ROCKLAND - Lime, granite, lumber and ice were the cargos of the schooners at the turn of the century. They plied the waters from Maine to Boston and New York to take the state’s resources to the cities to build infrastructure. The Maine Lighthouse Museum has opened an exhibition that follows the history of the boats specific to the Midcoast area.

When the cargo trade decreased, an enterprising man by the name of Frank Swift decided he would carry passengers instead of cargo; hence, the word Windjammer was born. In 1936 he used a leased schooner, the Mabel, to offer vacations under sail. It was a success and windjammer cruises were born.

The Midcoast Windjammer Fleet includes eight National Landmarks: the American Eagle, Grace Bailey, Isaac H. Evans, J and E Riggin, Lewis R. French, Mercantile, Stephan Taber and Victory Chimes. 

Brenda Thomas is captain of the Isaac Evans. Her season of sailing starts on Memorial Day weekend.

“We have about two and a half weeks before we start,” she said.  “Probably about eight weeks of work to do though, or so it seems. The first group will board May 31 for a four-night sail. We’ll take them wherever the wind and tides take us.” 

John Foss, of the American Eagle, said his season starts in eight days and three hours.

“The first sail will be a six-day sail and we’ll look for puffins and go find a nice place for a picnic,” he said. “We’re not in a hurry. We’ve been in a hurry all spring so it’s time to go sailing. The sailing is going to be great this year. As with many of the vessels that have been in business for a while, we have a very loyal clientele that come back and come back and come back. One fellow who went sailing last year said see you next year and I thought, well, he’s 94, I sure hope I’ll be here for him.”

Linda Lee is captain of the schooner Heritage.

“We start in early June and sail through late September,” she said. “The weather is a little warmer and that’s when people enjoy it the most. We designed and built the Heritage here in Rockland. She is 31 years-old and is still here in Rockland at her very own dock at the North End Ship Yard. This is the only schooner you can sail on where the owners are the captains, designers and builders of the vessel.”

Linda said the Heritage does mostly six-day sails.

“Some four-day and an occasional Sunday sail,” she said. “We love Penobscot Bay and we love to be in and around the islands in Stonington. Sailing is just a wonderful thing to do. Almost two-thirds of our business has been repeats. A man who was a about to turn 100 has been the oldest person to sail with us. His young wife, she was only 85, told us he would turn 100 in January; this was September. He was just as sharp as could be, a very smart guy. He beat everyone at Scrabble and he hadn’t played in 15 years.” 

Ray and Ann Williamson own and operate the Grace Bailey, Mercantile and the Mistress out of Camden Harbor.

“Our first trip will be this weekend on the Mistress and is a weekend cruise with six people,” he said. “Maybe my favorite place to sail is the place I haven’t been to yet.”

Williamson will operate the Pinky schooner Summertime out of Lincolnville this summer, offering day sails.

“I don’t think we’ll see a lot business up that way until mid-June, so I think it will be a slow start,” he said. “Overall the season is shaping up to be a little better than it has been the last few years. Things are looking good. There are quit a few repeat passengers. Some come every year and some come every 10 years.”

Linda Campbell and Connie Pound, both of Rockport, and Pam Tibbetts, of Camden, took the time Wednesday to view the exhibit and tour the museum.

Tibbetts worked on the Adventure right after she graduated high school in 1966.  The Adventure was owned at that time by Capt. Jim Sharp and Tibbetts worked for two years on the boat.

“I did it because I lived in Lincolnville and my mother did not have a driver’s license,” said Tibbetts. “I lived on the boat and had room and board and it was a wonderful, wonderful experience. Capt. Sharp was a wonderful captain to work for. I’m his Pammy. I’m in his book.”

Tibbetts said all the sails back then were week-long cruises.

“There were no options; they were all week long sails,” she said. “There were no weekend options or short trips. Everybody got full big meals. The captain’s wife and I were they only galley people and there were three crew members and Jim. I always said Bucks Harbor was my favorite place on the bay, but I’ve gone back since and all I can say is unfortunately it has changed.” 

Dot Black is widow of the founder Ken Black, and she acts as the museum’s volunteer director.

“It’s about saving artifacts. I especially enjoy having school groups come in,” she said. “We have a lot of those. Ken saved all these artifacts so that we can remember what lighthouses are all about. The lighthouses saved a lot of lives and now we’re try to save them by preserving it here at the museum.”

Dot said the kids love all the lens and the fog horns.

“We have a treasure hunt now, too, and the kids especially love that and looking for things. This exhibit will be up all summer. We have Coast Guard models that will be opening up on Memorial Day weekend and we have a concert on May 24, with Neptune’s Car. Neptune’s Car is a group that plays for lighthouses. Bob Pratt put the current exhibition together for the museum to let people see what the schooner used to do and what they do now. We have some of the schooner’s cookbooks for sale and there’s a sailmaker’s bench, lots of pictures and a video presentation.”

The Maine Lighthouse Museum is home to the largest collection of lighthouse and U.S, Coast Guard artifacts in the nation. You can help support the museum by pledging a donation.

The museum’s mission is to educate the public in the long standing traditions and progress of America’s lighthouses and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Maine Lighthouse Museum  is open seven days a week 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.