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Camden · Boothbay Harbor · Bar Harbor · Portland
Maine Schooner Cruise
Two hours under sail on a wooden schooner from a Maine harbor, from May to October. The 2026 season is over; most boats have their 2027 dates on the booking calendars, and Appledore II's Camden day sails start on 10 June 2027.
- 4.8 / 5 225+ Reviews
- 2 hours Duration
- 2 hours Under sail from the harbor
- 49 guests At most on Appledore II
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What a Day Sail on Appledore II Covers
Two hours on a 49-passenger schooner out of Camden Harbor and into Penobscot Bay.
Highlights
- Sail past local Camden and Penobscot Bay landmarks
- Take part in hoisting the sails and a turn at the wheel
- Enjoy cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks available to purchase
What's Included
- Sailing trip aboard a historic schooner
- Blankets
- Cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks (available for purchase)
Good to know: Full selection of adult beverages are available for purchase aboard · Bring your hat, sunglasses, and a camera · Restrooms are available on board · Boarding starts 30 minutes before departure · Please bring a valid government-issued photo ID · Not Included: Gratuities
How a Camden Day Sail Works
Book a time, check in at the public landing, and help with the sails if you want to.
Pick a Time
Appledore II's day sails leave Camden at set times through the day, and a sunset sail goes out in the evening. The 2027 calendar has day sails from 10 June to 11 October 2027.
Check In at the Public Landing
The schooner boards at Bayview Landing, 18 Bayview Street, behind the restaurant and hotel on Camden's public landing. Boarding starts 30 minutes before the sail; bring a photo ID.
Out past Curtis Island Light
The crew motors out of the inner harbor, raises the sails and heads past Curtis Island Light into Penobscot Bay. Guests can help haul on the halyards or take a turn at the wheel.
Back at the Landing in Two Hours
The sail lasts two hours and ends where it began, in the middle of Camden. Drinks are sold on board, and there are blankets for the breeze.
Photo Gallery
Appledore II under Sail
Photos from the Camden day-sail listing: the schooner, her decks and Camden Harbor.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
By Harbor
Schooner Sails by Harbor
Each harbor has its own boats, its own waters and its own season. These pages cover each one, and the multi-day windjammers.
Prices are each page's featured tour, checked October 2026. Listing prices are per person, adult fare.
Four Maine Schooner Day Sails Compared
Each one is about two hours under sail from the middle of a harbor town. Prices from the listings, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Appledore II, Camden | Surprise, Camden | Eastwind, Boothbay Harbor | Margaret Todd, Bar Harbor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From $65 per person (checked October 2026) | From $73 per person (checked October 2026) | From $60 per person (checked October 2026) | From $70 per person (checked October 2026) |
| Time | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| The Boat | 86-foot two-masted schooner, launched 1978 | 57-foot topsail schooner, built 1918 | Two-masted schooner with an open deck | Four-masted schooner |
| Guests | 49 at most | 18 at most | Not stated by the operator | Not stated by the operator |
| Drinks | Cash bar on board | Bring your own beer and wine | Licensed bar; no alcohol of your own | Beer and wine sold on afternoon and sunset trips |
| Board At | Bayview Landing, Camden | The public landing, Camden | Pier Six, Boothbay Harbor | Bar Harbor Inn Pier |
| Best For | A first schooner sail, with room to walk the deck | A small group, a picnic and an old boat | Lighthouses and lobster boats | Visitors to Acadia, and dogs on a leash |
| See 2027 dates | See the Surprise sails | See the Boothbay sail | See the Bar Harbor sail |
Other Harbors
More Schooner Sails on the Maine Coast
Boothbay Harbor's two schooners, Bar Harbor's four-master on Frenchman Bay, Casco Bay out of Portland, and the smaller Surprise in Camden.
CAMDEN AT SUNSETCamden Sunset Sail on the Schooner Appledore II
Schooner Appledore's two-hour sunset sail from Bayview Landing in Camden on Appledore II, past Curtis Island Light into Penobscot Bay as the sun goes down behind Mount Battie. Drinks are sold on board, and guests can help with the sails or take the wheel.
18 GUESTS, BUILT 1918Camden Day and Sunset Sails on the Schooner Surprise
Schooner Surprise's two-hour sails from the public landing in Camden on Surprise, a schooner more than 100 years old that carries at most 18 passengers on cushioned seats: day sails, sunset sails and, on some dates, live-music and birding sails. The crew points out wildlife and landmarks such as Curtis Island Light; guests may bring a picnic and a bottle of wine, and blankets and binoculars are on board.
BOOTHBAY HARBORBoothbay Harbor Day Sail on the Schooner Eastwind
Boothbay Sailing's two-hour day sail on the schooner Eastwind from Boothbay Harbor's waterfront: an open deck with views all round, past lighthouses, lobster boats and islands only reached by water. Non-alcoholic drinks and snacks can be brought on board.
