Tie Up In One Of The Oldest Towns In New England
Soundings|August 2017

Tie Up In One Of The Oldest Towns In New England

Capt. Daniel S. Parrott
Tie Up In One Of The Oldest Towns In New England

Castine, Maine, is picturesque in a way that leaves words like “quaint” and “charming” sitting in the corner with empty dance cards. The only reason most Americans have never heard of the place is the reflexive Anglo orientation of U.S. history.

Named for a French baron, Castine was established as a trading post in 1613, seven years before the Pilgrims waded ashore at what became Plymouth, Massachusetts. Castine was strategically situated on the Bagaduce River, just off Penobscot Bay. It was soon a nexus of international struggle that spanned two centuries and five nations, including the indigenous Wabanaki.

In 1628 the French lost Castine to the British, but they got it back, only to lose it to the British again. They got it back again, only to lose it to the Dutch. I know — the Dutch? The French got it back yet again but then lost it to the British again. We’re not even out of the 1600s.

In 1776 Castine became American. The place was bitterly contested in the Revolution when an American expeditionary force attempted to take it from an occupying British garrison. The expedition was a lopsided fiasco on a scale that history books place on par with Pearl Harbor. In a court-martial, Paul Revere beat the rap on charges of cowardice, but no one came out looking good. The British reoccupied Castine in 1814, and when they pulled up stakes the next year, they were the last troops to vacate American soil.

Why such strife? There was a time when furs, fish and timber sent nations to war. Castine had it all.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2017 من Soundings.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة August 2017 من Soundings.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من SOUNDINGS مشاهدة الكل
Will Biodiesel Ever Work For Boaters?
Soundings

Will Biodiesel Ever Work For Boaters?

San Francisco powers its Red & White sightseeing fleet with biodiesel. Seattle’s King County Water Taxi uses biodiesel to move people across Puget Sound.

time-read
5 mins  |
July 2017
Jess Wurzbacher
Soundings

Jess Wurzbacher

Jess Wurzbacher holds a master’s degree in tropical coastal management from Newcastle University (U.K.) and a 200-ton Master license. She sailed all over the world as chief scientist  and program manager for Seamester and is a PADI scuba instructor with more than 1,000 research and training dives to her credit.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2017
3 Takes On Classic Maine Style
Soundings

3 Takes On Classic Maine Style

The looks may be classic, but many craftsmen in Maine are giving their Down East builds something extra nowadays, whether working in wood or fiberglass.

time-read
7 mins  |
July 2017
Lady Luck
Soundings

Lady Luck

An epic voyage immortalized Felicity Ann and her intrepid skipper. Now this pint-sized yacht is getting another lease on life.

time-read
8 mins  |
July 2017
Superlative St. Augustine
Soundings

Superlative St. Augustine

St. Augustine, Florida, is one of my favorite cruising destinations. (And I’ve been to quite a few.) It’s pretty, historic, has a timeless ambience and celebrates with festivals year-round. And it has beaches and golf.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2017
The Great Ship WaverTree Returns
Soundings

The Great Ship WaverTree Returns

A ship saved by a city, a museum saved by a ship 

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2016
Coronet Around Cape Horn, 1888
Soundings

Coronet Around Cape Horn, 1888

Cape Horn, looming in the background of this dramatic work by Russ Kramer, is one of the most dangerous places on Earth to sail. In 1888, without electronic navigation equipment or radio communications, it was even more so.

time-read
1 min  |
December 2016
His Bark And His Bite Were Equally Friendly
Soundings

His Bark And His Bite Were Equally Friendly

What is the world coming to? Up is down. Wrong is right.

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2017
Doug Zurn
Soundings

Doug Zurn

A native of the Great Lakes region, Doug Zurn grew up sailing and boating.

time-read
4 mins  |
April 2017
Go Anywhere, Do Everything
Soundings

Go Anywhere, Do Everything

Today’s trawlers — and other seafaring boats with passagemaking qualities in their DNA — provide comfort, efficiency and seaworthiness

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2017