Frequently Asked Questions
Prepare for your trip by reviewing our checklist of helpful information.
Scroll down or click subject
* Contraband & Discount Information
* Boarding time is between 6 and 8 p.m., on the start date of your trip.
We arrive back in Rockland before noon on the end date.
Download FAQ >
Enjoy
Meals
The Sweet Taste of Victory
When you're on vacation, good food should punctuate your day with happy reviews of your times together. When you're on Victory Chimes, expect great food, and the punctuation is all exclamation points!
From hearty breakfasts in the galley hall below, to the ability to sometimes do lunches in the light and breezes along beautiful scenery, and even alfresco dinners occasionally, you will be fed, filled and spoiled with the finest fare going, made with care, served with pride, and presented with rustic panache.
Fellowship meals together include Breakfast at 8am, lunch at noon and dinner at 6. Just let us know of any special requirements or preferences and we'll make sure your meals are different in content but equal in quality.
We've got a very (very) big cooler on deck, so feel free to BYOB of any sort and it'll always be nearby for a toast, cocktail or the chill pop-fizz of a day's end beer.
Ah, the Sweet Taste of Victory! Three times a day - and always with dessert!
Explore
Sailing Area
Explore Secret Maine
Maine has over 3000 miles of coastline, include all the islands and it's over 5000!
The craggy coast of Maine offers up all sorts of wide bays to explore in the day and cozy coves to anchor down in for the night. Even then, you can keep exploring by taking out one our small boats. It's our goal to explore Secret Maine: those spots and sights that you just can't see any other way. The Victory Chimes showing up makes any place special, but finding the tucked away secrets of Maine is part of our mission.
We'll leave out into the island-dotted Penobscot Bay, and, from there can head north to Blue Hill, Isle au Haut bay, Mt Desert Narrow, perhaps going ashore in an island town, as seen at the top of this page, like Stonington or south to Muscongus Bay, skirting the numerous, scenic working harbors and idyllic seaside towns.
The bays of Maine are gentle, and the Midcoast sailing season is ripe with fair-weather days. Any fog is typically poetic and we can skirt rain-showers or hunker down cozily in a cove as real storms go through.
We have a wide ranging territory at our whim and our itinerary is most often set by the wind and tides. Some trips have set stops included but, even then, how we get there and how we get back is a wonderfully free flowing adventure of verdant scenery, capping stoney cliffs and solid shores.
Come Explore Secret Maine with us aboard Victory Chimes!
Master
Packing
We already have a kitchen sink so -
It's best to pack light and in soft luggage; it squishes better under beds. You also don't need to bring towels, washcloths or shampoo. There are two hot showers for guests, each available from 7a to 9p each day.
It's always cooler on the water, and we're powered by the wind - so make sure to have some sweaters and layers when you start packing!
On top of that, at either end of the season, June in the beginning and September & October towards the end, can be brisk. Above all, be comfortable and be prepared.
Packing List:
-
$25 Cash for parking in a lot right nearby.
-
Sneakers and deck shoes are best for comfort and traction on deck.
-
10% (of your trip cost) cash gratuity is customary for the crew.
-
Sun stuff: sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen; no trees at sea.
-
Rain jacket (not a poncho) and rain pants if you're more the type to want to watch a steely sea in the rain, than hunker down in the galley with a book.
-
Swimsuit: summer splashdowns can be great fun!
-
Earplugs: if you're a light sleeper, consider bringing a pair, the crew gets up early to get ready for the day, and sound travels easily in a wooden ship - it's like a big guitar sometimes!
-
Camera: of course a camera! Maine is too beautiful to just commit to memory. Do it for the 'gram!
-
Sleeping bag: this is only if you want to sleep on deck, which is a real neat thing to do. There's a big, padded square under the middle mast, and dozing under the Milky Way and rising with the sun, is a treat.
- CONTRABAND -
Note that because the vessel is Federally inspected, and so under Federal jurisdiction, marijuana, though newly legal on the state level, and here in Maine, is still illegal federally and so not allowed aboard VICTORY CHIMES. Sorry to harsh your mellow.
Find
Directions / Parking
Parking
Upon arrival, park where you can. Once we have your luggage onboard, we will lead you to our private parking ($25 cash fee ) where your car will be safe for the duration of your cruise.
Boarding
Boarding time is between 6 and 8 p.m., on the start date of your trip. We arrive back in Rockland before noon on the end date.
Arrive by Land
We sailors like to use map coordinates, so Victory Chimes is docked at Windjammer Wharf:
44.105507, -69.107526
By Car:
For the rest of you - normal people - if you put Captain Spear Drive, Rockland, Maine into your GPS, it'll bring you to the Windjammer Wharf sign shown above. At that sign, the road directly to the right of it, is Captain Spear Drive.
By Bus:
The best, and most pleasant, bus company to travel with, from Portland or Boston, is
Concord Coach Lines 1(800)-639-3317.
-
In Boston you can get the bus straight from Logan airport or from South Station.
-
In Portland you can catch the bus at the Portland Transportation Center
100 Thompson Point,
Portland ME, 04102
By Air
Local Airport:
-
Owls Head ~ 10mins away
Cape Air (1-800- 227-3247) offers direct flights between Boston and the Knox County Regional Airport (207-594-4131)
Local Taxi:
If you need a taxi from the local airport, make a reservation for a taxi the day before you travel! They can get busy in the summer and not be quickly available for pickups.
They'll take you right to the Windjammer Wharf, where the Victory Chimes is docked, or to your local accommodations before you board. You can also get a rental car when you land.
-
Budget Car Rental at the Owls Head Airport 207-594-0822
Regional / International Airport:
-
Bangor International Airport (Bangor, ME) – north ~2hrs
-
Portland International Jetport (Portland, ME) - south ~ 2hrs
These international terminals allow you to be a quick rental ride away, from Europe or the lower 48 states. That said, the nearest large-scale airport, with more frequent int'l landings is -
-
Boston Logan International Airport,- south ~4hrs
Regional Shuttle - From Portland or Bangor:
Sterling Elite (Midcoast Shuttle) (207) 785-3100
$126.50 for 2 people +$25 per person after that. You will need to make reservations with least 48 hours notice.