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The article in the travel club magazine about cruising on Maine
Windjammer Association schooners sounded wonderful, so I requested
and received the Association's information packet. When I saw my
sister Bebe and her husband Sam, I showed them the brochures and
asked if they wanted to join me in an adventure. They said they'd
like to, so we set about selecting a boat.
The decision wasn't easy; all the boats are beautiful; they all
claim to have roomy and comfortable accommodations, and each brags
about the quality of their meals. Since this was a first for all of
us, we had little upon which to base a choice.
My sister made the decision. She selected the Victory Chimes
because it was the only one that offered any cabins with private
heads, a thing my sister simply cannot do without. No public
potties for her! She might be willing to sacrifice the casino, even
the entertainment, but sharing a toilet with strangers is where she
draws the line!
I'm not nearly as finicky, but the choice turned out
to be an excellent one in several ways. For one thing, one of the crew
told me that the Victory Chimes is the only boat in the fleet that has
real showers. He said that the others have only sunshine showers
- you stand in an enclosure on deck and 'they' pour warm water on you.
And who are 'they'? Hmmmmm?!!?
There were a lot of things that made our trip on the
Victory Chimes special. She's a beautiful lady, but the crew really
made the trip for me. Cap'n Kip is the perfect host: outgoing,
friendly, competent in his job, and with a talent for hiring some very
special people for his crew - every one of them also outgoing and
friendly, and either already excellent sailors, or learning to be.
While the captain, mates, and deckhands are sailing the boat, the
galley crew is preparing or serving tasty and plentiful home-style
meals to an ever-appreciative audience.
When we sailed, the crowd was mostly older,
though there was a good mix of ages; the youngest guests were in
their 30's, the oldest couple on board were both 80-something, with
the majority somewhere in between.
Excessive drinking is not tolerated, though
a glass of wine or a cocktail before dinner is just fine. So, unlike
some of the other cruises I've been on, I did not have to climb over
a single body passed out dead drunk in the middle of the staircase
that provides the only access to the deck I want to get to!
What follows is my trip journal - lots of
personal stuff, along with lots of stuff about the Victory Chimes
and the cruise itself. If you're easily amused, jump right in. If
you don't really care about my personal adventure, but just want to
know about the boat, use the link on the Favorite Links page to go
directly to the Victory Chimes site. Write to them, email them, or
call them to request information. I'm certain they'll be happy to
accommodate you.
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