BEST OF 2013: The Maine Windjammer Project

The Maine Windjammer Project was created to preserve a photographic record of the golden age of the Maine windjammer for the generations to come.

The golden age of sail is long gone, but, on the coast of Maine the golden age of the Maine windjammer is at its height. Imagine if you could know ahead of time the important moments of history and be there to photograph that moment. So many historic moments have gone by unrecognized by those present and only later realized the significance of that very moment.

There was a time when sail was king on the coast of Maine. The lime trade, granite & marble, lumber from virgin forests, ice and the fishing trades all employed sailing craft to move their products. The lime trade alone employed over 200 two masted schooners in Rockland and the surrounding coastal Maine towns.

Steam powered vessels were making some of the longer trans-Atlantic runs and the passenger trade up and down the coast. However, for coastal trade and the hundreds of islands located just off the coast of Maine sail is still king.

On any given day, the coastal waters would be filled with these two masted schooners delivering cargo to and from all the coastal towns. They are the lifeline for those living on the islands, delivering everything from lumber to butter and even your grandfather’s new Sunday suit.
Today only a handful of the sailing vessels remain. Many of them were simply used until they were worn out and replaced by a new one. During the Great Depression, thousands of these boats were just abandoned where they stood and left to rot.

There is, however a place where during the summer and fall you can still see these historic vessels sailing the clear blue waters the Atlantic much the way they have for the past 200 years. Penobscot Bay is located on the coast of Maine and on any given day in the summer you may be able to see as many as 15 or more of these proud sailing vessels, known as windjammers. Many of these boats have been sailing for over 100 years! They are truly living history.

The Maine Windjammer Project started in 2007. It is an ongoing project to document the modern history of the historic windjammers on the coast of Maine. Many of these boats are over 100 years old two are over 142 years, launched in 1871. This unique photographic history covers from 2007 to the present, sailing, haul out and the special events, such as The Great Schooner Race 2010 to present.

This extensive archive is available to maritime and American history museums and those doing research on these last surviving boats.

The Maine Windjammer Project: www.mainewindjammerproject.com

For additional information contact Doug Mills at: dougmills@shootmainestudios.com

BEST OF 2013: USS Constitution Fires A 17-gun Salute

BOSTON (June 4, 2013) USS Constitution fires a 17-gun salute during the ship's first turnaround cruise of 2013. The underway commemorated the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Midway and recognized first responders of the Boston Marathon bombings. More than 300 first responders representing the Boston and state police, medical personnel and the Boston Fire Department were invited to participate in the underway commemoration. (U.S. Navy photo by Sonar Technician (Submarine) 2nd Class Thomas Rooney/Released)

BEST OF 2013: Hauling The Nathaniel Bowditch Silent Short No. 4

Early morning haul out of the historic schooner Nathaniel Bowditch at the North End Shipyard in Rockland Maine. May 3rd, 2013.

BEST OF 2013: Schooner Timberwind Haul Out Silent Short No7

Silent Movie of the Portland pilot schooner Timberwind haul out at North End Shipyard in Rockland Maine.

BEST OF 2013: Nathaniel Bowditch Relaunch Silent Short No.6

Silent movie of The Nathaniel Bowditch built as a racing yacht in 1922 in East Boothbay, Maine. The 82' schooner won special class honors in the Bermuda Race in 1923, and served in the Coast Guard during World War II. She was rebuilt for the windjamming trade in the early 1970's.

BEST OF 2013: Aldermere Farm and The Belted Galloway

Belties

Ask any local in Rockport or Camden where the "Belties" are, and they’ll point you to Aldermere Farm, long one of the area’s popular attractions, especially for kids longing for a look at the famous black and white colored "Oreo cookie" cows. But the Belted Galloways grazing in Aldermere’s green pastures aren’t just for decoration. Aldermere Belties are known to breeders around the world as some of the finest stock anywhere.

Bred primarily for beef, Belties originated in the mountains of Southwest Scotland--an area once called the province of Galloway. In this cold, damp, and rugged country, the Galloways bred by the Scots became an exceptionally hardy breed, adapting to the severe conditions. In winter they grow a shaggy overcoat which, in combination with the soft short undercoat, protects them from the cold and damp. Unlike many other breeds, the Belties were able to forage for themselves on the range during the winter. Their development under these conditions made the breed highly resistant to disease and genetic problems.

In 1953 the Aldermere herd of Belted Galloways was established when Mr. Chatfield purchased a bull and six cows from Harry Prock of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chatfield subsequently brought more stock to the farm from Scotland. Between 1955 and 1972, he imported Lullenden Irene and Lullenden Arigusta from the Ian Hamilton herd, along with the bull Mochrum Orion which replaced first herd sire Aldermere Hapwood Dandie. In 1960 Burnside Great Scot, Supreme Belted Galloway in Scotland, was imported. In 1966 he bought two heifers from the Whittingehame herd at East Lothian, noting that the dam which produced these heifers, Whittingehame Serena Neilson, was the largest Beltie cow he had ever seen, weighing 1600 lbs.

Over the years the Chatfields and long-time Farm Manager Dwight Howard worked together to develop one of the premier herds of Belted Galloways in the world. In fairs around the country, Aldermere cattle have been awarded the highest level of recognition of any farm over the last 30 years. Today the Aldermere herd is the oldest continually-operated herd of Belted Galloway cattle in the United States today. Numbers generally range from 75 (winter) to 100 (summer) head.


