The Movie "WINDJAMMER" Is In Production In Rockland

The movie WINDJAMMER is in production to be released in the fall of 2014.  This film is being produced by Doug Mills in association with The Maine Windjammer Project and The Camden Windjammer Project

Penobscot Bay on the coast of Maine has come to be known as one of the best places in the world for sailing. On any given day in the summer and fall you may see as many as a dozen historic schooners some over 140 years old still sailing in these waters.

There was a time when sail was king on the coast of Maine. The lime trade, granite & marble, lumber from virgin forests, ice and the fishing trades all employed sailing craft to move their products. The lime trade alone employed over 200 two masted schooners in Rockland and the surrounding coastal Maine towns.

Steam powered vessels were making some of the longer trans-Atlantic runs and the passenger trade up and down the coast. However, for coastal trade and the hundreds of islands located just off the coast of Maine sail is still king.

The coastal waters would be filled with these two masted schooners delivering cargo to and from all the coastal towns. They are the lifeline for those living on the islands, delivering everything from lumber to butter and even your grandfather’s new Sunday suit.

Today only a handful of the sailing vessels remain. Many of them were simply used until they were worn out and replaced by a new one. During the Great Depression, thousands of these boats were just abandoned where they stood and left to rot.

There is, however a place where during the summer and fall you can still see these historic vessels sailing the clear blue waters the Atlantic much the way they have for the past 200 years.  On the west side of Penobscot Bay is the town of Camden. It was here in 1935 that Frank Swift started offering windjammer vacations and the Maine windjammer fleet was born.

Come experience the lore of the windjammer on the coast of Maine with Captain Jim Sharp.  With video provided by The Maine Windjammer Project  and working in association with the Camden Windjammer Festival.

You can follow the progress of this exciting project on facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Windjammer/1435898273319240

Spellbinding Sea Stories with Captain Jim Sharp, Guest Speaker at the Union Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner on Thursday, April 25th

Union, Maine - Don’t be surprised if you notice the tang of salt spray in the evening air on Thursday, April 25th at the Union Masonic Lodge on Senebec Road in Union as Captain Jim Sharp speaks at the Union Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet. After sailing over 50,000 nautical miles in all kinds of craft, Captain Sharp will be regaling the audience with sea tales of his many experiences and talking about the Sail, Power & Steam Museum he founded and continues to operate in Rockland.

A self-proclaimed boat addict, Captain Sharp’s passion for boats led him to own over three dozen boats of every shape, size and kind in his long career. A tug boat captain and a locally well known captain of the famous 122-foot Grand Banks schooner Adventure for over 24 years, he also managed to find time to author two books, prepare research for three additional books as well as write numerous articles for boating magazines —all this while exploring nearly every waterway in the U.S. and Canada. He and his wife have also voyaged all over Europe in their Dutch canal boat. This is certain to be an evening of spellbinding sea stories from a man dedicated to maritime preservation and an evening you won’t want to miss. Captain Sharp’s book, “With Reckless Abandon,” will be available for sale that evening.

The Dinner & Awards ceremony sponsored by Tidewater Telecom will begin with a social hour from 5:30 - 6:30 PM. 7 Tree Farm and Greenhouse is donating the table arrangements while catering is by The Village Bakery. Dinner will begin with appetizers of baked brie bites in homemade puff pastry, crudite with homemade hummus, and assorted cheeses with homemade baguettes. The main course is a choice of an individual meatloaf (beef) with gorgonzola and caramelized onions or a vegetarian option of eggplant rollatini served with garden salad and fresh baguettes. Dessert is a choice of cupcakes —chocolate with mocha buttercream or carrot with lemon cream cheese frosting. A gluten-free option of baked apples will be available. Tickets are $25 per person in advance, $30 at the door the evening of the event, and is open to the public. Reservations are requested. Checks should be made out to UACOC and mailed to PO Box 603, Union, ME 04862. Confirmation receipts of your reservation payment will be returned to you by mail. Reservations must be submitted by April 23rd.

Awards will be presented for Business of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, Community Service Award and Special Recognition Award. There will also be a raffle and a silent auction. Silent auction donations should be arranged prior to the event by contacting Lyle Cramer at 785-2030. Gift certificates can be mailed to: Lyle Cramer, 11 Seven Tree Lane, Union, ME 04862.

About Union Area Chamber of Commerce
The Union Area Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to form a solid bond between members, to increase consumers’ awareness of the businesses in our Chamber area and to contribute to our communities. Currently the Chamber has over 120 members drawn from inland mid-coast area towns.

For additional information regarding the Union Area Chamber of Commerce visit www.unionareachamber.org or contact:

John Fromer, Vice-President
Union Area Chamber of Commerce
975-6995 /info@unionareachamber.org