This is the Lewis R. French in Great Cove early yesterday morning, waiting to raise sail.
She sailed out of the Cove in a light rain that, by afternoon, had worked itself into a psychotic torrent of a storm. The drenched tourists on this schooner will have a good tale to tell when they get home.
The 101-foot French was launched in 1871 out of Christmas Cove, Maine. She was built there by the French brothers and named after their father. In her youth, her life was varied and hard: Among other things, she freighted bricks, granite, fish, lime, firewood, and Christmas trees.
Now, the French is a classic and almost luxurious coastal cruiser out of Camden, Maine; she takes visitors out for leisurely multi-day sails, roving the islands and coves of Down East Maine and serving exquisite food. (Brooklin, Maine)