When you live in Maine, who thinks about taking boat tours? That's for tourists!! (Lol!!)…read more Seriously, though, we had guests in town, so we thought it'd be fun to charter a boat for the four of us to go up the Penobscot River to Bangor. (At least that was the initial itin.) Me matey, Jay (after some due diligence on boat companies in the Bucksport area) , chose Penobscot Boat Tours as our charter. Jay said the communication(s) with Capt. Jeff Sennett (Owner/Operator) was excellent; his boat was faster/stronger to get us to Bangor and back in the least amount of time; and, the price for a 4-hr charter was less than other quotes. Splendid!! It was a dreary start to Tuesday when we arrived at 11 am with weather not looking promising for a jaunt up to Bangor; windy, rainy and choppy waters on the menu. This daunted us not, though! So, "Gilligan" and the gang (that'd be Mr. and Mrs. Howell, and the Professor), arrived at the Bucksport Marina in good spirits for our "3-hr tour"... er, 4-hr tour at Penobscot Boat Tours! ;) The boat was very cool (as all boats are!), and the Capt. Jeff (our imposing "Skipper" for this tour) made us all feel very welcomed, in good hands, and rarin' to-go!! After some discussion about the weather and tour route, we all agreed to a downriver jaunt for lunch in Belfast, and return to home base. Prior to Belfast, though, we made a special request of our intrepid Capt. (despite the hairy weather that we could see going on upriver) to take us a few miles upriver to where the Marsh River confluences into the Penobscot River. The rough-n-tumble ride was, of course, E-Ticket! (In all honesty, though, the confluence was a bit anticlimactic, but the ride was awesome!) Anyway, we turned around and headed for what was to be drier climes. The weather improved immensely and made for some pretty alluring scenery! Normally, we just drive to Belfast (20 mins) mainly not seeing the water much, behind trees/forests and such. So, seeing the coastline from the water -- seeing all those privileged homes tucked and nestled in splendid nooks and crannies! -- was a totally new POV, that's for sure! Capt. Jeff would slowdown now-and-then to point spots of interest out to us, to see seals basking on rocky shoals, and numerous heads bobbing up-and-down in the middle of the bay was pretty darn awesome!!! When we got to Belfast, Capt. Jeff gave us a suggestion for lunch (which we took and enjoyed), while he waited. The trip back to Bucksport was leisurely and beautiful as the summer sun shone upon our last leg back. The whole experience of seeing the land from the water was just wonderful! We never felt rushed; Capt. Jeff was very generous with his time. It was SO worth the cost and, more so, the experience! We will definitely be chartering another trip in the near future with Penobscot Boat Tours...!!! We all had such a great time...!!! :D

Booked our cruise the day before for a 4-hour trip and had a wonderful time cruising up to Bangor.read more

We had a great time on the sunset cruise. Captain Jack and his crew were amazing. Highly…read morerecommended!

Great sunset cruise in Belfast Bay, Maine. Crew was the best! Very engaging : Captain Jack, Jasper…read moreand Seth ... would highly recommend ! An experience to remember!

We had a great day with Travis on his lobster boat! He was…read moreaccommodating, friendly and knowledgeable and made our three hour charter an incredible time. I look forward to cruising with him again!

From the owner: Buggin ME Boat Tours is an owner run boat charter business. Capt. Travis is a 3rd generation…read morelobsterman. He is licenced and insured with his OUPV (six pack) Capt. License for up to 100 gross tons. There are several packages and options of trips ranging from hauling lobster gear, sightseeing, to Island hopping. Come climb aboard the Sarah B. For an authentic Maine experience. packages Maine experience (4hr hauling traps & nature watch) $575 Mini Maine experience (2hr hauling traps & nature watch) $375 Sunrise or Sunset cruise ( peaceful ride around the bay 1.5hr only at sunrise/set) $210 Around the Cape (relaxing ride seal/ nature) 3hr $440 4hr$520 Island hopping (6hr explore down the bay bring a skiff to access small inhabitated islands, accessibility is limited) $950 Custom $180/hr terms of service to be agreed upon with Buggin' ME.

What a fabulous fun experience sailing out of Rockport, ME on The Heron. It was the highlight of…read moreour trip. Bonnie did a great job telling us some of the history of the ship and area. Love when the sails are lifted!!! Motor turned off, quiet, smooth ride! So relaxing. It is a beautiful ship. Lots of shinny teak. Delightful with great crew and just a few guests on board. Free parking right by dock. Thank you, Bonnie and Twig for making my sail special. Highly recommend!

