Real pirates in Maine are now a thing of the past, but there are still several opportunities to enjoy pirate-themed fun.
Historical Pirates in Maine
The first pirate known to operate off the coast of Maine—and perhaps the best known—was an Englishman named Dixie Bull. Dixe (or Dixey). Born in the early 1600s in eastern England, Bull sailed up and down the coast of New England, trading English knives and beads for fur. In 1632 while docked in Penobscot Bay, Bull’s ship was robbed of all of its valuable merchandise. Unable to recover his property, Bull sought revenge and turned to piracy, and became known for plundering small settlements along the Maine coast, most notably at Pemaquid.
The coast of Maine is designed by nature as a prime playground for kids. Most obvious are the miles of beaches all along the coast. The water can be a bit chilly, but kids don’t seem to mind. Favorites for the littlest ones are Long Sands in York, Crescent Beach, Ogunquit and Lincolnville Beach which has a long stretch of shallow water perfect for splashing and making sand sculptures. Old Orchard Beach with its arcades and shops is a favorite with teens. Bar Harbor is a great lesson in understanding the tides with the bar that is completely covered at high tide and walkable at low tide. Just keep an eye on the changes to keep from being stranded!
What could be finer than great food on board a magnificent sailing schooner in Penobscot Bay or a river boat tour with an oyster tasting? Maine’s schooner fleet has always been renowned for its food with several boats boasting true cuisine fit for the most discerning foodie.
On the J&E Riggin, Chef Annie Mahle has honed her craft with both knife and pen. Her first cookbook titled At Home, At Sea, was highlighted on the Today Show and her food has been featured in dozens of national media outlets including the Food Network and Bon Appetit Magazine. The wonderful menu adds to the historic feel of the cruise, and much of what is offered comes from local farms and Annie’s ever expanding garden. Beginning with the highest quality and freshest ingredients allows for simple yet elegant meals that are both healthy and charming.
The newly rebuilt Ladona takes dining to a new level on board. The food on Ladona reflects the restrained decadence and pure aesthetic of sailing in Maine. Produce is fresh, local and carefully prepared. Applying their professional expertise and personal style, Captain Noah and Jane Barnes transformed their beloved Stephen Taber’s traditional classic comfort food to the gourmet standards of 21st century foodies and built its reputation as a food destination to the delight of many well satisfied guests. Jane has worked in the wine industry for over twenty years and enjoys selecting a white and a red for dinner each night, along with some special treats for good measure. There is no question that fresh air and the nature of a voyage at sea adds flavor to the food.
For a different experience, the River Tripper out of Damariscotta offers wine and oyster tasting and oyster as well as sake pairing cruises. Maine food aficionados can sample half a dozen different oyster types from the Damariscotta River, ranging from the mild Norumbega oysters to the extra briny and plump Pemaquid oysters, all paired with sumptuous summer wines, bubbly, or even sake.
Maine’s coast offers many opportunities to get up close and personal with a variety of sea life. To keep it simple, a walk on the beach and an exploration of tide pools will turn up crabs, sea snails and anemones.
A visit to the Maine State Aquarium offers more options. Located on the water in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the aquarium is operated by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. The main gallery resembles the rocky coast of Maine. A collection of regional fish and invertebrates can be seen hidden within the granite-like cliffs. The aquarium features extraordinary lobsters of all sizes and colors and colorful marine life. A special attraction is the 20 foot long elevated touch tank that houses a multitude of invertebrates. Feel the spiny skin of a sea star or sea urchin and get squirted by a sea cucumber or scallop. Watch the moon snail pull in its enormous “gooey” foot and be fascinated by the sea star retracting its stomach.
Photo Courtesy of Maine State Aquarium
Photo Courtesy of Maine State Aquarium
Photo Courtesy of Maine State Aquarium
Photo Courtesy of Diver Ed
Photo Courtesy of Diver Ed
Photo Courtesy of Diver Ed
To get an even more “real ocean” experience, take a “dive-in” theater cruise. Diver Ed’s Dive-In Theater is a two- or two-and-a-half-hour scenic boat ride out into Frenchman Bay in Acadia National Park, where Diver Ed and his sidekick “Mini Ed” dive down to the ocean floor with specially equipped video and sound equipment, allowing you to see and hear the ocean floor in real time from the comfort of the deck.
At the end of the dive, Ed & Mini Ed return to the boat – and so do the creatures! Touch tanks allow you to observe, handle – and sometimes even kiss – these strange and mysterious beings before they are returned safely to the sea. You will be amazed at the colors, the textures and the variety of animal life beneath the waves.
In Stonington, you can bring your children to the Penobscot East Resource Center. In the permanent public education and exhibit space, children can learn about the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and check the Touch Tank that brings marine life to the Center for all to see. The Downeast Fisheries Center is staffed Sunday through Friday from 10am – 4pm.
The story of coastal Maine is the story of ships of all sizes, and across Maine there are schools that teach the art of boat building. Take a class or just come by one of the schools to see how it is done.
Photo by Dick Leighton
Located in the tiny coastal town of Brooklin, the WoodenBoat School is an extension of WoodenBoat magazine. This well-known boat building and sailing institution has provided “access to experience” for thousands of people in construction, maintenance, repair, design, seamanship, metal working, canvas work, photography, and other related craft. Emphasizing “hands-on” learning in a relaxed setting, the WoodenBoat School is a meeting ground where folks of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels can gather to meet, live, and work among others who share similar interests.
