A Colorful Windjamming Adventure

Watercolor Cruise Aboard The Angelique

Day One–Embarkation:

We arrive in the early evening at The Angelique in the Camden, Maine harbor and unload our supplies. The crew is busy readying the vessel for guests and welcomes us with a smile and a safety check so that we are secure and prepared for the days ahead. We unpack and bring dozens of bags on deck full of art supplies. We are on a special watercolor cruise as the Art teachers. Sixteen of the 27 guests have opted in for daily lessons to learn how to paint Maine’s iconic seascapes.

 

 

 

The Midcoast’s Windjammers are no strangers to specialty cruises. The Angelique offers photography cruises, special farm-to-table dinners, yoga, stargazing cruises, and a signature watercolor sail. Windjammers like the J. & E. Riggin, the Stephen Taber, and the Mary Day can be chartered by special interest groups who knit, rug hook, or birdwatch, and many of Maine’s boats offer other unique events like wine tastings or jazz music as part of their regular summer scheduling.

The Angelique’s co-owner Candace Kuchinski states: “We want to offer something special to guests that would be a unique way for them to experience The Angelique and their time sailing in Maine.” As a natural extension of the vibrant arts community of Midcoast Maine, Captain Dennis Gallant and his wife Candace embraced the idea of a watercolor cruise. We collaboratively planned for daily lessons and ample time for practice, inspiration, and relaxation.

 

Guests came to paint and sail aboard The Angelique from as far as Illinois, Canada, and Florida, with many returning guests from the Northeast.

Jess Barton from New York, New York, states: “The Angelique is so chill. I was here for a yoga cruise and loved how I felt. It’s relaxing and wonderful, so I returned and brought a friend.”

 

Day Two:

The sunrise over Camden is beautiful. We listen to Captain Dennis talk about The Angelique’s history and his family’s stewardship of the vessel. The tide is in. We pass Curtis Island while heading out into Penobscot Bay. Everyone is eager to assist in raising the rust-colored sails that give The Angelique its unique appearance. We eat a hearty and delicious breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, sausages, and fresh fruit to fortify ourselves for the day ahead.

 

 

We begin with an art lesson in the galley, demonstrating how to use the supplies and stone ground paints. We compose a simple composition of sea stones and beach glass that helps everyone ease into their painting tools and build confidence. I see everyone’s focus narrow as their painting practice starts in earnest.

Out on deck, we eat an incredible lunch of tomato soup and avocado, edamame, and sesame salad, finished off by the most decadent S’mores cookies – a sweet concoction of graham crackers, cookie dough, marshmallows, and chocolate bars. (The Angelique boasts some of the best cooks in the Maine Windjammer Fleet.) Some of us sneak a second cookie and settle on deck to continue painting. The views in the Fox Island Thorofare are sublime. I see guests taking photos for painting inspiration for the days ahead. Captain Dennis is easy to talk to (and laugh with), and the afternoon sail is lovely.

 

 

 

Small groups form, and the beautiful and natural group feedback process begins. Final compositions start to emerge, and I am amazed at how many painters can capture the light in their brushstrokes.

We finish the day in Hell’s Half Acre and take a dip in the (very) cool waters off of Devil’s Island. After a pork loin dinner with bacon jam followed by peach cake, we practice our brushstroke work with a short exercise on painting seaweed. The guests paint their bookmark keepsakes. Everyone turns in early after a full day.

 

Day Three:

The Angelique was built for comfort – perfect for smooth sailing with its deep draft hull and full keel. It is an ideal vessel for watercolor painting. The 95 feet of deck provides ample space to grab a quiet space to work. We enjoy exceptional weather during this cruise, and it is a dream to be on deck for our second morning. Energy levels are high, as almost everyone slept well. We begin the morning with a lesson on detailed brushwork and the task of painting seaweed wreaths. I do a demonstration, repeating the techniques twice and answering questions before we break to help hoist the sails.

 

 

 

We quickly stop in Stonington on Deer Isle to stretch our legs. We row The Angelique’s dories to the town dock, working hard to stay in sync with one another. A friendly harbor seal follows, and we grab photos to include in our seascape paintings.

Back on board, we head West towards Bucks Harbor and continue our compositions.

