BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine — First the bow line, then the stern were cast free of the dock. Then, with three loud blasts on her horn, the schooner Bowdoin pulled out of the dock to begin her latest adventure.
The arctic schooner Bowdoin, built 103 years ago to explore that little-known region, has already made 23 arctic voyages. Now, the historic schooner, owned by the Maine Maritime Academy, is making the trip again.
A challenge to the comfort level of the 10 students on the crew, many of whom have never sailed offshore, let alone for a two-month journey.
"I keep telling people, it's very exciting, something that doesn’t set in until you’ve done it and can reflect that was pretty remarkable," Bowdoin Captain Alex Peacock said.
The schooner has a six-person crew of highly experienced sailors, including her captain, but also has 10 Maine Maritime Academy students on board. They will share the workload, learn more about the sea and sailing, and explore aspects of their academic majors, ranging from marine engineering to environmental studies.
"It feels amazing," McKenzie Morin said, who just completed her junior year at MMA. "There is so much history involved with this ship that not a lot of people know about. So to be able to be part of the history and spread the word about it, and teach people along the way who the vessel is and what she has done, is really special."
With parents and other MMA staff members cheering and waving, the Bowdoin pulled away from the dock on May 29, raised the sails, and headed out to sea. The route took the schooner and crew non-stop from Maine, around Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, where she was moored in St. John's harbor as of June 5.
After a brief rest stop, Bowdoin will then sail north to Greenland. That visit will include stops in two harbors above the Arctic Circle where the Bowdoin’s builder and first captain, explorer Donald MacMillan, sailed her on multiple trips between 1921 and the outbreak of World War II. There were trips after the war as well, and the schooner has also made three arctic voyages since Maine Maritime Academy acquired her in 1990. The last such trip was 16 years ago, and Captain Peacock said he hopes to rekindle those historic relationships
"We are hoping to meet the same people, or next generations of their family, to keep those friendships, those connections and relationships going," the captain said.
More information on the arctic schooner Bowdoin, which is a National Historic Landmark and Maine's "official vessel," can be found on the Maine Maritime Academy website here.
You can also track the schooner’s progress on the Arctic voyage here.