Private Sailing Charters in Camden Maine

2011-08-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ahoy everyone!! Just a quick note to reassure all the fans of Liberation that the boat survived Hurricane Irene without a scratch!! Last Thursday, I was very nervous watching the storm approach. Many people decided to haul their boats so I succumbed to the pressure. I called every where, but there was nowhere to haul. Finally, I got an offer from a boatyard at one of the islands for a secure and protected mooring. I delivered the boat on Friday, took off the sails, strapped everything down and crossed my fingers. To my relief, the storm weakened and the boat was just fine throughout the storm. I just brought the boat back to Camden and she is ready for an awesome Fall season!!!

2010-11-27T07:25:00.000-08:00

Ahoy Mateys!!! Just a quick update to all Liberation Charters fans out there!! The boat has been put to bed for the winter and is getting a well deserved rest. Look for some improvements on the boat this off season, cosmetic and structural. I've also posted a new video on the Facebook page you've got to see. An action video involving seals!! Anyway, I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and that you are all getting excited about Christmas!!

Captain Don

2010-10-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ahoy again sailors!!! Just a quick update on the sailing season here on Penobscot Bay!! This past Saturday, I took a really nice family from New Hampshire to the Island of Vinylhaven. It was really blowing and the wind was out of the North West, so it was downwind all the way. Once we tucked into Ledbetters Narrows, we were in the protection of the islands. It was smooth sailing with harbor seal lounging on the rocks, islands all around us and flat seas, wow!!! We sailed into the fishing port called Carvers Harbor where we were the only sailboat. The sail home, (solo and upwind) was fun as I kept my eyes peeled for whales. Another charter with some locals on Sunday to celebrate a birthday was met by sunny skies and a nice breeze. Sound fun? Well Columbus Day weekend is coming up and I am available to take you sailing. This is almost the last hurrah, so call 207-542-1908!!!

2010-10-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

A thousand pardons for not keeping up with the blog in the last few weeks!! I'm back to being Mr. Mann at the High School and the season has slowed down, but wait!!! What's this? the phone is ringing off the hook again!! 3 charters in 5 days, wow!!! I plan on keeping the boat in the water until October 22nd, so call now, 207-542-1908!! Oh and by the way, kudos to those fans of Liberation Charters on Facebook!! I am loving this new trend!! My customers come back from a charter, become a "friend" and post pictures plus testimonials!! So cool!! We're up to 61 members now and there are more to come! Thanks everyone!!!

2010-09-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

OK Liberation Charters fans!!! Earl is coming and I say Earl Shmearl!" The boat is buttoned down and secure! After this storm passes the weather is going to be epic!! I still have some openings this Sunday and Monday. Call at 207-542-1908!!!

2010-08-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ahoy again! Today marks another milestone in the charter captain career!! I took my 9 year old out today on a charter as first mate!! She did wonderfully and totally kept one of the passengers amused the entire time. We took out this awesome family that hung in there despite the rain and not so nice conditions!! Thanks Jessie and the Jasper family!! School starts up the day after tomorrow, but Captain Don is ready for the last part of the season!! Call, 207-542-1908!!!

2010-08-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ahoy mates!!! Charter #20 today in the books! I have taken the unprecedented step in letting people stay on board for 4 nights!! Yikes!! We went sailing today and to my delight and surprise the father of the family was/is French!! Quelle coincidence!!! The whole family is eager to learn and are, in my opinion very resourceful and capable folks!! In fact the father who is an engineer might be the smartest person I've ever met!! By the end of the 4 day charter I have a feeling he is going to be teaching me!! No, not really, well, maybe!!! Still plenty of sailing to go, call at 207-542-1908!!!

2010-08-13T15:00:00.001-07:00

Ahoy everyone!! Sorry for the delay in posts. I have been on a 7 day sail with my family and have done non-stop charters with bunches more to come. In fact I am booked solid until I become Mr. Mann again. There are available times in September and October though. You should see the leaves from the boat in the fall, breathtaking!! (reminds me of Elaine in the Seinfeld episode with the ugly baby). So the sailing is great and I am ready to share the love, call at 207-542-1908!!

2010-08-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ahoy everyone! Just a few exciting things to report!! My good friends from Colorado were here last weekend and took tons of photos and videos. Check them out on my Facebook page!! Also, I will be going out on a cruise with my family for 7 days and will out of touch between 8/3-8/9. I'll ask Jen to take pictures!!!

See you in a week!!!