In Rockland, at The Apprenticeshop the core traditional boat building programs include the 2-year Apprenticeship Program, an intensive experience designed to teach all aspects of traditional wooden boat building; the 12-week Small Boatbuilding Program, a shorter course designed to give participants an understanding of basic traditional boat building; and the Extended/Advanced Intensive Program for those with previous woodworking or boat building experience.
The Carpenter’s Boat Shop in Bristol takes a slightly different approach. It is an open and affirming intentional community designed around a nine month apprenticeship program committed to traditional wooden boat building, seamanship, and service. The Carpenter’s Boat Shop has provided a safe harbor for people from around the country who are navigating the seas of transition from a variety of life circumstances.
The Landing School in Arundel focuses on preparing for careers in the marine industry as practical designers, builders and systems technicians, whether working professionally on today’s vessels, adapting to the industry’s evolving technology while imagining and building the boats of the future. To maintain your own boat, to restore a boat, do woodworking around your home, to build your own fine furniture, the skills offered at The Landing School can follow you home.
You might not automatically think of gardens when you think of maritime Maine, but there are a host of beautiful seaside spots in bloom all season long showcasing a range of styles from historic to modern.
Asticou Garden | Photo Courtesy of gardenpreserve.org
Celia Thaxter Garden | Photo Courtesy of Peter E. Randall
Map of Coastal Maine Botanical Garden Courtesy of mainegardens.org
Garden of the Five Senses at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden | Photo Courtesy of mainegardens.org
Garden at Franciscan Guest House | Photo Courtesy of franciscanguesthouse.com
Thuya Garden | Photo Courtesy of gardenpreserve.org
In the southern end of the state, Historic New England’s Hamilton House, located on a bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River has restored gardens that are faithful to their historical origins and provide a great beginning for a tour of Maine gardens.
Heading north to Boothbay, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a must see for garden enthusiasts and anyone with an eye for nature’s beauty. After 16 years of planning, planting, and building, the grand opening of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens was celebrated on June 13, 2007. Today the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens comprises 270 acres of tidal shoreland and in 2014 welcomed more than 100,000 guests throughout the year. The gardens have an array of plantings, ponds, and garden structures, providing many opportunities to stroll, sit and admire.
Even further north are the famous azalea gardens at Asticou in Northeast Harbor. The beauty of the Azalea Garden changes and evolves throughout the year. A flowering cherry tree heralds the start of the season in mid-May, followed by azaleas and rhododendrons in many hues in late May through June. July blooms include Japanese iris, smoke bush, rosebay rhododendron, and the fragrant sweet azalea.
Between north and south, there are many more gardens to tour and enjoy including wild gardens in Acadia National Park, poet Celia Thaxter’s island garden, a sunken garden at the Nickels-Sortwell House in Wiscasset, a Franciscan Garden in Kennebunkport and many more.
Gardens in Maine are Maine dwellers’ compensation for the snows and cold of winter. Come take a walk around and see all that blooms!
From a full size representation of the mighty Wyoming (the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built) to fleets of models, find your ship at Maine’s maritime museums. And not just ships, but photographs, art, ship’s captains’ homes and furniture, navigation instruments and more. If it’s nautical, you are sure to find compelling, educational exhibits for everyone at these museums.
Maine Maritime Museum
Maine Maritime Museum
Penobscot Marine Museum
Penobscot Marine Museum
The Sail, Power & Steam Museum
Maine Lighthouse Museum
In Bath, the Maine Maritime Museum explores our state’s maritime heritage and culture. An historic shipyard and Victorian era shipyard owner’s home are just two of the buildings to visit. The kids will love the pirate playship and human sized lobster trap. Take a trolley tour of Bath Ironworks where today’s navy ships are built or a cruise on the mighty Kennebec River.
Further north, in Rockland’s old Snow Shipyard, the Sail, Power and Steam Museumhas a wide collection of maritime artifacts to intrigue all ages. Find a replica of a ship’s bridge complete with radar and navigation instruments, a hands-on knot tying exhibit and Admiral MacMillan’s equipment from Artic expedition.
Also in Rockland, the Maine Lighthouse Museum is a must-see for anyone interested in lighthouses and American maritime history. From sparkling lenses to heartwarming stories of the keepers and families the museum is home to the largest collection of lighthouse artifacts and mementos.
And in the famous ship captain’s town of Searsport, the Penobscot Marine Museum brings history to life. The Museum houses one of the largest collections of historical photos of ships, shipyards, towns, homes and people. Maybe you will find images of your hometown or even your grandfather. Exhibits feature nautical art, ship models, ships papers and a chance to “go fishing.” Buildings around the site feature regional watercraft and the museum hosts numerous special events and exhibits. Plenty of hands-on fun for kids as well.
Maine boasts over 3,000 islands, some accessible by bridge, some by ferry, some by private boat and some just not at all. Mount Desert, home of Acadia National Park, is so easily reached by car it seems not an island at all. But for a more nautical experience try an island by ferry.
Off Portland in Casco Bay are six islands served by Casco Bay Lines. While many residents use the ferries to commute to work, leisure cruises are offered as well. Choose from a family trip with the kids to explore tidal pools or wade at one of the small beach areas. Escape for a romantic lunch or dinner, a day at the beach, or bring your bike and explore island life.
Photo: Summit of Mt. Penobscot in Acadia by Richard Moore
