Tall ships – the sailing ships of the 1800s – originally plied the seven seas in order to transport cargo. Now these tall-masted ships take travelers instead of cargo on adventures where they experience a time when tall ships were the kings of the sea.
The Coast of Maine
One of the best places to be aboard one of these windjammers is off the coast of Maine. Over 3,000 wild and unspoiled islands dot the coast of Maine. Take one of the Maine windjammer cruises off the coast of Maine and you'll sail in what's considered to be one of the most beautiful sailing destinations in the world.
Most windjammers sail without any inboard bower, just like they did a hundred years ago. The wind and the canvas provide the propulsion, so every sailing adventure is unique.
Several Maine windjammer cruises companies will take you off the beaten path to these places where big ships just cannot go.
Wildlife Adventures and More
If you're looking for a wildlife adventure these tall ship cruises will take you where you want to go. Get ready to see seals, porpoises, seabirds, whales and bald eagles on these cruises that embody the golden age of sailing off the coast of Maine.
On Maine windjammer cruises you'll enjoy delicious home cooked meals that are prepared on wood burning stoves. Nothing beats fresh-baked bread, fresh greens and some hot chowder after a sail to – and a relaxing walk on – a deserted beach.
History of Windjammers
Windjammers of the past were enormous. These schooners boasted three, four, or five gigantic masts and square sails. These ships could dislodge many thousands tons of water. In the 19th century no other cargo sailing ships were bigger than the windjammers.
During the second half of the 1900s, numerous time-honored schooners with wooden hulls were constructed in the Northeastern U.S., for the windjammers industry. Instead of transporting products such as wood, fish, and oysters, windjammers now host travelers who want to experience traveling like it was when sailing ships were the kings of the sea.
For the romantic adventure of a lifetime and a brief step into the past you owe it to yourself to enjoy one of the Maine windjammer cruises.
They're affordable and fun sailing adventures that will give you a boatload of pleasant memories that you'll be talking about for a long, long time to come.
By Steve Schulman
TheGreatestDreamVacations.com