Captain Don

2010-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ahoy out there dedicated readers!!! The first thing I have to report is how amazing the weather has been this summer! I know the rest of the nation feels like they're living in an oven, but up here it's warm and comfortable. It's hot for Maine, mid to high eighties, but out on the water it's beautiful! The other thing to report is that we finally have some video to watch that shows what a charter on Liberation would look like. If you go to the website that is shown as a link on the right side of the page, scroll down to the bottom where it says "see Captain Don's Blog" or "click here to see Captain Don's facebook page." There you will see a short video of us sailing in the cove of an island called Lasel. It is about a 45 minute sail from Camden, but feels like a million miles away!

Check it out and don't forget to call for a charter, 207-542-1908!!!

2010-07-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Another perfect day! Winds out of the SW, 5-10 knots, sunny, warm, perfect. I will be taking out the "fam" and some French exchange students! This ought to be interesting!!

2010-07-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ahoy everyone!!! First things first, my daughter placed 5th out of 30 boats at the regatta!! Wohoo!! She was actually in 2nd after the first day, but after some "mean" wind dropped and some "nasty" current caught her, she drifted back and the other boats caught her. Oh well, she learned a ton and had a great experience!!!

So as you may know, I have created a facebook page for Liberation,

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137042096324885

There are already 32 members and I am looking forward to the potential of this way of communicating with sailors. Stay tuned!! Oh and by the way, the sailing is sooooo nice right now, call 207-542-1908

2010-07-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ahoy!!! I'm off to Portland for my daughter's first big regatta!! When I get back, I am determined to get some video on this blog and on the site. I just need the time and the photographer!! I'm thinking maybe some footage of Liberation under sail, some shots of harbor seals, maybe even an interview with Captain Don!!! Oh yeah!!! I'm also thinking of getting footage of each charter and then passengers can see their charter that evening and beyond, huh?! Not just a hat rack!!! (wink)

Stay tuned and wish my daughter luck!!!

2010-07-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a sail we had today with John and Mary!! 12-15 knots out of the SW with many seals contributing to the scenery!! I am so happy my easy going passengers had such great conditions and had so much fun! There were some times while on the helm I had to ask myself, "is this really a job?, is this work?" Anyway, John and Mary had some suggestions for enhancing this blog with some visual love!! Stand by for that!! In the meantime, call 207-542-1908 or email me at captain_don@liberationcharters.com for a charter!!

Captain Don

2010-07-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

Hi again liberation charters fans!!! I had a really interesting charter this past Saturday, a man and a woman. The woman was an author in town for a book signing! I asked what the book was about and she said "sex". I thought, well, this should be an interesting sail! True story, of course everything went fine and the sailing was great! That's what I love about this job, you never know what you're gonna get! Maybe it's like Forest Gump's box of chocolats! Anyway, someone needs to teach me how to put photos on this blog. Talk to you in a few days!!

Captain Don

Mr. Mann to some of you!!!

2010-07-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

Another fine stretch of weather coming and customers are calling! Yesterday we had the perfect sail with a great couple from Texas up here escaping the heat! A textbook charter indeed! Thanks Mike and Cindy!! Another charter today and one more tomorrow, these people must be enlightened!!!

207-542-1908!!!!

2010-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Ahoy sailors!!! Well the weather up here is officially beautiful and the sailing is awesome. Breezy with flat seas and plenty of wildlife to behold!!! While planning a vacation here in Maine, check out the Birchwood Motel,

http://www.birchwoodmotel.com

They're good friends and they have spacious, clean rooms with views of the bay!! Captain Don has been known to check in a guest from time to time!! Look forward to seeing you up here soon!!!

2010-06-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ok people, I'm back from France where a great time was had by all! It is now officially charter season as the first charter of the year took place yesterday. Some fun loving people from Chicago or Boston depending on their mood went out on the bay for a quick two hour sail!!! The calendar is starting to fill up as folks out there are getting the word that a sail with Captain Don is a little slice of heaven!! Book a charter now!!!

2010-06-09T05:40:00.000-07:00

Ahoy dedicated readers!! The boat is ready to go. She is out on the mooring saying "take me sailing, take me sailing!" Just one thing though, I will not be available for charters between the days of June 13th and June 21st. I will be taking 24 of my favorite High School students to France. I will be ready to go afterwards though with plenty of good stories to tell!! Vive La France and see you soon!!

Captain Don

2010-06-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes!!! The news you've all been waiting to hear!!! The boat is on the mooring in Camden! (trumpets sounding) I just have to do some spring cleaning and load some gear and I'm ready for charters! Who is going to be the first this summer?? Right now the earliest booking is June 23rd! Give me a call, check out the website, email me and prepare to have your lives changed forever!!! Or just come sailing!!!

2010-06-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

OK people!! The boat went in this past Wednesday, the 1st and now I'm headed down to the dock to put the sails on and sail her to Camden. I will give her a good scrubbing over the weekend, load the cushions and other niceties and I'll be ready to take you out sailing. Just one thing, I will be in France June 13th-21st with my students. After that, it's hot fun in the summer time!!!

