It’s foggy when we wake up after our first night onboard the Victory Chimes, a historic, three-masted schooner, and foggy still as we sail out of Rockland Harbor, Maine, passed the Rockland Lighthouse and into the Penobscot Bay. The crew at the bow sound the horn every few minutes. It all adds to the feeling of having stepped back to the year 1900 when the Victory Chimes – it was the Edwin & Maude then – first set sail in the Chesapeake, carrying its cargo of lumber, in the waning days of the Age of Sail. Converted to carrying passengers in the 1950s (it is the largest passenger schooner sailing in America), it is now part of the fleet of Maine Windjammers, the largest fleet of historic sailing vessels in the country.
Most of the sailings during the season, from June through October, are climaxed by some special event or theme, and this one coincides with the most spectacular annual event of all, the Great Schooner Race, when more than a dozen ships will sail together. From the deck of Victory Chimes, we get incomparable views of these exquisite vessels – more like living creatures, their sails like puffed-out chests, with a history, personality and character -that somehow and miraculously have transcended the lives of the present generation of caretakers. It’s like falling into a Winslow Homer painting.
Soon Mr. Wheeler, the first mate, asks for volunteers to join the crew in hoisting Victory Chimes’ sails. Most of the passengers on this trip – amazingly enough – are repeats, with one family making their 20th voyage since 1968, another lady, part of a “gal getaway,” making her 19th trip.
It’s unseasonably cool today, with the grey mist cutting off visibility, but I don’t mind at all. In the first place, it adds to the atmosphere and you get a better idea of what the sailors experienced back in the day when these ships were state-of-the-art and the fastest way to get anything from point A to point B (the Federal Express of the day). But also, I am hoping that the rainy weather will pass in time for the Great Schooner Race, on our fourth day.
Soon we spot porpoises off our starboard.
The Penobscot Bay, usually fairly calm so that you rarely get seasick, is rolling.
“Wow, hell of a southwesta we got going here,” says Captain Kip Files, a tall, lean man with a booming voice and hearty laugh, and a moustache that reminds you of Ted Turner. He has been the co-owner and captain of Victory Chimes since he was 39 years old, 24 seasons ago and he is looking forward to winning his 24th trophy in the Great Schooner Race, in which Victory Chimes is the only three-masted ship.
The fog gets thicker.
“The worst foggy night I ever had, I was sailing, pushing along into Rockland, and there was this orange glow,” Capt. Kip relates “As I drew closer and closer, that orange light stayed in front. I finally figured out, it was the end of my cigar. Now that is a foggy, foggy night!”
That morning at breakfast of freshly prepared blueberry pancakes served family style before we set sail, the Captain had welcomed us to the ship, and told us the story of the schooner Victory Chimes.
The schooner rigging – as opposed to the square rigging of ocean-going ships – was a major American innovation that allowed the vessels to be nimble and fast, and operated with a minimal number of crew for maximum profit for the owner.
Some 4,000 three-masted schooners were built. Designed by JMC Moore, Edwin & Maude was one of 30 “Ram” schooners – nicknamed for the way they “rammed through” the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and through the sea. Her schooner rig was uniquely American. Her stout build, simple rig, and yawl boat made her one of the most profitable ships ever to sail.
During World War II, still sailing as a merchant vessel out of Baltimore, Edwin & Maude assisted the war effort by reporting the status of the anti-submarine mine field at the entrance of Chesapeake Bay and kept a lookout for German U-Boats.
But by 1946, the Edwin & Maude ended her career transporting cargo and was converted into a “dude cruiser”.
In 1954, after a half-century sailing the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico from her home waters of Chesapeake Bay, Edwin & Maude was brought to Maine. She was renamed Victory Chimes by Capt. Frederick “Boyd” Guild after a Canadian coastal schooner he admired as a boy that had been launched on Armistice Day.
In 1987, Victory Chimes next was acquired by Domino’s Pizza, joining its fleet of five yachts, and renamed the Domino Effect. But by 1990, Domino’s Pizza wanted to sell off their boats, and Victory Chimes was slated to be sent to Japan to be converted into a restaurant.
Captain Kip Files and Captain Paul DeGaeta, who oversaw her Domino’s restoration, purchased the vessel to keep her from leaving the country. They changed her name back to Victory Chimes and returned her to the Maine Windjammer trade. The Maine legislature welcomed her back with a special resolution.
In 1997, Victory Chimes was named an American National Historic Landmark under the Maritime Heritage Program of the National Parks Service, becoming one of only 127 vessels with that designation.
Kip notes that of the 30 schooners that were built, the Victory Chimes, is the sole survivor.
“When these ships were built, they were not expected to last more than eight years,” he says. “It was cheaper to build new. But then, less than 10% of cost was labor. Today 90% of cost is labor.
“This ship has 114 years of doing what it was designed to do: generate income under sail,” Capt. Files says. “That she has survived is a miracle.”