BOOTHBAY AT SUNSETBoothbay Harbor Sunset Sail on the Schooner Applejack
Boothbay Sailing's two-hour sunset sail on Applejack, Boothbay Harbor's oldest windjammer, past Burnt Island Light, Squirrel Island and Ram Island Light. Guests can help hoist the sails or take a turn at the wheel.
FOUR-MASTER, BAR HARBORBar Harbor Windjammer Sail on Frenchman Bay
Downeast Windjammer Cruises' two-hour sail on Frenchman Bay from the Bar Harbor Inn Pier, with narration on the bay's history and geography and a lookout for eagles, seals and porpoises. Wine, beer and soft drinks are sold on the afternoon and sunset trips, and the sunset trips carry a live musician.
PORTLAND, BRING A PICNICPortland Sunset Sail on Casco Bay with Portland Schooner Co.
Portland Schooner Co.'s two-hour sunset sail on Casco Bay on one of its wooden schooners, all built in Maine, past lighthouses, seals and seabirds. Guests bring their own picnic and wine or beer, and can help hoist the sails.
The Guide
A Maine Schooner Cruise, Harbor by Harbor
Which schooner sails from where, what it costs, the months they sail, and where you board.
A Maine schooner cruise, for most visitors, is a two-hour day sail on a traditional wooden schooner out of a coastal harbor: you board in the middle of town, the crew raises the sails once the boat is clear of the moorings, and you can help haul a line or take the wheel. Four harbors run them for the public: Camden on Penobscot Bay, Boothbay Harbor, Bar Harbor on Frenchman Bay and Portland on Casco Bay. The season runs from mid-May to mid-October. The 2026 season is over, and nothing sails from November to April; most of the boats have their 2027 dates on the booking calendars (read October 2026).
The short answer
For one sail, take Appledore II’s day sail from Camden. She is an 86-foot two-masted wooden schooner, launched in 1978 by the Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine, for a voyage around the world; she spends her summers in Camden and her winters in Key West. She carries at most 49 passengers on wide decks, leaves from Bayview Landing in the middle of Camden, and sails past Curtis Island Light into Penobscot Bay. The sail costs from $65 a person on GetYourGuide, with 225 reviews (checked October 2026). Schooner Appledore’s own site prints $59.95 for adults and $39.95 for ages 6 to 11, with no year on the page (checked October 2026).
See 2027 dates for the Camden day sail
Two things to know before you book. The 2027 booking calendar has day sails from 10 June to 11 October (read October 2026), while Schooner Appledore’s own site gives the season as June 15 to October 11. And the cancellation terms differ by where you book: the GetYourGuide listing refunds in full up to 24 hours before, while a booking made with Schooner Appledore directly is forfeited inside 48 hours unless you buy its Trip Protection.
Pick the sail
Camden Day Sail on the Schooner Appledore II
Appledore II, an 86-foot schooner that has sailed around the world: two hours from Bayview Landing past Curtis Island Light, with a cash bar on board and room for 49.
See 2027 dates →Camden Day and Sunset Sails on the Schooner Surprise
Surprise, a 57-foot topsail schooner built in 1918 and on the National Register: day, sunset and live-music sails from Camden's public landing. Bring your own beer, wine and picnic.
See the Surprise sails →Boothbay Harbor Day Sail on the Schooner Eastwind
Eastwind out of Boothbay Harbor past Burnt Island Light, Squirrel Island and Ram Island Light, with lobster boats at work. A licensed bar; no alcohol of your own.
See the Boothbay sail →Bar Harbor Windjammer Sail on Frenchman Bay
The four-masted Margaret Todd on Frenchman Bay from the Bar Harbor Inn Pier, with narration, and a folk musician on the sunset trips. Dogs on a leash are welcome.
See the Bar Harbor sail →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (checked October 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Where the schooners sail from
| Harbor | Schooner | Board at | Drinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden | Appledore II day sail | Bayview Landing, 18 Bayview Street | Cash bar on board |
| Camden | Surprise | The green umbrella at the public landing | Bring your own beer and wine |
| Boothbay Harbor | Eastwind day sail | Pier Six, 20 Commercial Street | Licensed bar; no alcohol of your own |
| Bar Harbor | Margaret Todd | Bar Harbor Inn Pier, 1 Newport Drive | Beer and wine sold on the afternoon and sunset trips; no alcohol of your own |
| Portland | Portland Schooner Co. sunset sail | The dock house on the Maine State Pier | Bring your own beer and wine |
Boarding points and drinks rules from each operator’s own website, checked October 2026.
Every one of these sails lasts about two hours and comes back to the dock it left from, so a sail fits round lunch or dinner in town. The harbor pages have the walk to the dock, parking and what each boat passes on the way out.
