EXCURSION boats offer various experiences on the beautiful Maine coast. Sightseeing boats offer tours from Maine's busier coastal towns in their surrounding waters or to local islands or attractions. Boats leave from Portland, for instance, bound for Admiral Perry's Eagle Island, or from Jonesport for Machias Seal Island to scout for puffins. Music or dinner cruises often include a sunset and lighthouses in addition to their onboard entertainment or gourmet fare. If you would like to catch a glimpse of leviathans from the deep, catch a whale watching boat. Whale watching excursions leave from Portland, Boothbay Harbor and Bar Harbor, among other towns.
If you would like a lengthier voyage, you could join a Maine coastal cruise. These smaller, specialty cruise ships tailor short cruises to discover the best the Maine coast has to offer. Real salts, or those who would like to become real salts, book passage on a day sail or one of Maine's gorgeous, traditional windjammers–majestic schooners from bygone days that glide through majestic bays and thorofares and tuck into remote harbors for days and weeks at a time.
Finally, if you have a special occasion worthy of a special experience–perhaps a wedding, an anniversary, or a funeral–specialty charters can be booked on various vessels.