Maine boat builder enjoys smooth sailing aboard ship
CAMDEN, ME. >> Tom Siske never has to worry about paying property tax bills.
That’s one of the main benefits he enjoys during life aboard the Prophet, a replica cod fishing boat that drops anchor here after a busy summer sailing season.
A self-employed furniture maker, Siske built the vessel himself.
“The design goes back to 1830,” he said. “This would have been a common cod fishing boat. It was designed by a man named Davis in Booth Bay Harbor. The original boat was built in 1832.”
The Prophet is one of more than a dozen tall-masted ships that took part in Camden’s recent 25th annual Windjammer Festival, the largest event of its kind in the Northeast.
It’s pure small-town Americana at its best, with a special New England coastal flair all its own highlighted by activities for young and old alike such as a boat parade, nautical dog show and lobster crate race, in which young kids run back and forth across a long line of wooden crates strung together in the water.
The winner is the one who keeps going the longest without falling off.
There’s also a chance to tour schooners, take part in a treasure hunt, sample chowder and enjoy a hearty pancake breakfast.
Siske’s 22-ton boat is 40 feet long on deck with a 12-foot beam and six-foot draft.
“It’s a pretty heavy boat,” he said. “From here to about where the mast is, is the cargo hold. It would hold about two cords of wood. They hauled freight and things like that but mostly it was for cod fishing.”
Siske worked on the project in the town of Hope, about 10 miles from Camden. Masts were made from 47-foot-long spruce logs, cut from tall trees.
Summer time finds Siske sailing up and down the Maine coast.
“In winter I’m usually laid up right here,” he said.
Camden’s harbor is set against the backdrop of rugged, 800-foot high Mount Battie, whose rocky summit affords far-reaching panoramic views of Penobscot Bay.
The top can be reached by car
or a roughly half-mile hiking trail that attracts hundreds of visitors on sunny autumn afternoons.
Named for a Native American tribe indigenous to the region, Penobscot Bay is the largest one in Maine at 30 miles long and 30 miles wide.
The view from Mount Battie has inspired many works of literature and art including Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poem, “Renascence,” in which she wrote: “All I could see from where I stood was three long mountains and wood; I turned and looked the other way, and saw three islands in a bay.”
Camden remains a popular destination even during cold weather months with events such as the Nov. 30-Dec. 2 “Christmas by the Sea” when it’s transformed into a festive and intimate fairytale town, complete with an enchanting star atop Mount Battie, overlooking the village. This event kicks off the holiday season with a parade, Santa’s arrival by boat, open houses and craft fairs.
The winter season continues with events such as Camden Winterfest Week (Feb. 2-9) and the U.S. National Toboggan Championships (Feb. 8-10) at Camden Snow Bowl.
For more information about these and other events go to: http://www. camdenmainevacation. com/camden-maine-annual-events.php.