Victory Chimes wears her heritage so well – beautiful brass (constantly polished by the crew), stunning varnished wood, the wheel as old as the ship, the original compass which Capt. Kip says he still uses (though he has all the state-of-the-art computerized systems)
At 132 feet long, Victory Chimes is the largest of the Windjammer fleet and accommodates the greatest number of passengers, 39, in a variety of accommodations (standard is a cabin with two bunk beds and a sink but there are some cabins that have a full bed or two twins). The cabins – all added when the ship was converted to carrying passengers instead of lumber – are well designed and give you good usable space (though do not imagine these are anything like a cruise ship cabin), with a porthole (also added), and lights, and outlets to plug in and recharge (when the ship’s generator is running).
The ship also has two showers (very well designed) and three “heads” (toilets).
Even in the rain it is pleasant on board – the crew puts out awnings so we can still stay on deck if we want, and the Victory Chimes has a fairly large mess area which doubles as a kind of lounge when it is not set up for dining, where it is pleasant to spend time reading in the evening. There is always coffee and tea, fresh fruit out and whatever dessert is left over from lunch or dinner.
Where Wind and Whimsy Lead
Onboard the ship, time doesn’t just move backwards, it seems to stop altogether. You don’t even realize what day it is, and by the end of the voyage, it seems like only a day has passed.
Each of the cruises is different – the ships, the special events or themes, the weather, the serendipitous combination of passengers. Much of the character of the ship is shaped by the captain and the crew who add immeasurably to the experience. The captain sets the tone – and also the course, depending upon wind, weather and whim – and the crew makes the cruise.
Captain Kip Files loves to sit around with the passengers telling stories. Each afternoon, we gather around as he marks up the map to show us where we have been and tells us wonderful anecdotes about the places and the who’s who of who lives here (like John Travolta, Martha Stewart, Buckminster Fuller, Archibald Cox, E.B White, and Craig McCaw (inventor of the cell phone).
I love hearing the language of sailing and the sea – especially the “heave” and “ho” when we raise the sails – and the mind-boggling vocabulary for all the different lines and nautical paraphernalia and techniques.
We get to help as much as we like – hoisting up the sails, hauling in the sails; some of the passengers help in the galley and kids love to help polish the brass.
There is no set itinerary. Each day we set sail for wherever the Captain chooses, largely following the wind, weather and whimsy. Each day we get to visit some interesting place (this is my third Windjammer cruise and three of the four places we stopped were new to me).
On this cruise, on our second morning we visit in Stonington, once a center for limestone cutters and today a fishing village, delightful to walk around. Here you discover the Opera House, a legacy of the early Italian immigrants who came here as stonecutters.
The third day, we visit the Woodenboat School in Brooklin where people (mostly middle-aged men, I am surprised to see), spend two weeks at a time learning how to build wooden boats and canoes and such. It’s like camp.
The fourth morning, it is July 4, and we pull into Castine, a gorgeous colonial New England town which in its history had been Dutch, French, English and finally American, where a running race is underway for the holiday, and children, all decorated in their red-white-and-blue, are gathering for a Children’s Parade. Here, we walk up the street to the top of the hill to visit the remains of Fort George, across from the Maine Maritime Academy (its massive training ship is docked in the harbor).
This place proves to be fascinating: this harbor was the setting for the largest American naval expedition of the Revolutionary War and the worst defeat in American history until Pearl Harbor in 1942: the Penobscot Expedition, when Commodore Dudley Saltonstall led a naval force of 19 warships and 24 transports with 1200 men, came upon a much smaller force of British ships, and after the men had been deposited on the land, ordered the American ships to flee up the Penobscot River where he ordered them run aground and burned. The 1200 men were forced to walk back to Boston, which took six weeks.
The story has an interesting twist: Paul Revere, who was the militia’s artillery leader, was blamed, but acquitted in court-martial though his reputation permanently damaged, a historic plaque at the Fort reads.
A marker at Fort George shows the burial place of British officers and soldiers and sailors killed in the siege of July 25-Aug 14, 1779 (so the Americans must have mounted some sort of fight).
Fort George was the last outfit surrendered by British at the end of the Revolutionary War, in 1784, and as they departed, the British burned buildings within fort.
The story continues: the British occupied Fort George again during the War of 1812, in Sept 1814 and abandoned it 1815
We hoist anchor and sail for Gilkey Harbor off of Isleboro. the starting point for the Great Schooner Race the next day. We begin to spot the tall ships appearing far on the horizon.
We arrive in the harbor and anchor. One by one the ships come in, their sails full, move into position, and briskly drop their sails. Eventually there are 13 ships gathered together, like a homecoming.
It is he tradition that the crews engaged in mock rowboat races, but thunderstorm threatens, so not all the crews go out (our crew is kept back and they look forlorn).
In the morning, I get up before dawn to see this stunning view of the ships,. We are lucky that the day is bright and sunny, with blue sky and puffy white clouds, sparkling water, and good wind, and utterly perfect for the 37th Annual Great Schooner Race.
