Maine Maritime Academy’s training vessel, the schooner Bowdoin, a national historic landmark and the official vessel of the state of Maine, will sail into Boothbay Harbor for the 51st Annual Windjammer Days Festival June 25-26.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries windjammers provided a wide variety of services from transportation of goods and passengers to exploration and military service. After the expansion of more modern transportation services, airplanes, cars and trains, the everyday use of the windjammer diminished. Today, many of these vessels are still used for personal and consumer travel and education, or are museum pieces.

Built in East Boothbay, Maine in 1921, the Bowdoin has served a long and historic career on the high seas including 21 trips to the Arctic Circle and service in the U.S. Navy during World War II. The ship was purchased by Maine Maritime Academy in 1988 where the ship currently serves as a sail training vessel for students in the Vessel Operations and Technology program.

Every summer students from MMA sail the Bowdoin as part of an annual training cruise to accrue days at sea which fulfill requirements toward the U.S. Coast Guard license. The Windjammer Days Festival is one of the scheduled ports-of-call for this year’s cruise.

For more information about the 51st Annual Windjammer Days Festival, visit the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce website at www.boothbayharbor.com.

Maine Maritime Academy is a co-educational, public college on the coast of Maine offering 18 degree programs in engineering, management, science and transportation. For more information, visit mainemaritime.edu.