PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Tips to Help
Plan Your Trip to the Coast of Maine
Packing Tips
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soft-sided luggage
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comfort clothes
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barebone essential items
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adult beverage of choice
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and a sense of adventure
Windjamming is all about ease, simplicity, and leaving all your cares behind. There is no room for extra clutter. Storage space is limited so bringing just the essentials is key. Let the wind and sun be your hairdryer, no need for fancy wear - it's time for comfort and relaxation. Each cabin has an outlet for charging cell phones and CPAP machines. No need for any other appliances as electricity is provided thru a battery bank. Your bed will be made upon your arrival with towels provided. Delicious meals made from hands and heart will be delicately crafted and served, with the exception of dinner on boarding night. Bring your favorite adult beverage of choice to enjoy with a sunset. The ice chest will be waiting. Let us take care of the itinerary. Travel lightly, carefree, and allow yourself the time to just relax and enjoy your time on Mary Day.
Click the button above for a list of suggested items.
Simplicity is the way of life
onboard a windjammer.
Travel Tips
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Boston, MA to Camden, ME - 4 hrs
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Portland, ME to Camden, ME - 2 hrs
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Bangor, ME to Camden, ME - 2 hrs
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Manchester, NH to Camden, ME - 3 hrs
When planning your travel arrangements, be sure to factor in summer traffic in Maine. Boarding starts at 4pm and guests trickle in all evening long. No need to rush as the first night is spent at the dock. Take time to enjoy the travels to Maine and explore Camden. Free parking is available. Mary Day returns to the dock on the last day of each trip by 11am, again allowing you travel time to leisurely return home. Don't rush away all the work you just put in to relax while on your windjammer trip. Re-enter the world when you're ready. Be sure to factor in time to travel to the airports on your return trip.
Click on Getting to Maine for detailed info on airports, shuttles, and rental cars.
Live life with no excuses,
travel with no regrets.
Places to Stay
Extend your stay in the Mid-Coast area as there is so much to see and do!
By staying at one of our favorite Inns, you'll benefit by having a built-in tour guide from recommending restaurants to sunset spots to hiking trails. For those who shy away from the impersonal nature of hotel rooms, the Inns are exactly what you need with innkeepers providing the perfect personalized experience. And of course, each day will be started with a homecooked breakfast. What a great way to add on to your Mary Day experience.
Inns:
Hotels:
For other local resources:
A journey is best measured in friends, rather than in miles.
Local Attractions & Places to Dine
Mid-Coast Maine has much to offer! Be sure to check out our guide, Beyond the Beaten Path. filled with our favorite things to do in the Mid-Coast area. For events and local attractions, check out the PenBay Chamber of Commerce guide.
There is no time to be bored
in a place as beautiful
as the Maine coast.
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Will I get seasick?There is relatively little likelihood that you will experience seasickness. Mary Day is a big schooner steadied by the wind in the sails. The boat will heel when there is wind in the sails but she stays at a fairly constant angle of incline and even that doesn’t exceed 15 degrees or so. Because we sail inside the islands that make Penobscot Bay so interesting there are no ocean swells. That said, if you are one of those people who get seasick looking at a picture of a boat, this is probably not the vacation for you. If you sometimes get motion sickness in a car that is probably a sign that you will want to bring your favorite motion sickness remedy. Take that remedy an hour before we leave the dock so it has time to kick in. During our Nature and Photography Cruise at the end of June we head out to the offshore to see pelagic birds including Atlantic puffins. Out beyond the islands you will experience ocean swells. Check with your family doctor to see what remedy works best for you. A couple tips if you’re concerned: 1) take your remedy before we get underway for the day 2) don’t spend time below decks where you can’t see the horizon, 3) Take a turn at the wheel where your attention will be focused on steering.
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What if I don’t know how to sail?You’re not alone. Neither does the captain…. just kidding…. kinda, sorta. You don’t need to be a hardened salt to enjoy sailing along the Maine coast. We have a professional crew who are more than willing to teach you how to participate safely. Take a turn at the wheel, haul on lines, learn about charts and navigation, learn how the sails on a boat actually make it move. Every boat is different so even if you are a hardened salt we might well do things differently than other boats you have been aboard. Each season we also have a sail training cruise where you get to be a part of the crew. We’ll touch on a whole bunch of topics during the course of our sailing and seamanship course, all of which give you a great introduction into being crew aboard a large sailing vessel.
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What if I don’t know anybody?That is fine. Most guests don’t know each other when they climb aboard. The magic of a windjammer cruise is getting to know people from all over the place. Because we strictly forbid talking about politics, religion and professional sports, we tend to find we have more things in common than we thought. We are constantly amazed at how quickly people get to know each other. We have had several couples who met aboard Mary Day many years ago, fell in love and were married. Not during the cruise, mind you. While the captain can perform weddings at sea, unless you have the official paperwork before you come aboard, any last second weddings are good only for the duration of the voyage.
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Are young children allowed to sail on Mary Day?We love kids! We even had two of our own. But the “excitement” of sailing doesn’t always engage a young sailor’s mind. That is why we have an age limit for young ‘uns under 15. We know, yours are different. We have met some 15-year-olds who are more mature than some 50-year-olds. Call us, before you reserve, if you have any questions.