KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE

KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE 

On the occasion of our 75th Anniversary as a company, Capt Williamson wrote this 172 page, 11 X 14 hard cover book chronicling the history of Maine Windjammer Cruises. Filled with over 100 full page images, ranging from the days of cargo to the present, it illustrates the remarkable past of the company that started the windjammer industry.

“The story that has emerged over the past five months, covering 75 years of operation of the same business under four different owners, is an interesting one, and is told in the pages and pictures that follow. But perhaps its most striking aspect is how little Maine Windjammer Cruises has changed in its fundamentals. Yes, the times have changed immensely, and the lives of the people who sign aboard for a cruise bear little resemblance to the lifestyles of the past—one need only look at photographs of Camden harbor from 1940 and from today to see clear evidence of both of those changes. And, yes, the amenities provided aboard the schooners are better: electric lights instead of kerosene lanterns, lifelines to protect you from falling overboard, fewer dormitory-style cabins. But the schooners and what they offer would seem entirely familiar to time-travelers from 1940. They would come aboard, perhaps even to the same vessel that they sailed on seven decades ago. There they would find similar accommodations and friendly crews to welcome them, enjoy the same relaxing atmosphere, eat well and sumptuously—the food prepared over the same wood-burning galley stoves  -- make new friends.”                                    from the Introduction by Rod Swift