2010-05-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

OK, so I guess I didn't exactly keep up with the monthly posts over the winter!! Oh well!! I do have things to tell all you dedicated readers out there now though!! The boat is almost ready to launch. I have very few things left on my punch list!! One thing I am excited about this year is the bright work. I decided it was time to go for it and put on all new varnish. So with the help of a sander and many hours, I took off all the old varnish and went down to bare wood. That wood hasn't seen the light of day since the 70s!! I'm on my 4th coat with three more to go!! Any returning customers should notice a difference and there will be a prize for anyone who even says they noticed it!! So here's the deal, I launch June 2nd, step the mast June 3rd and will have the boat ready for the weekend of the 5th. I have one more week at the High School and on the 13th, I take my students to France. I come back the 21st and am ready to change your lives with an epic sail on Penobscot Bay. I already have some bookings so call or email today! Let the adventure begin!!!

2009-11-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the incredibly exciting updates for you Liberation Charter fans out there, first mate Todd and Captain Don built a solid frame for the boat this afternoon!! The cover will go on tomorrow and Liberation will hybernate for the winter. Look forward to that awe inspiring post!!!

2009-11-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

It's November 5th and the first snowfall is upon us. Liberation is resting in the boatyard ready to be covered. Captain Don is considering biting the bullet and splurging for some shrink wrap!! It's hard to believe that only two and a half weeks ago, the Tennessee charter took place. If you are reading this Dan, say "hi" to the gang for me, that was a fun charter!! Check back with you soon everyone!!

Captain Don

2009-10-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today Liberation goes out of the water for a well deserved rest. Five months ago, Liberation splashed and went on to have a great season. Lots of happy passengers will reminisce during the off season about their charter with Captain Don. Liberation will see some improvements this winter and will be ready to go again in early June. Start making your plans now and book a charter. I will attempt to post information on this blog at least once a month. See you soon!

Captain Don

2009-10-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last charter of the summer yesterday!! Yes, that's right, October 17th and Liberation was seen on the Penobscot Bay. Were the day schooners out there? I don't think so!! Aaarrrggg! A wonderful group from Tennessee joined me for a sail to Pulpit harbor and back. Blue skies, plenty of wind and a good time was had by all. Sadly, Captain Don will take the boat to Rockport to unstep the mast on Tuesday and Friday the boat will take the sad over land trek to the boat yard. Sniff!! What a great season it was! Look for posts on the blog throughout the off season and start making plans for the summer of 2010. Book a charter with Captain Don now and get excited for an unforgettable sail!!!

2009-10-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

The season is winding down with two weeks to go before Captain Don hauls the boat. The foliage is magnificent, seen from the water is even better. Too late for this year? Book for the summer of 2010, it will be the highlight of your summer!!

2009-09-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

The weather has been and will continue to be amazing here in the early going of September. Captain Don is back at work at the High School, but is still able to take people out sailing after school and on weekends. Book a charter now, you won't regret it!!!

2009-08-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hot, hot, hot is the word!! There is one way I know how to beat the heat, go sailing!! I'm getting lots of calls today about charters for the middle and end of this week. There's still availability though. Call and book your own charter at 207-542-1908. Don't forget to click on the link of the website for more information!!

2009-08-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here we are already the middle of August!! The good weather is here to stay!! Looking for something to do?, check out the website, www.liberationcharters.com and book a charter!, you won't regret it! or call, 207-542-1908!!

2009-08-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

Thunderstorms today, but things look great for the rest of the week and the weekend! These sunny days remind me of July during a "normal" summer. Crystal clear, sparkly water, nice fresh breeze out of the SW!! Wow!! Don't hesitate to call at 207-542-1908, email at captain_don@liberationcharters.com and check the website at

www.liberationcharters.com

2009-08-10T20:05:00.000-07:00

The weather here in Maine has finally changed. It's like somebody flipped a switch!! It is beautiful! Yesterday we had two charters with unlimited visibility and plenty of wind. We also saw an abundance of seals lounging on a ledge. There is still plenty of time to book a charter. Call 207-542-1908. Let's go sailing!!!!

2009-08-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of "Liberation". An Erickson 35 sloop designed by Bruce King for speed and comfort, promises passengers of all ages a great time on the water.

2009-08-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

Captain Don Mann offers a unique sailing experience on Penobscot Bay out of Camden Maine "Why not have a boat to yourself and family instead of sharing it with tourists on a schooner you don't even know? Take the helm, raise the sails, grind the winches or just sit back and eat bonbons" See seals, porpoises, bald eagles and ospreys. Enjoy the lively , animated stories from Captain Don. Liberation Charters takes you where no tourists have been before! Check out the website.