to photography, jewelry and pottery, will be at the Park. Rain date: Saturday, June 29.
Here’s a list of the artists and artisans attending: Calli b. Marianne Janik - jewelry; Dianne Horton - artist; Nancy Shaul - Westport Pottery; Sandy Dolan - artist; Jack Duford (Fine Images) - photography and art; Ann Gobes & Michael Ciccarelli - Cape Newagen Alpacas; Jan Brennan - collage jewelry; Derek Keenan/Hill and Shore Woodworks; Sharon Goldhirsch and Heather Casey -of the Crow Point Yoga Herbal Apothecary; Alan Claude - graphic artist; Joseph Cousins - artist (prints and originals); Anthony Watkins - artist.
Artists doing live demos: John Seitzer - Joy to the Wind Gallery; Brad Betts - Down East Gallery (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.); Sandy Garrigan (Wet Paint); and Laureen Hylka Wondolowski.
Live music by Ben Betts (yes, son of artist Brad) steel drum.
Don’t miss the show - you might find some gifts for someone … maybe even yourself!
