We get so many questions about our 6-night Hidden Traces of the Past trip this June that we thought it would be great to put a little spotlight together to showcase all the facets of this one-of-a-kind adventure.

Enjoy a 6-night trip from June 23^rd to June 29^th as Midcoast Maine starts to ease into summer with warm days and cool nights. Let our beloved schooner, Capt. Tyler, and historian Sam Collins be your guides to explore the little-known history of Penobscot Bay aboard a living piece of history itself.

With presentations each evening and informal talks, sailing, and ashore exploring during the day, see the multitude of moments our home waters have experienced through the past and into the future.

photo courtesy of the Sofia Soderberg

Where Will We Go?

photo courtesy of the Penobscot Marine Museum

While the places we visit during this trip are well within the normal radius of our other adventures, the time to explore and uncover the historical nuances of each destination is wholly unique to this trip. Each is aimed at showcasing the different periods of Maine's natural and cultural history, all joined together by sailing from one place to the next.

This nice little chart has a few of our possible destinations, but in keeping with the schooners tradition of wind, weather and tide, our stops will be chosen to get the best out of each day.

We will be sailing in the wake of so many, from the earliest of native peoples who used these islands as fishing camps in the summer months to the European explorers drawing the new lines of their charts ever onwards. All among the remnants of the outport farms and villages that subsisted and thrived off the industrial bounty of the incredible geological feature that is Penobscot Bay.

Visit towns such as Castine, which pre-dates even the Plymouth Colony. Picked for its location near the entrance of the Penobscot River, it was occupied by no fewer than four nations, the Wabanaki, French, Dutch, and British during the Colonial period. Admire the old mansions on your way to visit Fort George, built by the British during the Revolutionary War.

Hike through the pleasant and uncrowded forests of Isle au Haut, one of the first islands found by French explorers, much like rusticators did 150 years ago.

Explore the quarries near Stonington, wondering about what famous buildings near your home include the famous Deer Isle granite.

Sail by countless scenes, such as Eagle Island Light, unchanged but different, looking over the upper east bay we frequently pass this beautiful little lighthouse. Although the keepers house and any sign of the families that made it their home are now gone, only the apple trees in front of the tower remain.

Burnt down no fewer than three times, Fort William Henry stands at the opening of the Pemaquid River. First built as a fort in 1630, the fort was destroyed first by the famous pirate Dixie Bull, then by the Abenaki and French a few more times. Today stands the bastion, rebuilt in 1909.

Enjoy a short boat ride past some of Maine's iconic lighthouses on the way to Damariscove Island. Originally used by the Abenaki for fishing and bird egg collecting, Damariscove became a hotbed of activity during the fighting between the British and Abenaki. It has since been home to a small fishing community.

photo courtesy of the Sofia Soderberg

Maine, there's been a lot going on here in the last 10,000 years

photo courtesy of the Sofia Soderberg

Meet Sam Collins, Our Guide

photos courtesy of the Sofia Soderberg

Food is a big part of every trip, and Hidden Traces of the Past is no different. Just like the stops we make on this trip our menu too will be curated to capture a nuance of the day. Whether to capture the new produce from the farms at its absolute freshest or find a fun spin on a forgotten traditional recipe, our galley team will take all into account when preparing each course aboard the schooner.

The food on this trip is more influenced by traditional and classic New England cooking. If you're curious about Maine cooking, here is a recipe adapted from Marjorie Standish's Cooking Down East.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

photo courtesy of the Ralph Smith

A classic staple of fall and winter in Maine, a New England Boiled Dinner (NEBD in its modern acronym) is a simple and bountiful meal with many options for leftovers. At its heart is savory corned beef, served with vegetables cooked right in the pot with everything else, topped with a spicy mustard sauce or horseradish cream and a little white vinegar for the cabbage.

Brine

You can find corned beef vacuum-packed in the grocery store, ready to cook without needing to be brined at home.

But! if you wish to go the further extra mile:

Mix together two quarts cold water and 1 cup salt. Put the piece of fresh brisket in the water and weigh down with an inverted plate to hold the beef under the brine. Allow the beef to brine in the refrigerator, or for historical accuracy your nice cool cellar with the rest of the winters vegetables for about 48 hours.

Preparing

Rinse the brine from your brisket, and place it in a pot large enough to hold the beef and vegetables. Add cold water till it comes up halfway around the beef. Cover the pot, bring to a low boil, and cook approximately one hour per pound of beef.

The classic vegetables for a NEBD are as follows:

Whole peeled potatoes and carrots

Turnips, peeled and sliced

Cabbage with outer leaves removed, cut into quarters

Onions are also a good addition.

An hour before the meat is done cooking, add the carrots, turnips, cabbage, and onion to the pot, leaving it on low heat and covering to cook. After half an hour, add the potatoes. Continue to cook the NEBD until the vegetables are tender.

To Serve

Place the corned beef in the middle of the plate and surround with vegetable. Add a healthy dollop of spicy mustard sauce to the corned beef. Sprinkle fresh parsley for a little pop of green. Canned and warmed, or boiled beets are a classic side to go with this warm and hearty dinner.

Leftovers

An important part of NEBD is the leftovers. After you have eaten your fill, chop the leftover vegetables (and beets) and add to a container. Pour in some of the cooking liquid from the beef and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator. For the beef, slice thin and put in a separate container.

When you're ready for another meal, red flannel hash served hot with cold corn beef and biscuits is a hearty option. To make, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the leftover vegetables into a baking dish, and bake for an hour. You can also fry the hash in a large cast iron pan over medium low heat. Serve with cold corned beef and a hot biscuit.

Windows to the Wild

Still curious about how the trip will look or missing the American Eagle? Check out this episode of Windows to the Wild "Coastal Trek," and follow host Willem Lange as he joins us on one of our previous adventures.