A revision of what has become a well-known guide, Windjammer Watching on the Coast of Maine provides a systematic review of the windjammer fleet in midcoast Maine, as well as some from away that sail here. Virginia Thorndike tells us how to identify all the individual vessels and gives the histories and vital statistics for each. This is an essential guide for anyone interested in taking a windjammer cruise, for boaters cruising the coast of Maine who want to identify windjammers they see, and for armchair sailors who enjoy reading about these traditional sailing vessels, most of which began their careers as cargo carriers, pilot boats, fishermen, and private yachts. "A useful little book ... peppered with anecdotes about boats, captains, and escapades." -- Maine Sunday Telegram "It s probably the best primer on windjammers around." -- Down East magazine Virginia Thorndike has written several books about boats and transportation. She enjoys spending as much time on the water as possible, photographing the vessels she sees and later researching their histories. Sailing is in her blood: Her great-grandfather was three times the America’s Cup defender, and her grandfather was a designer of sailing yachts and also an America’s Cup contender. Virginia lives in Morrill, Maine. The vessels in the windjammer fleet today range in age from more than 130 years to less than a decade. The older craft have worked in various capacities all along the Atlantic coast. Some were built as coasting schooners, performing the service that trucks fulfill today, carrying raw material, produce, and supplies from one coastal community to another. Others made ocean passages carrying freight. Some fished for swordfish on the Grand Bands, or for cod and mackerel, or for oysters on Delaware Bay. A couple served as pilot boats, delivering pilots to guide ships into New England ports. A few were originally built as private yachts. The Bowdoin was built for scientific exploration and education; although she is not now part of the windjammer fleet, she was once, and continues to make her home in Penobscot Bay. Used Book in Good Condition