The New Maine Boating Lifestyle
Mrs. West Approved
Life on the water without the hassle of ownership
Words by Kat West
I grew up in land-locked Maine. The iconic coast, beaches, and all their magnificent charms were a distant, vague concept. But after 20 years of globetrotting, I am lucky to now call Portland home. I am reminded daily that access to Casco Bay and the surrounding coastline is truly a luxurious gift that keeps on giving year-round.
When Mr. West and I first moved here, we’d gaze out at the bay and fantasize about being at the wheel of a boat. Something classic, like a vintage, navy-blue Hinckley Picnic boat with glossy, burled wood, polished brass fixtures, and nautical bunting. I pictured us cruising the sparkling bay, basking in the sun, with a briny sea breeze on our faces, and pulling up favorite coastal spots for lunch.
We needed to investigate the potential. Over time, we consistently heard that the best day of being a boat owner was the day you sold the boat. The expense, the maintenance, the unpredictable weather, and the short summer season in Maine made owning a boat less than attractive. It started to feel like the practical reality of getting out on the water was slipping away.
Then I discovered the Freedom Boat Club of Maine. It was on a morning walk along the Eastern Promenade Trail. I was passing by Fore Points Marina, taking in my daily dose of yacht eye candy, and a sign for the club sparked my curiosity. A few phone calls and a marina tour later, we were sold and became card-carrying members of a burden-free boating lifestyle!
Membership has its privileges. For an initiation and monthly fee, we have access to the club’s fleet of boats across five locations in Maine and nearly 450 reciprocal locations worldwide. We’ve been trained up by the club’s Coast Guard captains on the rules of the waterways and can competently handle any of their boats. The best is never having to worry about swabbing the deck or fueling up—the ace crew handles all the details.
Hop aboard the Casco Bay Lines for a low-stress, scenic ride around the islands.
Photo by Longfellow Communication
Three years in, and we still enjoy all the club has to offer. It feels so adventurous to head out early in the morning on Casco Bay. We have spied pods of porpoises frolicking in the waves, seen seals sunbathing on Green Island, and spotted mighty osprey dive bombing into the sea and snatching fish in their talons. We have journeyed out to the Mere Point oyster float in Harpswell for oysters just pulled from the water and freshly shucked to order. And we love the days when the hardest decision is whether to tie up at a buoy for a picnic or pull up at one of the dozen or so spots on the bay to dock and dine. (I’d be remiss not to mention the fabulous culinary experience at the Crown Jewel on Great Diamond Island or fantastic views and cocktails at Dockside Grille in Falmouth.)
That said, Mr. West and I have very different boating approaches. Mr. West prefers a more adrenaline-fueled experience. He likes to book the RIB, also known as a rigid inflatable boat. It’s lightweight, cuts through choppy waters, built for speed, and handles like a race car on the water. He loves to throw in his golf clubs and hit the throttle like Crockett and Tubbs, Miami Vice style. It’s a white-knuckle experience, the kind tourists pay for in the speed boat around the harbor. But it’s worth every bump and sea spray moment to arrive at Chebeague Island for a round of golf. I will say there is no finer veranda view than the Chebeague Island Inn with a glass of rosé.
However, it’s not all sunshine and salt-kissed waves. Boating definitely tests you and can be incredibly humbling. I recently saw a needlepoint pillow that read, “Forgive me for what I said while docking,” and instantly recognized the wisdom. Attempting to guide a 20-foot vessel into a boat slip the size of a postage stamp while taking into account the wind, the tide and other boat traffic … well, let’s just say that Mr. West and I have exchanged some salty terms of endearment in those circumstances. Good thing we can laugh about it later..
The one thing that we emphatically agree with is that Casco Bay, and indeed all of Maine’s glorious coastline, is a beloved everyday luxury. No matter if you are taking it in from a gorgeous Hinckley Picnic boat, a Freedom Boat Club RIB, or the iconic Casco Bay Ferry—it’s all the sweeter when you get to experience it from a boat.
Mrs. West loves to dock in Diamond Cove for an island getaway at the Crown Jewel.
Experience Maine’s coast without the burden. Learn more about Freedom Boat Club at freedomboatclubmaine.com