Our Special Interest Excursions:

Spring on the Bay
Our first trip of the season finds lovely Penobscot Bay practically deserted. The air is clear and crisp with summer life emerging in full view. This is a great time of the season as we all find ourselves pleased to be back on the water after a long snowy winter.
(June 3-6)

Lighthouses of the Maine Coast
Come aboard as we set a course for the lighthouses of Penobscot Bay. Each one is beautiful and unique with interesting history and even some spooky legends! Some of the Lighthouses we are likely see are: Owl's Head, Whitehead, Pumpkin Island, Dice's Head, Grindle Point, Hockamock Head, Indian Island and many more.
(June 8-11, Sept. 18-25)

Coastal Islands, Whales and Seabirds
We head East out to the offshore waters of Mt. Desert and Matinicus Rocks where we will have a great chance to see many varieties of whales as they begin to arrive in our local waters. The hydrophone will be deployed to give us a chance to listen to, as well as observe these gentle giants. We will also look for Puffins, Shearwater, Gannets, and many other types of Pelagic seabirds.
(June 14-19, Aug. 22-28, Aug. 30-Sept. 4)

Island Hiking Cruise
One of our most popular cruises! We spend extra time each day hiking on some of Penobscot Bay's most beautiful Islands and State Parks. The exertion level is up to you. Some of our favorite hiking locations are; quaint North Haven Village and the surrounding countryside, Holbrook Island Wildlife Preserve, Fort Point Seaside Trails and State Park, picturesque Swan's Island and Warren Island State Park.
(June 21-26, July 5-9, Aug. 14-19)

Maine Birdwatching Cruise
Karen's passion, besides her dog Maggie, is birding. This trip is for all of you who want to see and learn more about Maine's seabirds and spend time with others who share a passion for birdwatching. These trips fill quickly so let us know if you would like to reserve a berth. Bring your Audubon life list!
(July 12-17, Aug. 14-19, Aug. 30-Sept. 4)

Research Trip, Listening for Right Whales!
We'll head offshore for this very special trip where we will be working with Dave Mellinger of Oregon State University. Here's how Dave describes what we will be doing on this incredible voyage; This experiment is for monitoring the activities of Right Whales, the world's most endangered whales. We know that some of these whales show up each summer off the southern tip of Nova Scotia, where they fatten up by feeding on plankton. But we don't know how many might be present in other areas off the coast of Nova Scotia, nor do we know where many of them go in winter, when much of the population disappears to unknown places. The Scotian habitat appears good for them, and a few have been seen there in the past, but very few systematic surveys have been done. In this project, we'll do such a survey using autonomous hydrophones, instruments placed on the sea floor that record sound continuously for a year at a time. After a year, we'll retrieve the hydrophones, then analyze the sound recordings to see where, when, and how many right whales have been present. By doing this, we hope to find out where right whales move throughout the year, study how they use differing ocean habitats, and contribute to the understanding and conservation of these whales.
(June 28-July 3)

Vegetarian Cruise
This is our first, of hopefully many, vegetarian cruises. Karen has been a practicing vegetarian for twenty years and she has a great variety of absolutely delicious recipes.... click here for a sample vegetarian menu. Captain Rick is a "meat and potatoes" type of guy- however, even he raves about Karen's veggie cooking. We would love to share our favorite recipes with you!
(July 19-22)

Down East Cruise
Let's head to "Downeast Maine" where the tides are large and strong and the folks are the stuff of great stories. East of Schoodic Point, Frenchman's Bay brings us to a coastline that is still very much the same as it has been for the last 50 years. We won't see many yachts down here and the magnificent rugged coastline will keep us glued to our binoculars, not wanting to miss a minute.
(July 26-31)

Cruising the Coast of Northern New England
Our course is West by South West as we work down the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Some of our historic Ports of call might include; Bath Maine, Portsmouth NH, The Isles of Shoals NH, Gloucester MA, Marblehead MA and Provincetown MA. This cruise will also find us visiting Stellwagon Bank, one of the world's most frequented summer feeding areas for large migratory whales.
(Aug. 2-11)

Grand Manan and The Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy boasts one of the largest tides in the world...up to 45 feet! This enormous movement of water, twice a day, contributes to the incredible abundance and large diversity of marine life found in this area. We will visit famous Grand Manan Island in Canadian waters six miles off the eastern most point of Maine. We will explore this wonderful Island, and tour of The Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Center. This small whale rights powerhouse was instrumental in enacting legislature tore-route the federal Shipping Lanes around sensitive areas where Right Whales and their calves feed in the summer.
(Sept. 6-15)

Maine's Fishing Villages
Commercial Fishing here in Maine is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Over fishing by large, often foreign, factory trawlers has drastically reduced the resource to its now critical level. The economies of these tiny villages are dependent on the fisheries. The village communities hang on... like the tough little spruce trees that cling to these barren, rocky islands. The Lobster fishery, however, is still strong and we'll meet several colorful characters as we visit the island villages. We will invite some of the locals aboard Wanderbird for supper, stories and maybe just a wee bit of the old black rum. This is a fun trip!
(Sept. 27-Oct.2)

Fall Colors Cruise
You've never seen the foliage like this before. Look across the decks toward the mainland for colors that go on as far as you can see. Northern Lights often grace our skies on these late season trips.
(Oct. 4-9, Oct. 11-16)

Winged Migration Cruise
It's goodbye for some and hello for others. We witness the great "V" formations of Canadian geese and flocks of many others on their incredible yearly voyage. Northern Fulmar, other pelagics and winter ducks begin to turn up in great numbers too. The cool, clear fall air makes this an exceptional time for wildlife photography.
(Oct. 18-21)

Old Salts' Winter Voyage
It's back... you know who you are. We've had numerous requests to bring back this old Timberwind Classic.. so here it is. Join us one for last weekend of crisp clear days and mulled cider on the wood stove!
(Oct. 22-24)

Relaxation & Comfort:
Feel free to relax and enjoy the space & splendor of life at sea…
catch up on reading or needlework, take pictures, write…
we have restored the WANDERBIRD with your comfort in mind.

The below-deck salon is laid out in the typical style of a 19th century pilot schooner, with a warm comfortable wood interior. It was designed for educational films and natural history demonstrations, and can double as an informal classroom. At night, the salon is filled with lantern light, song and stories. Musical instruments are always welcome!

Cabins are cozy and comfortable - public areas are spacious! The topside observation decks provides amazing views for birdwatching or stargazing. Relax in one of our classic teak steamer chairs.

Everyone enjoys fine meals together in our large open bright wood galley.

Read more about the layout and decor of our vessel.