 

 

Leslie Cuthbertson of Ottawa, Canada, asks if we can practice an advanced technique of tree painting. She states: “I love the materials you gave us, and I want to push myself further in my skills while we are here.” The afternoons onboard provide time for open studio work, and Leslie and I  sit down one-on-one to discuss washes, wet-on-wet painting techniques, and fine line work. A few other guests gather. We end up with an impromptu mini-lesson.

The Angelique’s daily schedule is built for this.

“We are all about ease and flexibility here,” states Captain Dennis Gallant. While some guests relax on deck with a book (or a nap) after the morning’s painting session, our small group takes turns with the small brushes and tree techniques with direct group feedback – practicing and perfecting the look of the twists and gnarls of the pine trees on the islands all around.

Our group is kind and friendly – a collective energy that Dennis and Candice strive to cultivate with every cruise.

 

 

 

Each guest was provided all they needed to paint on-board, including paper, brushes, water jars, lapboards, and sketching materials. When planning the watercolor cruise, Candace and I discussed the desire for each person to arrive without the need to haul a large amount of supplies on board. We wanted it to be a turnkey experience with premium supplies. The idea was: “Easy to come on board – easy to fall in love with sailing and painting.”

We end the day with a swim. Almost everyone on board jumps in. It is a beautiful clear night, and the Milky Way puts on a spectacular show.

 

 

 

Day Four:

Guests are on deck early; art supplies are spread out, accompanied by hot coffee from Camden’s Coffee on the Porch and the crew’s daily pre-breakfast treats. With muffins and paintbrushes in hand, island landscapes appear on watercolor paper, built upon the previous day’s lessons and practice.

It is a blanket of color, focus, and skill woven amidst the deck ropes and the goings-on of the crew as we get underway for the day’s sail.  The wind cooperates, and we make our way towards Burnt Island- North Haven’s public park and perfect locale for a lobster bake and afternoon swim.

 

 

 

 

We work hard to finish each of our paintings as we plan a post-dinner art show. We anchor off Burnt Island and row ashore for an abundant lobster bake. We hear that the ship’s record on lobster consumption is 17 by a former guest, and we try our best to match. Most of us top out at two each.

Back on deck, we tack our paintings to the salon’s walls to view each other’s work. I unroll a large-scale painting I did of the Maine Islands while onboard, using cuttings and green-colored scraps from each guest’s paintings. We snap a happy group photo. It is a beautiful sight as the sun sets over Penobscot Bay. Chef Bradley treats us all to a baked chocolate pudding with whipped cream, an over-the-top welcome sweet treat.

 

 

Day Five–Disembarkation:

We arrive back in Camden Harbor, and it is another bluebird day.  Guests pack up their supplies and share their feedback. We collect one another’s emails and prepare to dock and head home.

As we pass the Curtis Island Light, a calm comes over us, taking in the harbor scenes and the myriad boats moored in the wharf. Captain Dennis warmly shares his thanks. Hugs are generously passed around.

Lisa Ekus of Hatfield, Massachusetts, states: “Sailing on The Angelique’s unique windjammer watercolor cruise was the perfect marriage of great adventure and immersion in the beauty of the Maine Islands. I was way out of my comfort zone in signing up in terms of my sailing and artistic abilities. The four days were sheer colorful magic! To gently ride the waves while capturing the ever-changing landscape of the Maine coastline was an extraordinary and rich experience. It’s unique, it’s fun, it’s creative and magical. The crew, passengers, and our watercolor teacher were all extraordinary. I can’t wait to book my return voyage and pick up my paintbrush again.”

 

 

 

• Find out more about the unique cruises aboard The Angelique at www.sailangelique.com/
• The Watercolor Cruise will repeat in 2024. Dates are on The Angelique Website.
• Guests can pay the base fee to sail or add on the watercolor class option. All are welcome.

Interested in more MidCoast adventures? Read about the Maine Oyster Trail or about exploring the islands of Vinalhaven and North Haven.

 

 

Written by Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons. Kristin is a Writer, Artist, and Teacher who lives on the coast of Maine. She is passionate about Maine’s Midcoast and its unique geography, art, and cultural history.

Photos by Capshore Photography, a Southern Maine duo whose passion is creating authentic images and videos to tell stories using both traditional and aerial drone photography.

This cruise was conducted on the unceded ancestral lands and waters of the Wabanaki Nation. Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons and Amy Welch-Olsen of Capshore Photography would like to thank the Wabanaki People for their historic stewardship of these lands and waters.