Rhythm and Flow to a Windjammer Cruise
Each cruise is different, but there is a certain pattern and rhythm.
Several hours of each day are spent sailing and we find ourselves chatting among ourselves or reading, or gazing out to spot porpoise or seals or eagles. Each day we get to explore some place for about 1-1/2 hours.
Each afternoon, we come to a secluded cove or harbor to anchor for the night. When we anchor for the evening, we get to jump off the side to swim (the water at 66 degrees, was bracing but not uncomfortably cold as I expected), or kayak in the ship’s tandem (other ships have rowboats or small sailboats which passengers get to use). The evening I get to kayak as the sun goes down gives me spectacular views of the ship in the golden light, anchored in the Holbrook Island Sanctuary (where we spot an eagle being chased by an osprey).
Each night they set up an overhang so you have a place to sit even if it rains, and when it does rain, they set up a second overhang so you always have a place to be on deck, even in the rain.
On clear nights, the sunsets are extraordinary and you come out on deck in the middle of the night and see the whole Milky Way arrayed in front of you. It doesn’t take long before you are likely to see a shooting star amid the blanket of stars.
The Victory Chimes does not have an internal engine, but we don’t exclusively rely on wind power – this mighty ship is pushed by Enoch, a five-ton yawl boat that Capt. Files built from scratch and outfitted with an engine from a tugboat. This is not a new practice, I was surprised to learn, it was common; but before the engine, sailors would pull the ship behind them from a longboat, But when the wind is blowing, the Captain turns off Enoch’s engine and we sail, reveling in the stunning silence and the feeling of gliding.
Great Eatin’
Eating aboard the Maine Windjammers is one of the distinct pleasures. I can imagine a slight rivalry among the ships for best cook, and Victory Chimes cook, Pam Sheridan, would easily be among the winners.
A signature event for all the Windjammers is a lobster night during the cruise – some do it on a secluded beach. It is tradition on Victory Chimes to serve the steamed lobsters on board for the first night’s dinner. We watch as the lobsters are brought aboard on our first morning, and doused with water during the first day’s sail. Then watch as Pam puts them in this enormous steamer (there are even a couple of blue lobsters among the bunch). Then, we sit at the tables as gi-normous platters of the freshest most succulent lobster – enough for three apiece! -are brought out for this fabulous feast, supplemented with fresh corn and melted butter. It absolutely spoils you for lobster anywhere else.
But Pam, the cook, also caters to those who are vegan, vegetarian, allergies or who don’t eat a particular thing, so she also has chicken marsala and a vegetarian dish.
There is a routine to the day around food: coffee is brought up to the deck at 7 am; the bell for breakfast is rung at 8 am, precisely after the flag is raised. Lunch is served at noon. Appetizers are brought up to the deck at 5 pm (there is a cooler for passengers to store our beer and wine), and dinner at 6 pm, after the flag is lowered.
Breakfast entrees included eggs Florentine (served with grilled potatoes, bacon and raspberry bread), eggs Benedict (served with sausage, fresh fruit), waffles; lunch featured chilis, chowders (corn chowder was sensational), lobster bisque (to die for), a vegetable curry that was delectable, a stick-to-your ribs mac-and-cheese, quesadilla; dinner entrees included a fresh salmon, pork, BBQ, and turkey with all the fixings including a sensational pumpkin pie. Pam is deft with her use of seasonings and textures.
Windjammer Cruise Planning Tips
The windjammer cruise is ideal for family vacations (children from 8 years old), gal or guy getaways, family reunions, corporate team-building, a couples getaway.
Reaching Rockland is easy – it’s 400 miles from the Throgs Neck Bridge, a leisurely 8 hour drive, making it easy to get to Victory Chimes between 6 pm and 8 pm for the orientation (but you can arrive later since the ship is docked all night and doesn’t sail until the next morning).
After the cruise, you depart Victory Chimes by 10 am, giving you time to see the sights in Rockland you might have missed – the not-to-be-missed Farnsworth Museum and Homestead (see next story); walk the three-quarter mile long breakwater to the Rockland Lighthouse, and visit the Lighthouse Museum. If you overnight in the area (there are lovely B’n’Bs like the LimeRock where we have stayed on prior visits), visit the Owl’s Head lighthouse (www.lighthouse.cc/owls/) and the Transportation Museum, both in Owl’s Head.
Besides special events like the Great Schooner Race, Victory Chimes themes various sailings for special interest, like a Maine Story & Humor Cruise, Irish Music cruise, Maine Geology Cruise.
For more information, Victory Chimes, PO Box 1401, Rockland, ME 04841, 800-745-5651, www.victorychimes.com.
The Maine Windjammer Association is comprised of the largest fleet of traditional sailing schooners in North America. The windjammer fleet hails from ports of Rockland, Rockport and Camden, located in the mid-coast region of Maine. For brochures and DVD, or for information, contact the Maine Windjammer Association at 800-807-WIND; or visit www.sailmainecoast.com.
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