One of our favorite things to do when in Rockland is sailing aboard the Schooner Heron. We sailed…read more2x with them in 2020 and the first thing we did when we got back to Rockland this year was to look at the weather and book a trip with them. I picked an afternoon with an expected 14mph wind, so I knew we would sail smartly. I was surprised that Taylor was captaining the boat this trip instead of Twig, but his boat handling was conservative and flawless. Of coarse Bonnie was aboard to do her excellent narration regarding the history of Rockland's lime, timber, ice, shipbuilding and lobster industries and also tell us all about the lighthouse, islands, and seals we saw. Twig and Bonnie's personable adult daughter Rachel was also on board as crew. Bonnie and Rachel handled hoisting, trimming, reefing and tacking the sails as a well-oiled team. We started out conservatively with the fore mast and main mast sails both reefed, but were later able to shake out the reef on the fore mast sail for a little more speed without heeling the boat. We were able to sail near Robinson's Rock and saw that there were several seals sunning them selves there. We sailed midweek on a Thursday and there was lots of room for everybody on board. Taylor and Rachel cheerfully answered my many questions about the boat, the boat's offshore passages to and from the Caribbean each year and about local events. This was the first time sailing for the family seated across from us, but they had a good time. There was another group forward of us that pretty much kept to themselves so I didn't have a chance to chat with them, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves too. I did a bunch of small boat pleasure sailing and medium sized keelboat racing while I was at the University of Texas. I don't own a sailboat so the only sailing I have done since has been on Hobie Wave catamarans at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. I really enjoy chances to sail on bigger boats like the Schooner Heron. The Schooner Heron sails three trips daily from Rockport Harbor: Private morning sail, an afternoon Educational Eco Tour, and a Happy Hour Sunset Sail. Custom charters are also available on request. There is free parking in the harbor lot. Whether you have sailed before or just want to try it on vacation, I highly recommend sailing on the Schooner Heron as a solo, couple or family activity. You will have fun and be entirely comfortable with the ship and crew. They will treat you right. We're back in Rockland in a couple of weeks and will surely sail with them at least once more before heading back to Texas.

We had a really nice time on the train. We took the leaf peeping ride and it was very nice. This is…read morea no frills ride, but that is what we like. Just a nice train ride. We were unable to hear the narrator, which was a bit disappointing. The train windows were clean and so was the train itself. The cost was appropriate for the ride. We always like to support the restoration and operation of these vintage rails.

While somewhat out of the way of most big tourist-oriented areas in Maine, it is certainly worth a…read morevisit. The volunteers that work on the train are pleasant and knowledgable, they checked in throughout the ride and were happy to strike up conversation. Definitely a good use of an afternoon to ride the train around a very rural part of the state; the rail line goes right through a large swamp and lake where there's all sorts of wildlife: deer, herons, beavers, and apparently bears and moose aren't unheard of if it's the right time of the day.

Jeremy was great tour guide! We absolutely loved our time in the Lil' Toot. We got great view of…read morethe Castine coast line and enjoyed some interesting history about Penobscot Bay. Even spotted an eagle and a few seals!

We just had the best day on the L'il Toot. Zander knew so much and really kept it fresh and…read moreinteresting. I don't usually like tours but I loved this one. Such a fun way to get out on the water, learn about the area and get around.

Incredible tour guides!!! So friendly and personalized. Really give you a local experience and…read morelunch is amazing. MUST DO if you are in Maine!

We can't recommend this experience enough. The 1.5 hour tour was the perfect length. Our captain…read moreand first mate went above and beyond to make our experience great. We even saw a baby loon! Don't sleep on the lobster role. It was the best of my life, and I even lived in ME.

We had an awesome time with captain Sam for a morning fishing trip. 4 of us set out with Sam from…read moreBelfast harbor. We stayed in the bay and fished for mackerel, with some hope of stripers. The captain knew the waters well and we took a high speed trip down the coast, passing great scenery and a bald eagle on the way. We were catching fish within 30 minutes from launch, reeling in 4 and 5 fish at a time. Taking a break from the fish, we headed to a spot to look for seals...saw at least 6 in the water, and one sunning itself on the rocks. Back to fishing, Sam took us to a quiet cove. The lobster men were just finishing, and we found a huuuuuge school of mackerel feeding on the surface. Casting into the school, we could watch the mackerel chase the lures. On the trip back to Belfast we saw some porpoises and more great scenery. The trip exceeded expectations. Not the most luxurious boat, but super relaxed and family friendly. We loved it. It was the highlight of our trip to Maine.

From the owner: For 18 years, Cassida's Taxidermy has provided hunters and fishermen everywhere a service that is…read moreunparalleled in helping the best of hunters services sustain their hunting trophies. Cassida's Taxidermy offers fishermen trips as well as annual hunting trips provided annually in the spring. Please give us a call today!

The Harbor They Fall…read more 1.6-mile out-and-back trail that outline the City of Belfast's picturesque harbor. The Good: *Very easy flat trail that's good for everyone, even kids. *Dog-friendly *Free! *Restrooms (see trail map for locations) *Adjacent to lots of food and shopping, if that's your jam. *You can connect to the Belfast Rail Trail to make it an even longer walk. *Picturesque views of the harbor, bay, and a working shipyard The Meh: *The trail is almost too easy and flat. You'll get your steps but not your cardio. The Ugly: *Parking can be a bit difficult during certain days and seasons, but not impossible. Conclusion: Fantastic trail with great views and a must-see if you're visiting Belfast, Maine.

You can find the Belfast Harbor Walk at Front St, Belfast, ME 04915 - it basically extends from the…read moreBelfast Armistice Bridge along the shoreline to Heritage Park in the East. There's a small lot where you can park right at the Bridge, which allows for foot traffic across the Passagassawakeag River. If you park at that end, there's a portapotty conveniently located by the lot. We parked, crossed the river to get in sights of the river, then moved to the West across the Belfast Rail Trail - you're rewarded at the end with a small station, caboose and a car or two before turning around. Returning and going the other direction takes you into Belfast where you can experience a small New England town that's been there pretty much longer than the US has been around - the area is hilly which makes for some neat adjustments to the architecture - along Belfast Harbor are massive boat lifts and boats/ships of all sizes that are being worked on by the local marine establishments - this is an active harbor with lots to see, a local brewery or two and stuff you wouldn't normally experience as landlubbers. The whole like totaled up to around 6 miles with the Rail Trail, bridge, visit to the town plus a lookaround. Neat place.