What is the difference between a schooner and a windjammer

The wind really does move you along, and if there's no wind you go slow, or anchor until the wind rises. Traditional schooners and sloops in Maine windjammer service are relatively small vessels , not large cruise ships. Space on board is at a premium , and is used with great economy. Accommodations and facilities are not luxurious, but of adequate comfort. Sail power: it's worked for years—and still does! On a traditional Maine windjammer cruise , voyagers may volunteer to help the crew to hoist, lower and furl the sails and other simple tasks requiring many hands.

Such work is your choice, of course—no requirement. Pay-off: To recede from the wind, as a boat when the jib is hauled to windward and the main-boom eased off. Peak-up: To elevate the aft end of a sail or gaff.

Port side: Left hand side of the boat, looking forward from the stern. Pullman: A single bunk with no door, curtained off. R Reef: To reduce sail by means of reef-points.

Refit: The nautical equivalent of renovation of a vessel. Rig: The combination of masts, booms, standing and running rigging, and sails that propel a sailing craft. Rudder: The flat blade that swings from side to side underwater and used to steer the boat. Rules of the road: Regulations enacted for safety.

Running rigging: Those lines that reeve or work through blocks and fair leads. Includes halyards, sheets, downhauls, etc.

S Saloon: The central cabin in the vessel, where the dining occurs. Schooner: Vessel with two or more masts, with the after mast as tall as or taller than the other s. Scud: Run before the wind. Sea Anchor: A drag drogue thrown over the bow to keep a boat to the wind and sea.

Settee: Built-in bench, usually with cushions, for dining, either on deck or below. Sheet: The line attached to the after clew of a fore-and-aft sail by which it is held and worked.

Shrouds: Wire line used to support the mast on port and starboard. Skipper: The captain or operator of a vessel. Slack: The part of a line that hangs loose; allow to ease off. Also, the state of the tide when there is no horizontal motion. Spill: To throw the wind out of a sail by easing the sheet or otherwise.

Splice: To join two ropes together by tucking ends. Standing rigging: Those lines that are stationary or seldom require alteration, such as shrouds, and stays.

Starboard: The side to the right, looking forward. Stay: Any line to support masts forward and aft. Stem: The timber at the extreme forward part of a boat secured to the forward end of the keel and supporting the bow planks. Stern: The after or rear section of the ship. T Tack: The lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail. Close-hauled on the wind.

To change from one tack to another by putting the helm down. Tacking: Advancing by a series of zigzag courses toward the wind's eye. Tackle: An arrangement of ropes and blocks to give a mechanical advantage. Tiller: A usually curved and tapered stick that connects to the rudderstock that is used for steering the boat. Topsail: A three-sided sail that sets above a gaff; a four-sided sail whose head upper edge attaches to the yard of a topsail schooner.

U Under way: A boat is under way when moving ahead. W Wake: The track left by a vessel on the water. Waterline: The line painted on the side of a boat at the water's edge to indicate the proper trim. Weigh the Anchor: To raise from the bottom and get it on board.

Windjammer: a sailing ship; also, one of its crew. Windward: Toward or closer to the wind, as one boat may be to windward of another; also, the side of a boat that the wind hits first. Y Yawl boat: A small, open, engine-driven boat that services an unpowered sailing vessel.

The Schooners. Grace Bailey. Our coasting schooner was launched in — the oldest documented sailing vessel in continuous service in the United States — and its cabins are cozy and comfortable.

Ours was one of six with two twin beds, four have doubles, and two are singles. All have nice mattresses and linens, as well as a comforter, and an L L. Bean wool throw. I especially liked the bedside reading lamps. My fellow Taber passengers, most of whom are retirees over 50, come from as far west as Colorado, as far south as Georgia. One of the pluses of sailing aboard the Taber or its sister Ladona, is that wine with dinner is included on all cruises.

On other windjammers, it's BYOB bring your own bottle. I've seen passengers do all that and more. An all-you-can-eat lobster, chicken, and steak barbecue is a highlight of every cruise.

In addition, most schooners anchor for the night either near a remote island or by a fishing village. On our trip, we had a chance to explore Isle au Haut, an island with a small village and a remote section of Acadia National Park. I've sailed aboard Maine windjammers in fog, rain and heavy winds, and I've found that even in inclement weather, the experience retains its magic.

The breeze stiffens, and by midafternoon, we're surrounded by windjammers under full sail. Among those dancing around us in a wind-choreographed routine are Victory Chimes, largest in the fleet; Ladona, rebuilt by Noah and Capt. Braugh; American Eagle, licensed for international voyages; and Angelique, with a piano aboard. I've sailed aboard a half-dozen schooners, and yet I'm slack-jawed at the sight, almost giddy about experiencing a tall ships gathering without hoopla or crowds.

Radios buzz as captains plan the rendezvous off Vinalhaven Island. Parallel parking windjammers requires delicate maneuvering. The Chimes sets anchor, throws bumpers over its rails, and the Eagle tucks in on one side, the Heritage bookending the other. One by one, windjammers slide into place.

When secure, we're free to move about and tour the other boats. After dinner on deck, the Gam's jam session begins.

Professional musicians and singers play alongside talented amateurs, captains and crew harmonize with passengers, including Ellie, who's sailing with her cello.

Another day's sail, and all-too-soon we are heading to our home port. We all exchange emails, promising to keep in touch; in four days, we've gone from strangers to budding BFFs. I found a home. Although windjammer day sails are available from other ports, those offering overnight cruises sail from Rockland and Camden, Maine.

Note: We are currently in the process of replacing our commenting service, so it may take a few days for previous comments to appear. Login or register on AARP. Call: 1.