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P H O T O G R A P H Y
screaming. Every vacation since I took up this hobby was planned
around photography (well, except for the obligatory Disney World
thing when the kids were little). So in 2003 when my wife, Melanie,
declared we were going on a 20th wedding anniversary trip and that
she was planning it, I braced myself.
Now it's nothing against my wife's tastes (obviously), but her ideal
vacation involves B&B's and meeting new and interesting people.
Mine includes mountains, national parks, a camera bag and as few
people as possible. People -- interesting or not -- tend to get in the
way of my photos. I've been known to wait for an hour for some
&*#$! tourist to move. Talking to them is not high on the priority list.
Like I said, I knew I was in trouble, but what Melanie came up with
shocked even me. We were going on a windjammer cruise, captives
on a 95' long, 24' wide wooden ship with 30 or so strangers for a
week. And to put a finishing touch on it, the guests coil lines, hoist
sails and help the crew run the ship. Oh boy. The B&B from hell.
Melanie had even selected the ship on which we would sail -- The
Schooner Heritage out of Rockland, Maine. Her decision process?
Captains Doug & Linda Lee had built the ship themselves in the
early '80's with passenger comfort in mind (so far, so good), and
because Captain Doug "looked like a sea captain". That's Doug on
the left. I guess he does.
Rockland was a peaceful (the kids weren't along) ten-hour drive
from Virginia. The only hiccup was a $400 stop at the LL Bean
flagship store in Freeport. We pulled into the harbor area an hour
before boarding and met Doug and Linda, the crew and some of the
other guests. We soon learned that the majority of passengers had
sailed with Doug and Linda more than once. A few had sailed
twenty or more times on The Heritage! That, I figured, was a good
sign. It turned out that I was right.
Now Doug and Linda will be the first ones to tell you that they are
really in the hospitality business. They and their crew entertain,
educate, sail, improvise and make even the most reluctant
passenger (like me) feel at home. And this ship is, after all, their
home, from design to launch. I mean, how many of us will ever take
on a life's project like designing, building, financing and sailing a
165 ton two-masted wooden schooner? When you look at The
Heritage from that perspective it boggles the mind.
We slept on board that first night and cast off early the next
morning. Melanie had selected Wooden Boat Sail-In week, when all
the schooners in the Maine fleet informally meet at Eggemoggin
Reach at the Wooden Boat Magazine's school and waterfront area.
You can spend some time on shore there, listening to reggae music,
seeing the ship-building school and tossing back a few brews. It
turned out to be a great time to take a windjammer cruise. Early
September provides crisp weather and good winds, and the sight of
a single two-masted schooner under sail is awesome. Seeing the
entire Maine fleet under sail is like a trip back in time. It's
breathtaking.
Clearing the harbor next morning we hoisted sail for the first time.
Most of the passengers jumped to the lines. That wasn't so bad.
Then Linda asked me to coil it. Apparently I am coiling impaired,
because a veteran passenger (well into her Medicare years) had to
uncoil my pathetic pile of rope and perform a down east version of a
do-over. Who knew that there is a target diameter and required
coiling direction? Still, feeling The Heritage surge under the main
sail was a thrill. Even for a newly indentured servant like me.
The itinerary -- other than the mid-week rendezvous -- was wide
open and largely dependent upon the winds. There were several
lighthouse lovers on board, Melanie first and foremost, and Doug
went out of his way to take us past as many Maine lights as
possible. Mark Island Light (also known as Deer Island Thorofare
Light) was the most picturesque in my opinion. Other standouts
were Bass Harbor and Bear Island Lights. All were best viewed and
photographed from aboard ship.
Doug and Linda even surprised us one day by venturing out
beyond the protected waters of the bay and into the open Atlantic,
past Mount Desert Rock Light. I'm talking about ten knots, plunging
bow and saltwater spray. I stored my cameras below and hung on
for the ride. What previously seemed like a big ship became a lot
smaller when we lost sight of land and the ocean became our only
point of reference. It was the highlight of the week for me.
Another highlight was the lobster bake on the shore of a deserted,
picturesque island. There was more good food than we could eat.
Envision saying "no thanks" when you're offered a second or third
lobster and you'll get the idea. The lobster stew we had for lunch
the next day took care of the leftovers in grand style.
Each night we anchored in a different place, usually a protected
cove or inlet. Each day we sailed past new islands or sections of
coastline. We ate really well -- lunch on deck, breakfast and dinner
in the galley. Chowders, steaks, pastas, pancakes, eggs, we had
plenty of it. Doug's dinnertime stories and jokes are legendary and
worth the trip alone. Sunset was celebrated with The Heritage's little
brass canon, which I swear can be heard five miles away and will
leave your ears ringing. Sunrise arrives a bit more quietly. I didn't
miss a single one.
As a photographer, I never had to worry about planning the next
day's itinerary. I went where Doug and Linda took us and watched
the ever-changing scenery. No burden of location planning, no
maps to follow. Lighthouses, lobster boats, two and three-masted
schooners, whales and bald eagles -- all were available at a
moment's notice. I kept my camera bag nearby throughout the trip.
Every photo I took on board ship was hand held. Don't bother even
bringing a tripod along. A ship is constantly in motion, even while at
anchor, and short exposures and open apertures are the norm.
I found zoom lenses to be particularly useful since the distance
between me and the subject constantly changed. I suggest at least
one telephoto lens (up to 200mm or higher) for distant subjects, but
even shorter lenses get plenty of use.
Protect your equipment well. Remember that you will be sailing on
salt water and a fine spray can develop on your camera and lens.
Wipe your equipment down frequently and stow it below deck when
necessary. A UV filter will protect your lens and also help reduce
the haze at sea. I also highly recommend a polarizing filter to cut
the glare and deepen the blues of the ocean and sky. Remember
too that the horizon at sea is an unforgiving horizontal line. Take
care to keep it level in your viewfinder. Even with great care, I had
to straighten the occasional image in Photoshop.
If you are shooting digital, be aware that there is no shipboard
access to 120V electricity. Bring along enough batteries, memory
cards or a battery powered back up device to last the week. There
were a couple stops on shore during the week when I was able to do
a quick battery recharge. Shop keepers seemed more than happy
to allow me to plug in. I always made it a point to ask first, and I
always bought a little something in return for the kindness.
The great part about a windjammer cruise is that every trip has a
new destination subject to the vagaries of the prevailing winds and
the season. It's not a been-there-done-that vacation, nor is it for
the deck-chair-and-marguerita crowd. That's why some of our
new-found friends take annual trips. Each one is a unique
experience, a chance to see new sights and meet new people. And
make no mistake, it's ultimately the people that make these trips so
enjoyable. That's why they keep sailing with Doug and Linda Lee
on The Heritage.
at Anchor
Below-Deck Diagram
Schooner
with Captain Doug
(photo by Melanie)
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