Passengers Board the Wendameen at the Maine State Pier Earlier This Week.  She is a Wooden, Gaff rigged Schooner Designed by John Alden for a Businessman in East Boothbay.

Nick Robinson, Sales & General Manager for Ballast, 345 Fore Street, a Year Round Event Facility Owned by  Portland Schooner Co.

The O’Loughlin Family from Meath County in Ireland Prepare to Board the Wendameen Schooner at Maine State Pier, 56 Commercial Street, Portland, Earlier this Week. Other Passengers on this Sail Came from North Carolina and Ilinois.

In recent years, Portland Schooner Company has expanded its fleet of schooners, and one sloop, to accommodate the growing popularity of sailing in Casco Bay..  “The owners wanted to offer more options to the public,” said Nick Robinson, an employee of the company earlier this week.  “That includes private charters  which make up almost half of the company’s business.”

Back in 2018, the company purchased Timberwind, a 96 foot Maine schooner built in 1931 adding her to its fleet.  She served as a Portland Pilot in the Harbor until 1969  After that, she was converted to a schooner and served in Rockport and Belfast before returning to Portland Harbor duty in 2018 in the  Portland Schooner Company growing fleet.

In 2021, the Company purchased Vela, a 60 foot gaff rigged sloop and the only sloop in the group at Portland Schooner Co.  Designed by well-known Maine schooner Captain Havilah Hawkins, he incorporated traditional elements of historic Gloucester fishing sloops, New York pilot schooners and Maine sardine carriers into Vela. This blogger admits to being partial to Vela because years ago, she had the enormous pleasure of sailing aboard the schooner Mary Day under the command of Captain Hawkins who owned her at the time – out of Camden Harbor. Mary Day was designed by Captain Hawkins’ father.

Most recently, the Company purchased Heart’s Desire.- a well-named schooner designed by the celebrated yacht designer  John Alden.  She is 53 feet long and has the long bowsprits and dramatic transom that are trademarks of  Alden designs.

In order to accommodate the expanded fleet described above, the Schooner Company has also added two  boarding locations on the Portland waterfront.  One is at Fore Point Marina and the second is at the Ocean Gateway Parking Lot.

Following the interview with Nick Robinson, Sales and General Manager, at Ballast, an event facility at 345 Fore Street owned by Portand Schooner Company, this blogger decided to make a stop at the recently re-opened Dry Dock on Commercial Street.  Part of the reason was to pay homage to the late Dodge Morgan, the first American to sail solo around the world in  his American Promise.  Dry Dock was a spot he frequented before his record setting voyage while waiting to board the Casco Bay Ferry to Peaks Island.

Shucking oysters at Dry Dock was Remy McQuire.  Remy served as a dock hand aboard Wendameen for several summers when he was in college in New York State.  Wendameen was like wise designed by John Alden in East Boothbay.  The history of this schooner is fascinating.  This blogger suggests you go down to Dry Dock and get Remy, who hails from Camden, to fill you in on the dramatic details of the salvage of this historic Maine built wooden schooner!  The fresh oysters from Damariscotta and Mere Point are extraordinary..  They go especially well with some liquid nourishment of some kind or another!

“It’s quite possible that Portland Schooner Comany has the largest fleet of Maine built wooden schooners  on the Maine coast,” said Nick.  There are six in the Portland fleet and all built in Maine.