OUR CREW
Photos by Paul Brenner
The Captain
and First Mate of the Surprise are
Jack and Barbara Moore. That's us! We have been offering sailing
trips out of Camden since 1984 when Camden was just being discovered
by tourists. We have been sailing together for all of our married
life. What started out as an escape from the pressures of jobs
while raising our four children soon turned into a passion. In
the winter of 1978, during a brief trip to the island of Culebra,
Puerto Rico, we found a 38 ft. steel ketch called Milky Way,
which we purchased later that year. For the next seven years,
Milky Way was our home, our kids' school, and our "Rosinante"
as we sailed throughout the eastern Caribbean and the East Coast
of the U.S.
Cara, Heidi, Joshua, John
Milky Way 1978
In l984,
we brought Milky Way to Camden and began offering two-hour
trips on Penobscot Bay. From those humble beginnings came the
business we now operate from Memorial Day until the middle of
October on the Maine Coast. We have taken thousands of people
sailing, many of whom return each year to sail with us, hear our
stories and enjoy this beautiful area. We invite you to discover
the magic of the Maine coast as only a fortunate few have seen
it - from the deck of an historic windjammer like Surprise!
Our sales
staff will be your first introduction to the world of Surprise
and we are very proud of them. One
of the most valuable members of our team is Megan Dailey. Megan
combines her college career with traveling. Three years ago, she
traveled with the Outward Bound school which included trekking
in the German Alps and sailing on the square rigged ship Raoul
Amundsen in the Lesser Antilles. This year she is finishing up
her degree at Montana State University in Missoula Montana. We
look forward to hearing about her adventures as she greets guests
at our table this summer.
Megan at the Ticket Table
You might
also meet Sharon Pratt, who has been selling tickets for us for
two years now. She manages to juggle her schedule to find time
to be a soccer coach, full time Mom and a great representative
for us at the dock. We even get her to come sailing occasionally
to see first hand what it's like out on the Bay.
Sharon at the wheel
When you
approach the table you might meet Annadeene Konesni who was a
student of Capt. Jack when she was in the ninth grade. She went
on to graduate from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and she
makes her living as a working artist (when she isn't working as
our marketing director at the dock). Check out her artwork here.
Annadeene the Artist
Finally,
you might remember Tia Anderson, who has been with us for many
years. As her kids have grown she has had less time for us at
the dock, but she loves to be there whenever school and daycare
work out.
Tia, Capt. Jack and son Cole
Our youngest
son Joshua, his wife Kristin Sidwell, and their children, Sophie
and Max, moved back to Camden in 2002 after having spent several
years in Durango, Colorado. They purchased a house in the village
in Camden which was built in 1904, and they have done a great
job renovating and expanding the living spaces. Josh has his Captain's
license, and acts as a relief captain for Mom and Dad whenever
he can. It's not easy to break Josh away from his duties as deputy
editor for Down East Magazine,
a job he enjoys immensely. We always have a copy of the latest
edition on board to share with our passengers. Josh and Kristin
purchased their own sailboat so their children could grow up enjoying
the wonders of Penobscot Bay under sail. Kristin is the Administrative
Director of the Children's
House Montessori School in Camden.
Capt. Josh and Family- Max, Kristin and
Sophie
Our other relief captain is Charlie Conlan who has
sailed for many years aboard the windjammers of the New England
Coast. Capt. Charlie has two overwhelming passions in addition
to his two children. Besides being an accomplished sailor he is
a skilled carpenter. When he is not working restoring boats you
can find him building post and beam houses or completing a house
renovation for a happy homeowner. This winter he has built work
spaces for well -known historian David McCullough, who has moved
to Camden.
Our daughter
Heidi Tucker, who sold tickets for us every summer from 1984 until
she graduated from Wesleyan University, works as Director of Member
Services at the nearby Bath Area YMCA. Heidi balances being a
mother of precocious six-year old Katy, and dynamic three-year
old Owen , with all of the other demands of today's parents. Heidi's
husband Michael is the"Course Materials and General Book
Manager"at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. Having met Heidi
when they were both employed by Barnes & Noble, this position
in the book world of academia seems like a great fit for Michael.
The whole family enjoys visiting him on campus. The Peary-MacMillan
Arctic Museum should not be missed if you are in the Brunswick
area.
Heidi spins a yarn
Katy and Owen Taking the Wheel
Our son,
John, who skippers a former America's Cup boat (America II) on
the Hawaiian island of Maui doesn't get much "off-season"
time to visit us since his weather is relentlessly nice for sailing.
John is captain/papa to three active children Malia, Keoni and
Nainoa. The kids seem quite eager to see some real Maine snow
so we are hoping to get them to swap their island paradise for
some time in the winter Currier & Ives scene in Maine. Snowshoeing
can rival surfing when the conditions are just right and you are
dressed for it. Capt. Jack and Barb have visited them in Maui
many times, often trading snowshoeing for beach walking. We'll
tell you all about it during your next sail with us.
John loves
to relate the story of how, in the middle of a trip on America
II, two of his passengers revealed that they had sailed only once
before. They said it was in Camden, Maine with an older couple
that had raised and educated their four children while cruising.
John had to tell them that they were now in the hands of one of
those children. Welcome to the very small world of the sailing
community !
Malia, Nainoa, Keoni and Capt. John
Our daughter,
Cara, and her husband, Brad Read, are enjoying keeping up with
their son Brendan and daughter Becca who have become much more
adventuresome ice skaters since the "warmer" climate
of Rhode Island has had some real winter weather recently. We've
had a great time watching Brendan and Becca excel on the ice in
the youth hockey program. Cara's husband, Brad is the Executive
Director of Sail Newport, a non-profit sailing center at Fort
Adams in Newport, RI. Brad focuses his love of sailing into competitive
pursuits, having won the J 24 World Championship twice in recent
years. Cara, who was crew on the womens' J-24 Worlds has also
won that championship twice. Cara continues her career working
for Hall Spars & Rigging, a major supplier of equipment for
racing and cruising sailboats. If you call Hall Rigging, you may
get some practical advice from Cara.
Cara, Brad, Bendan and Becca
The Captain
and First Mate have thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic temperature
changes this off season . Milder weather helps us get work accomplished
in the barn more efficiently. The frigid temps give us the chance
to groom the woods trails for eventual snowshoeing...just in case
it actually snows. After a brief trip to the warm waters of the
Caribbean we will begin fitting out for our 24th season of daysailing
in Camden. We hope to see many familiar faces and look forward
to meeting some new travelers on the deck of Surprise.
Although
our inns and bed & breakfasts offer superior lodging for short
stays our Harden Hill House has
some summer weeks still available for longer stays.
The last member of
the crew is Robbie. Those of you who have sailed with us before
have come to know the ship's mascot as a stalker of ducks, a proficient
swimmer and a consumer of Glucosamine to combat his arthritis.
You will be seeing Robbie on board this year as he celebrates
his 16th year sailing with us.
Barb and Robbie
