Travel with Amateur Traveler · Saturday, August 1, 2026
Historically, Maine's coastal schooners were primarily cargo ships, transporting goods like lumber, granite, and ice. By the 1930s, with the advent of steam power, these schooners became obsolete for cargo. Frank Swift then initiated a passenger fleet using schooners for recreation, a model followed by the current Maine Windjammer Association.
“The coast of Maine used to be home to thousands of coastal schooners. And they were mostly cargo ships. They were hauling everything from wood, granite, lime, natural ice, bricks, fishing and canned goods, Christmas trees and agricultural products.”
“When steam power started to make schooners obsolete by the 1930s, there was a man named Frank Swift who started a passenger fleet of eventually up to five different schooners that were used for recreation.”
“And in the same way that the Maine Windjammer Association operates today.”