Aldermere Farm, a landmark of midcoast Maine, is one of the world’s premier breeders of Belted Galloway cattle. The 136-acre farm is owned and managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land conservation organization dedicated to protecting the scenic beauty, outdoor recreational opportunities, ecological diversity, and working landscapes of the Maine coast. The Trust maintains Aldermere as a working farm and educational center, helping visitors deepen their appreciation for land conservation and sustainable agriculture.

Nestled on the western shore of Penobscot Bay in Rockport, Maine, Aldermere Farm has been an area landmark for generations. Maine Coast Heritage Trust owns and manages this working 136-acre farm thanks to a generous bequest made by the late Albert H. Chatfield, Jr. Aldermere supports a world-renowned herd of Belted Galloway cattle and is permanently protected by conservation easements. MCHT is currently developing long-term stewardship plans.

Aldermere Farm is a traditional New England saltwater farm, with rugged fields, weathered stone walls, a rocky shoreline, and simple yet elegant structures. The farm’s 136 acres include fields, woods, and wetlands, as well as the buildings and grounds.

Although most people associate the farm with the Belties, Aldermere’s famous herd of Belted Galloway cattle, the farm is also a compelling example of progressive agriculture and a caring land ethic. The late Albert Chatfield, Jr. and his wife Marion restored the land with innovative conservation methods and organic agriculture. It was a lifelong task, and the farm’s splendid condition today attests eloquently to the Chatfields’ devotion to the land they dearly loved.

Aldermere’s pastoral vistas and undeveloped shoreline are a prized scenic feature of Rockport and Camden, and will remain so forever thanks to conservation easements Mr. Chatfield placed on the property. Determined to protect the farm from the relentless build-up of Maine’s coast, Mr. Chatfield worked with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to establish protective easements which legally preclude subdivision and development. Aldermere Farm shows how working farms can be an important aspect of conservation and community planning.

From http://www.aldermere.org/index.shtml

BEST OF 2013: Tall Ship Mary Day "Mary Day Spring" Video

www.mainewindjammerproject.com

Bella Thorne New iDECIDE Lead Ambassador

Washington D.C - Beautiful sixteen year old actress Bella Thorne has joined forces with The Century Council to serve as the lead ambassador for iDECIDE, a new campaign encouraging teens to focus on the importance of formulating and following individual decisions, which includes saying no to underage drinking.

The campaign starts on January 5 and was designed to evoke a stay-true-to-yourself message and empower teens to act based on their personal beliefs.

Be sure to follow @Bella_iDecide on Twitter and Instagram for campaign updates, behind-the-scenes footage and more!

BEST OF 2013: Silent Short "Hauling The Mary Day" Video

RCN America Network presents a new video feature "Silent Shorts" to lighten up your day.  Remember the days of the silent movie.

"Sunrise" The Maine Windjammer Project

"Sunrise" By Doug Mills

Sunrise at the Portland Breakwater Light better known as "Bug Light"[ 08-26-2009]

www.mainewindjammerproject.com

BEST OF 2013: Spring At North End Shipyard with Video

Spring At North End Shipyard
by Doug Mills
Mairtime Editor
RCN America Network

With the onset of spring the North End Shipyard in Rockland becomes a very busy place.  Unlike most of the shipyards in the world, this shipyard was created for the care and preservation of historic wooden boats. With nearly two dozen such boats sailing Penobscot Bay this becomes very busy in April and May servicing all of these boats that require much loving care.
Today we find the Stephen Taber on the railway.  She was built in 1871, yes I said 1871.  America had just survived the Civil War and the infamous Dodge City was no more than a sod roofed trading post on the frontier when the Taber was launched.  She has sailed every one of those years and is today still paying her own way carrying passengers on the vacation of a life time, all summer long.

For more information on Stephen Taber or to book a vacation on this historic ship visit:

http://www.stephentaber.com/?utm_source=MWA&utm_medium=Fleet_Page&utm_content=Home-Page

BEST OF 2013: Pilot Schooner Timberwind "Pulling The Main"

Pilot Schooner Timberwind "Pulling The Main"
By Doug Mills
Maritime Editor
RCN America Network

It is damp and dreary as workers gather at the dock in Rockport harbor.  As with all wooden boats there is much to be done to keep these historic vessels seaworthy.  Today crews will pull the main mast on the Timberwind.  "we have a section just above the saddle that has rotted ... We will do a 12:1 scarf with fir/ epoxy lamination ... should be good as new" said Captain Bob Tassi.
It has been 81 years since she was first launched in Portland, Maine. Herbert Hoover was president, U.S. unemployment reaches 8 million. In Germany, the National Socialist Party is gaining strength under the leadership of Adolf Hitler.

Timberwind served as the Portland Pilot until 1969 when she was replaced with a new diesel powered steel hulled pilot. She was brought to Rockport and transformed for carrying passengers along the coast of Maine. This was the start of a completely new life for this hard working boat.

Much like his boat, Captain Bob Tassi started a completely new life in 1998 when he moved his family from Nashville, where he was a successful music promoter, to Maine where he took a job as a deckhand on a local schooner. He worked his way to Mate and soon to Captain. Now he is the owner of the Timberwind. He is a long way from Nashville living out his dreams on the coast of Maine.

The Timberwind sails out of Rockport, Maine carrying passengers on the vacation of their lives.

To learn more about this national treasure or to see how you can sail on the Timberwind go to: http://www.schoonertimberwind.com