When the season runs
The schooners sail from mid-May to mid-October, and nothing sails from November to April; Appledore II spends the winter in Key West. The opening date differs by boat:
| Schooner | 2027 dates on the booking calendar | The operator’s own season |
|---|---|---|
| Surprise, Camden | 10 May to 17 October | “7 days a week from mid-May to mid-October” |
| Margaret Todd, Bar Harbor | 14 May to 11 October | “Mid May through October (weather permitting)” |
| Eastwind, Boothbay Harbor | 28 May to 11 October | “Late May to early October” |
| Appledore II, Camden | 10 June to 11 October | June 15 to October 11 |
| Portland Schooner Co., Portland | Not on sale yet | May to October, starting in the first or second week of May |
Calendar dates from the Viator and GetYourGuide booking calendars, read October 2026; operators’ seasons from their own websites, which print no year. Dates the boat has not loaded may still be added.
July and August are the warmest months; September is crisp and clear, and the light goes earlier: by mid-September the sunset sails leave before 5 pm. The schooner season guide goes month by month, and the sunset sails guide has the evening departure times.
Day sail or windjammer cruise
“Windjammer” in Maine also means something bigger: a multi-day windjammer cruise, three nights to a week on one of nine traditional schooners out of Camden and Rockland, sleeping aboard, with every meal cooked on board and an island lobster bake. None of those trips is sold on GetYourGuide or Viator; you book them with each ship. The windjammer cruises guide covers the fleet, the 2027 schedule and the prices printed by the Maine Windjammer Association.
Who should pick something else
- Sailing at sunset: every harbor has an evening sail; in Camden, Appledore II’s sunset sail includes cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables. The sunset sails guide compares them.
- Want the smallest boat: Surprise in Camden takes 18 guests at most. The Camden guide sets her beside Appledore II.
- Staying near Acadia: sail from Bar Harbor on the Margaret Todd rather than drive to Camden; the Bar Harbor guide has the trips and the dock.
- Staying in Portland: a Casco Bay sail leaves from the downtown waterfront, and you can bring your own picnic and wine; see the Portland guide.
- Want to watch the whole fleet: the Camden Windjammer Festival, Boothbay Harbor’s Windjammer Days and the Great Schooner Race put the big schooners in one place.
Two Hours under Sail out of Camden
Schooner Appledore's day sail on Appledore II from the public landing in Camden, past Curtis Island Light into Penobscot Bay. Help with the sails or take the wheel. Starting from $65 per person.
See 2027 datesOther Sails with 2027 Dates
More Maine Sailing Trips with Open Dates
Schooners, windjammers and lighthouse cruises on the Maine coast, with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Maine Schooner Cruises: Questions
Prices, the season, what to wear and how the day sails differ from the windjammer cruises.
A two-hour day sail costs about $60 to $80 an adult on the booking listings. Appledore II's day sail from Camden is from $65 on GetYourGuide, Surprise from $73 and the Margaret Todd in Bar Harbor from $70 on Viator (checked October 2026). The operators' own sites print adult fares from $45 (the Margaret Todd's morning sail) to $77 (Portland's sunset sail), without a year on the page (checked October 2026). Sunset sails cost a few dollars more. A multi-day windjammer cruise is a different purchase: from $875 a person for the whole trip, with meals and a cabin.
No. The schooners sail from mid-May to mid-October, and nothing sails from November to April. The 2026 season ended in October. Most boats have their 2027 dates on the booking calendars: Surprise from 10 May, the Margaret Todd from 14 May, Eastwind and Applejack from 28 May and Appledore II from 10 June (read October 2026). Portland Schooner Co.'s 2027 dates were not on sale yet. Appledore II spends the winter sailing from Key West.
Camden has the most choice, with two day-sail schooners at one landing and the windjammer fleet in the harbor. Boothbay Harbor's sails pass three lighthouses and islands close in. Bar Harbor suits visitors to Acadia, and its schooner is a four-master. Portland suits anyone staying in the city, and you may bring your own picnic and wine. The season guide and each harbor page cover the details.
It depends on the boat. Surprise in Camden and Portland Schooner Co. welcome your own beer and wine. Appledore II runs a cash bar, Boothbay Sailing's Eastwind and Applejack have a licensed bar and do not allow alcohol you bring, and on the Margaret Todd in Bar Harbor only the beer and wine sold on board is allowed. Food and soft drinks of your own are fine on all of them.
A warm layer and a windbreaker, even in July. It is usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler on the water than in town, and the sea off Bar Harbor averages about 47 °F in May and 58 °F in August by NOAA's figures. Wear soft-soled shoes for a wooden deck, and bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Several boats carry blankets.
No. A day sail is about two hours from a harbor and back. A Maine windjammer cruise is three nights to a week aboard one of nine schooners from Camden or Rockland, sleeping in a cabin, with every meal cooked on board. Windjammer cruises are booked directly with each ship; the windjammer cruises guide covers them.
If the captain cancels for weather, you get a full refund or a new date. The schooners sail in mist, light fog and drizzle, and cancel for a downpour or unsafe conditions. If you cancel yourself, the terms differ: the GetYourGuide and Viator listings on this site refund in full up to 24 hours before, while some operators' direct terms are stricter (48 hours at Schooner Appledore and Boothbay Sailing, a week at Surprise, and no refunds at Portland Schooner Co.).
Still have questions? Email us at info@maineschoonercruise.com