Portland Schooner Company: View the Coast from a Classic Sailing Ship
When Scott Reischmann and Twain Braden went to the Maine Boat Show in March 2002, they were only looking for plans to build a recreation dory to cruise the Casco Bay. But an idea for the Portland Schooner Company was born when Reischmann picked up a copy of Wooden Boat magazine and saw the 48-passenger classic schooner Bagheera for sale in San Francisco. Two short trips to the West Coast to ship the masts and hull of the schooner to Maryland, and a brief voyage up the East Coast to Portland soon saw the birth of the Portland Schooner Company.
The Bagheera, purchased by Reischmann and Braden in 2002 is an 80-year-old classic wooden vessel originally constructed in East Boothbay, Maine, under the auspices of yacht designer John Alden. Completed and launched in 1924, the two-masted schooner sailed in the Bermuda Race at least once before it was transported to the Great Lakes, where it won still more races. After that, the Bagheera traveled across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Caribbean in its 80-year history before docking in San Diego, where it was outfitted for the passenger trade. The company that purchased the vessel made few changes to the interior of the ship, and so unlike its sister ship, Wendameen, the Bagheera can't be used for overnight trips.
The Wendameen, the second Portland Schooner Company windjammer, is an 88-foot vessel designed by Alden in 1912. Unlike the Bagheera, which was passed down through generations, the Wendameen sat dormant from the 1930s until being restored in the early 1990s; it was during this period that passenger berths were added for overnight voyages. Both schooners are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and both are registered for 48 passengers, with the Wendameen having an additional certification for 14 overnight travellers.
Both the Bagheera and Wendameen take passengers out on two-hour cruises of the Maine coast between Memorial Day and October; however only the Wendameen takes up to 14 guests on overnight voyages to one of the numerous islands in the Casco Bay for a dinner by starlight and a hot breakfast the next morning. Guests on the overnight voyages are invited to help sail the Wendameen or sit back and enjoy the passage on the classic wooden windjammer.
No matter your choice, a trip on Wendameen or Bagheera is a trip back into the past.
HelloPortlandMaine Tip: Don’t neglect special events like Sails & Tails, a trip on one of the company’s schooners coupled with a traditional island lobster bake. The cost is $120 per person, but it’s well worth the price.
Posted on May 3, 2011 by Matt Delman
