A cruise aboard the Lewis R. French is a guaranteed fantastic time. Captains Garth and Jenny are wonderfully fun hosts, and their crew is top-notch. The food was amazing, and the camaraderie that develops among the passengers through working together to raise and trim the sails or crank the anchor was a special bonus. There is truly no better way to connect with Maines past or the beautiful islands off the coast than aboard a schooner that has sailed these waters for 150 years!

One of my favorite experiences in Maine!! You will not regret adventuring on this amazing boat with awesome crew! Beautiful views, wonderful people, absolutely delicious food, and a super knowledgable crew to answer any and all of your questions.

Looking for a spectacular get away? A few nights or a week? We have been to lots great places on this globe and all over the states- this is, by far our #1 favorite vacation- A cruise on one of Americas oldest active Schooners from Camden Maine- to bays, islands and tucked away places all over Penobscot bay and beyond. Your cabin for two is your own private sanctuary abord the French but you will no doubt spend most of your time on deck chatting with the other 20 passengers and crew of 5. Capt. Garth is pleasant, friendly and pretty funny. He clearly knows how to hire the best of experienced mates to help him with the task of sailing the 65 Schooner. The chef and assistant provide three 5 star meals per day plus yummy extras like hand cranked ice-cream and hors doeuvres. The coffee pot is always on in the welcoming warm galley. Everything is master cooked on the old ships wood stove. You can participate in raising and lowering sails and the movie prop-like authentic anchor or just grab a comfy spot on deck and watch the excitement. There is much more to tell but not in this small review space. Obviously 5 stars all day.

Weve taken 13 trips on the French and it has always been exceptional...relaxing and entertaining!

My wife and I heard about the beauty of Maine and decided to see it from the water. So, we took a 6 day windjammer cruise on the Lewis R. French, Camden, Maine. We chose this cruise because it was a personable size schooner with the right amount of people ,21. It is a National Historic Landmark, over 140 years old.This itinerary is very laid back - a great chance to really disconnect from the everyday rush - and just relax. Watching birds, seals, the clouds, islands that we passed while sailing created a serene atmosphere. Captain Garth Wells was more than anyone could have hoped for in a captain. Affable, knowledgeable and capable, he and his crew made us feel very welcome on the well-maintained and beautiful Lewis R. French. Captain Wells even let me take over the helm . Just like the olden days ,being a pilot on a 140 year old windjammer The crew was incredible - they worked to make sure we had everything we needed or wanted. Food was great - I couldnt believe the meals the chef prepared on a wood burning store in the ships galley.If you are a food and nature lover, you will love this trip. My only complaint is that the cruise ended.

I have been to many different places and on many vacations and I can safely say this vacation has been my favorite of all. Our initial motivation for seeking out Windjammers was my long held love of old schooners. Being able to experience of sailing on a 130 year old schooner for an extended period was a dream come true for us. That said, many of the other facets of the experience they offer fit us comfortably - The small group setting, the relaxed itinerary, the general informal nature of the experience, beauty of the Maine coast...all call us.Our Captain, Garth Wells was extremely knowledgeable, experienced and cool!! He truly loves the ships and enjoys what he does. He went out of his way to ensure all guests had an excellent time. The crew was amazing as well, we all became fast friends. They work hard, always smiling and know the guests by name. The chef did an excellent job with very delicious meals , all cooked on a wood burning stove. One evening we dropped anchor and had a great lobster bake on an island.We would definitely go again and recommend it to anyone, They accommodate single travelers too at no extra cost.

We sailed on the Lewis R. French in 2001. To this day, it ranks as one of the most fun vacations we have ever taken. Being ab active part of my the sailing was something we really enjoyed. We remain friends with people we spent a week with on the boat. If you are a smoker or need a drink nightly, this may not be the boat for you. If you are able to take the cruise when the Swann Island music festival takes place, you wont be disappointed.

The crew is absolutely lovely, and the food was to die for. They provide Vegetarian options, and the cook was incredibly gracious when making food accommodations. Beautiful atmosphere, fun, involving, and an all around genuine experience. You really leave feeling like family! I would absolutely love to go again.

Its been years since we were on this ship! But we think of our vacation all the time. Memories! ..☺️

This was our second trip upon this schooner and I have to say, it gets better every time. The crew is informative and friendly. They love it when you help out and learn about the process. The captain is hilarious. The food. Oh my God the food!!!!!!! There are downfalls if you arent prepared like the small cabins and sometimes youre eating meals at an epic heel. But really... The cabins are for sleeping so who cares. And if youre at an epic heel, they must be doing something right. Its a dirty trip, you will probably get greasy and wet. But it is, what I feel, the most authentic sailing cruise you will get to be on. So let your worries go and get in this boat!!!!

