An Addition to the Maine Classic Fleet: Alert

Visitors to Maine are always happy to discover that the Pine Tree State affords them more ways to get aboard a classic sailing ship than most parts of the country. Starting this summer, they’ll have yet another option. Alert, a 56′ schooner built by Paul Rollins and formerly named Tall Cotton, has been purchased and is being converted to carry passengers from Bailey Island, in Harpswell. In recent years Alert has sailed from Portland, trying to prove that a sailing vessel could be a viable commercial fishing platform.

With her spoon bow and distinctive transom — and now sporting a new color scheme — Alert makes a fine addition to the Maine daysailing fleet. I spotted her at the dock in Thomaston as her new owners completed final fitting-out tasks before the tourist season gets underway. If you spot her sailing off Potts Harbor and Casco Bay, I hope you’ll snap a photo and share it here on USHarbors.