Downeast Maine Sailing

This 28-day sailing expedition along the North Atlantic seaboard is our premier sailing course. Sailing expeditions offer intense conditions, team challenges and significant technical skill development. This course is ideal for teens seeking challenge and adventure that enjoy learning and welcome the idea of being a part of a tight knit group.

The intricate and indented shoreline of the coast of Maine is unique along the North Atlantic seaboard. It is known for the picturesque beauty of it bays and harbors, rocky islands, and relative lack of development. The “Downeast” area extends from Acadia/Bar Harbor region east to the Canadian border. Few recreational boats travel beyond Schoodic Peninsula and the coastal communities are smaller, oriented towards fishing, not tourism. The coast is more rugged, tides and currents greater, fog more prevalent and wildlife abounds.

The coast of Maine is rich in history. The islands still hold evidence of the Abenaki Indians, early Europeans’ use of islands for farming and timber, the quarrying of granite, and centuries of fishing. Natural history is also abundant. The coast is home to a wide range of sea birds, seals, porpoise, and the occasional whale. The many islands were once the peaks of a sunken mountain range, and the geology reflects its volcanic origins.

The Outward Bound Difference
This is our flagship sailing course for teenagers. Sailing a small open boat is not just about boat handling and seamanship—it’s about leadership, teamwork and communication. The length of this course and the design of our boats allow novice sailors to gain true competence so that for the last few days, all the sailing and decision-making is in the hands of the students. This requires good teamwork on a level rarely experienced ashore, because we really are “all in the same boat. Successful completion of your course demands mastery of skills, trust, fitness, confidence, tenacity, leadership, initiative and compassion. The promotion of these qualities, and the discovery of what’s in you, is the purpose of Outward Bound.

Course Description
With the rising sun, we begin our day. After a refreshing and cleansing dip in the ocean come breakfast and a meeting to listen to weather forecast and plan the day’s route. Once you raise anchor you will row or sail all day taking turns navigating, handling lines, rowing, steering, etc. The cry of “anchor is set!” from the bow watch means that you can furl the sails or stow the oars and begin cooking dinner and rigging the sleeping tarp. Over dinner, enjoy the stars of the summer sky and relax as the boat rides peacefully at anchor. After an evening meeting to discuss tomorrow’s plan or talk about the events of the day, you’ll spread the oars across the boat to create a sleeping platform under the tarp, lay out your sleeping bags and crawl in. Throughout the night, everyone takes a shift awake at anchor watch making sure all’s well and maybe journaling a bit, while the sleeping crew rocks gently to the motion of the boat.

You don’t need to have previous sailing experience. We will teach you everything you need to know to cruise the coast comfortably—packing your sea duffel, cooking and sleeping aboard, sail handling, anchoring and navigating. You will soon cast off lines and begin your adventure on the water, where the real magic takes place. Explore distant bays, secluded harbors and offshore islands on a sailing odyssey along the wildest 100 miles of the Maine coast. Live aboard one of our legendary 30-foot ketch-rigged open pulling boats. Test your limits climbing granite sea cliffs along the way. Each Downeast course will spend several days on Cross Island. Island stops provide time ashore for rock climbing, running, a period of solitude (solo), team-building, expedition planning, and provisioning. Actual itineraries are based on weather and tides.

During your course you will be traveling expedition-style, with all provisions and gear on board. “Expedition-style” means that you will depart our base on the first or second day of your course and not return to it until the end of the course. You will travel with all the food and equipment you need to conduct your expedition. Your group will navigate your boat to a new anchorage each night. This means no showers, no telephones, no television, or any other modern luxuries that you may be accustomed to. You should come to your course emotionally prepared for and excited about devoting all of your time and energy to your expedition, your group, and your Outward Bound experience.

What is a pulling boat? Pulling boats are 30 foot open boats. Groups live, cook and sleep on board. Travel is either under sail or using oars. Groups spend some nights on shore but the majority of the nights are spent aboard under a tarp pitched between the masts.

To enroll in this course click the enroll button next to the course dates that work for you. To shop comparatively on line visit our Advanced Course Finder or better yet call one of our expert Admission Advisers at 866-467-7651. Course tuitions listed below do not include our Application Fee or Transportation Fee.

Region: Maine

Activities: Sailing, rock climbing, seamanship, solo, service and final expedition

Additional Information:
Application Fee
Transportation Fee

Dates	Days	Age	Location	Tuition	Course	Enroll
06/22/08 to 07/19/08	28	16-18	Maine	$3995.00	QSN861
07/20/08 to 08/16/08	28	18-22	Maine	$3995.00	QSO863