Sail Acadia

We sailed with Captain Karl in early October. This was a fantastic idea for our fall trip to Acadia. We spent the afternoon on the boat with 2 other couples. It was fun and relaxing! I highly recommend this for your trip to Acadia.

We sailed out on the Helen Brooks that was captained by Stu and his deck hand, Ian. We got the deal of a lifetime because we paid for my girlfriend and I at the group rate and ended up having the whole boat to ourselves like we would have if we chartered it privately. This was probably one of the most romantic dates my girlfriend and I have ever had. It was definitely one of the most fun things we did while in Bar Harbor and a highlight of our trip as well! I honestly would not have minded chartering it if our friends had come along because it was such a great experience that would have been more than worth the money!
Stu and Ian were super accommodating and knowledgeable about the area. Stu and my girlfriend ended up actually being from the same town in Florida (small world!). They even prepared us cheese, crackers, and apples to snack on during part of the trip. It was a comfortable ride and they even offered us sailing lessons if we wanted to, but we decided to take it easy and sit back and relax but it was nice to know that next time we could have a more hands on experience if we wanted to!
We toured around Great and Little Cranberry and saw the huge rock where the seals sun themselves which was so cool! We saw some harbor porpoises as well. We did this on our first day in Acadia and it was such a beautiful introduction to the area for my girlfriend and was an experience we would love to do again. I would definitely recommend chartering this boat with a few friends (the maximum capacity is 6, I believe). You are allowed to bring alcohol and they even offer a sunset cruise which I think would be amazing accompanied by a nice glass of wine and some friends!

Just did a sunset sail on August 2, 2015. The captain and his first mate were awesome! The boat was full (six passengers), but our crowd was similar in age and conversation topics. The cruise was $ 75 per person, and took us around a couple of islands. There wasn’t too much wind, so a couple of times we had to start the engine to motorboat a little ways to when the wind picked up. All in all a wonderful experience, and I’d definitely go again!

We had Captain Carl on the Alice E for a sunset cruise with a full boat (3 couples). This was a low wind night but Carl was amazing as a tour guide and in answering all of our silly questions. If you ever want an experience worth your money this is the company to go with either in South or East Harbor. This is a must do trip

Captain Karl Brunner was awesome. Booking went smooth and we felt like real locals on his boat. His knowledge of the area and sea was on point. He was willing to teach us both sailing terms and how to help the captain. From sailing knots to old pirate tales he was informational and approachable. He offered snacks and the ride was BYOB. We ended up DJ’ing the cruise and it was our favorite part of the trip. Complimentary local snacks. Great day.

I had an opportunity to sail aboard the Helen Brooks with Lou and Astra and must say it made me enjoy my stay about 10x more. This relaxing and entertaining sail boat ride just put into perspective how beautiful Maine really is. Lou and Astra also made our group of strangers all come together and feel like we knew each other for years. Originally I was looking for your typical touristy type boat ride but I am glad I spent a few bucks more and went with Sail Acadia these guys are well worth checking out!

Captain Karl provided a relaxing atmosphere and good conversation on our 2-​hour mid-​day charter aboard the Alice E. The day was beautiful, and though the wind was uncooperative most of the time, Captain Karl motored us to better waters where we could pick up more wind. All told, a lovely time.

Sailed on the Amnity, friendship sloop, with captain Patrick. It was a fun time, great way to see the area from the water! The boat only holds 6 people so it is a fun way to spend the afternoon. Patrick was a nice captain, he packed drinks and snacks which was an excellent touch! He knew some about the local animals and history but wasn’t a huge talker. We did see a harbor porpoise! I only gave it 4 stars because I felt like the course we took didn’t have much of a purpose, like we didn’t get too close to the shore to see neat cliffs or near Bear Island lighthouse, which would have been nice. Patrick was somewhat of a fill in since the Alice E. And her captain had been charted for the next few days. So for the somewhat new guy in tone, it was great and well worth it! Definitely better than going on a larger ship with lots of people
It is a great way to spend three hours and totally worth it! I’d like to try sailing at sunset, probably beautiful views if it is clear! We called the morning of and got on an afternoon sail, which was a huge plus since they were booked for the rest of the weekend.

We had an opportunity to sail aboard the Helen Brooks with Lou and Astra last month during our first visit to Maine. It was absolutely the highlight of our week! We met them at the Northeast Harbor, and they warmly welcomed us aboard their beautiful friendship sloop. They allowed my two older children (I was too nervous to let my fearless and clumsy 7-​yr-​old follow them) to climb forward and help rig the sails once we left the harbor, and they happily taught us all about the ship’s history and components. We sailed for a couple of hours around various islands in the area, where we learned about the region and spotted an eagle, a seal, and harbor porpoises. We also learned about the lobster industry in Maine (who knew that lobstermen aren’t allowed to harvest on Sundays or at night?). As we closed our cruise, we witnessed a spectacular sunset and my youngest got to steer the ship into the harbor — he’s still talking about how «awesome!!» it was!
Our kids absolutely loved the entire adventure, which was a welcome relief; the last time we went out on the water, my middle was just miserable — but this time, he had a blast! Lou and Astra were such wonderful hosts; if you get a chance to sail with them, you won’t be disappointed. Huge thanks to Sail Acadia for setting the stage for a fabulous first visit to Maine — we’ll definitely be back, and a trip with Sail Acadia will be first on our list of things to do!

We used this charter during our last trip to Acadia NP, and the boat and captain were fantastic. I highly recommend one of the longer cruises so that you can take advantage of the breathtaking vistas that the island has to offer. We will be sure to book again next year.