Wow! This schooner was a time machine! We were transported to the days of wind powered sailing and could experience every aspect of sailing if we so desired, ..and we did! It was a blast!The crew and our shipmates were fantastic. We even got remarried for our 40th anniversary! The food was great - we ate healthy meals (everything was fresh) We were never hungry. The experience of a lifetime. If you like living history, Go - you will not be disappointed.

We stayed on the ship for 4 nights. The trip has fantastic food and plenty of it made by the chef. The mates were very friendly and knowledgeable. It is a fairly primitive, manuel run ship which adds to the draw. It is very cool how the ship has been fitted and changed throughout the years to accommodate guests but everything is still done by hand and many original and old items are still used. There is a wood burning cook stove and oven which heats the water for the shower and sink, and everything you eat is made on it. We got homemade muffins, breads and biscuits every day and everything we ate was made from scratch in the galley. The food was fantastic and eating on deck in the breeze is very relaxing. You can help hoist sails, raise the anchor and drive the ship. Garth, the captain, is very knowledgeable and ready to answer any questions and share his knowledge with you. The cabins have USB charging ports and a sink. The beds are comfortable and while the rooms are tiny, they are cozy. If you think this would be a fun thing to do, absolutely do it. It was really fun and you can do as much or as little as you want. We anchored every night and took row boats out to the shore to hike and sight see, plus one night we had the lobster bake on the beach which was delicious and very cool to experience. I would recommend it to anyone that thinks they are interested.

Id been wanting to come back and sail around the island of Penobscot Bay for decades and finally made it for a four day voyage in September 2019. The whole experience on the French far surpassed everything Id hoped for and dreamed of. The French is the oldest windjammer in the fleet and as much of the equipment as possible is kept as it was in the 1800s so that guests can experience what it was like sailing long ago (the chef uses a wood stove only, the passengers can help weigh anchor on an ancient windlass, no motor onboard at all, and so forth), so this was all exciting.The schooner is family-owned by Captain Garth, Jenny and their boys and you really feel part of their family as they only take a maximum of 21 guests and everyone gets to know each other. A great thanks to Jenny, also a captain, friendly and efficient, for organizing all the voyages.Exploring the islands of Penobscot Bay was so much fun, most of the small ones are uninhabited and perfect for hiking, playing, swimming and lobster bakes and marveling at the beauty of Maine nature. The French carries two rowboats to play with and to get people on and off islands, and a yawl boat for pushing when needed in the harbor.The crew of three young women, Darcy, MacKenzie and Kat, were extremely and impressively capable at sailing that boat, incredibly hard working, long hours, friendly and patient all the time, answering questions and explaining, letting us help, . The gourmet food was divine and lots of it all day long, beginning at 6 with a pre-breakfast or whenever you wander up onto deck with coffee and freshly baked scones or cinnamon rolls or muffins, all intriguing flavours, and moving on through amazing buffets of homemade everything for three other meals, hors douvres, snacks, five loaves of bread baked a day...Captain Garth is the Frenchs real treasure - hes a skilled and ultra competent captain, deciding where to go by how the wind is blowing, (a refreshing concept); witty, making everyone laugh all the time, reading sailing stories to us on the beach, an absolute encyclopedia of information and great stories, and a good teacher too. Somehow he gets the boat positioned each evening for maximum spectacular sunsets and sunrises, in calm protected waters.Singing and trivia night were great fun, stargazing at night, we took turns handcranking ice cream and had loads of toppings, birthday cakes, pies. If you anchor nearby another schooner, its even more fun, but I leave it to you to book a trip on the French to find out why!P.S. And I loved my little bunk - it was comfortable and I slept very well.P.P.S. And theres a cannon!

Once in a lifetime experience. The food was world class and the crew topnotch. Not a luxury cruise, but a thoroughly authentic 19th century sailing adventure. Captain Garth is an expert seaman with a wealth of local knowledge. They shoot a cannon at evening colors. Comon, seriously, a cannon! Get engaged as much as you want. Hoist sails, raise the anchor. Dont miss the opportunity to try it all.

My wife and I went on a 5-day cruise for our 30th wedding anniversary and had a wonderful time. The captain and crew went out of their way to make this a great experience for all the passengers. Despite weather that ranged from fog to rain to bright sunshine, we were never at a loss for something to do. And the food was fantastic! I feel like we really got to experience the best that Penobscot Bay has to offer.I came away thoroughly impressed with the casual competence of this crew. Not only are they skilled seamen, they treated all guests with the utmost respect at all times.