Local author Greg Latimer will join the Lighthouse Legends and Lore Cruise scheduled for Friday, Sept. 30; hosted by Maine Maritime Museum and conducted by Red Cloak Haunted History Tours. A portion of the proceeds from Lighthouse Legends and Lore cruises will go to benefit the restoration campaign at the historic Burnt Island Lighthouse.

Latimer is the author of two books featuring area haunts, "Ghosts of the Boothbay Region" and "Haunted Damariscotta." The books include chapters on a number of lighthouses included in the tour, in particular the Burnt Island Lighthouse in Boothbay Harbor, where tour guests will land and explore the island.

Latimer will be available to sign books for guests who already have them, and books will be available for sale during the cruise. Latimer will also be happy to discuss his research on the books, and paranormal subjects in general, during the approximately 3-hour cruise.

Passengers aboard the cruises will see up to seven lighthouses, depending on weather and sea conditions. Those destinations could include Doubling Point Light, Hendricks Head Light, Seguin Island Light, Ram Island Light and The Cuckolds. The visit to Burnt Island will include landing on the island for an up-close look at the keeper’s house and other facilities, including the majestic Burnt Island Light tower.

Guests will learn the stories behind these iconic beacons; and about the lives of some of the keepers and their families - daily routines, traditions and hardships, as well as the legends and lore surrounding them. The tours will be guided by Sally Lobkowicz, the mysterious Lady in the Red Cloak from Red Cloak Haunted History Tours.

Participants will return to shore with a new and very personal understanding of the lighthouses, and the people who manned them. Stories will be told of the lives saved by these humble keepers while enduring personal privation and their own physical limits as they offered those who went to the sea in ships a hopeful light toward home.

The Lighthouse Legends and Lore Cruises have been popular, with previous cruises either sold out or near capacity. The upcoming Lighthouse Legends and Lore Cruise departs from the Maine Maritime Museum at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 30 aboard the museum excursion vessel Merrymeeting.  Cruise prices are: Members $55; nonmembers $65; children 6 to 12 $34; under 6 $5. (Price includes museum admission.) Guests are welcome to bring aboard food and non-alcoholic beverages. A cash bar, with light snacks, is available onboard.

Space is limited, so advance reservations are required for these exclusive tours.

Reservations for the September 30 cruise are available through Maine Maritime Museum, at http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/events/lighthouse-legends-and-lore-cruise-september-30/ or by calling 207-443-1316.

For more information on Red Cloak Haunted History Tours, call 207-380-3806, email redcloaktours@gmail.com, or visit redcloakhauntedhistorytours.com.

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