I wish zero stars was an option, as my family had a horrible experience. There were no positive aspects, but most importantly, the sail is run in an unsafe, irresponsible manner. The boat is small and shabby, and there's insufficient comfortable seating, which meant that some of our party had to be uncomfortably perched on the side of the boat. We couldn't hear anything the entire sail, although we were told we didn't miss much) and for one person, this included the quietly mentioned instructions to move our feet before we turned. Why this wasn't explained loudly before we even left the cove, is beyond me. This led to him almost being pulled off the boat, and with a terrible rope burn that required medical treatment. The "crew" could not have been less concerned, and expressed nothing but annoyance. Even if this had not occurred, the sail would have been painfully boring if we weren't all trying not to vomit from the rough waves. We sailed straight out, straight back in, and then repeated. There truly couldn't have been less effort put in to the experience. Bottom line, if you value safety and competence, avoid this boat at all costs. read more

Great bunch of guys , good local flavor fair price, you'll love it just do it. It's one thing to go on a motorboat on the coast of Maine, but it's another thing to sail. read more

The Gift Sailing - A great day of sailing on the maine coast - Boat Charters Near Me - Ogunquit, Maine

We decided last minute to go for a sailboat ride. The captain barely spoke, although his first mate was nice. If you are looking for a sunset cruise, I would suggest looking around. If you are looking for a very basic experience, then this is fine. read more

I wish I'd read these reviews before we booked. I was expecting some information about the area and there was nothing said. The captain steered the boat and talked the people sitting near him but we didn't get even a point out, there's "so-and-so" landmark. The boat goes north and there isn't a lot to see in that direction. For $40, a bottle of water or something would be a nice touch on a hot day. read more

On the annual Maine vacation my family takes, my husband and I decided on a whim to go sailing. We are huge fans of all things sail, we have a tiny boat ourselves and love to go out on huge boats we have no chance of owning ourselves. While the trip left early (we found ourselves scratching our heads, standing on the dock twenty minutes early), the mistake was an honest one and the boat turned around to pick us up. Once we actually boarded things were off to a good start! I loved that they didn't crowd the boat- we've been on a couple trips on other vessels where every last spot gets taken and you find yourself making serious body contact with strangers. Yes, there was the usual older gentleman sailing aficionado type that wanted to make sure everyone onboard knew how much of a sailing expert he was, but eventually even he settled in... The captain of The Gift is personable and interesting and very chill. There was no need to force conversation, but he was ready with a story, cool facts and answers to questions whenever needed. A couple of people got sick, and the crew was very considerate first pretending not to notice for privacy's sake and then offering water. One thing to note is that the protocol for this sail trip seems to be going out on the water and kind of wandering around. This isn't a trip that happens in the same exact routine way, five times a day, every day of the year. I think this is a great feature, but if you're looking for memorized facts about the coast and one set route of touristy sightseeing, this isn't the trip for you. This one is just about hitting the water and enjoying the wind! read more

Eh, not that great. The sea was rough (not their fault, obviously), but a 30 second primer on the boat operation would've helped immensely- the boom switched several times (alarming and dangerous), and there were various ropes that moved and slid underneath us, causing rope burn for two of our party!!. Boat was lurching so hard, one of our party vomited. Crew said almost nothing, and you couldn't hear them when they did speak anyway. Seemed generally disinterested. The people that take these trips don't know about the workings of a sailboat, they could have spent 30 seconds going over it, but they didnt want to bother. Oh - and it needs twice as many handrails and railings. read more

No greeting nor any introduction from the captain, let alone any bit of narration to explain anything about the boat or the surrounding area. We barely could hear the bit about the location of the life jackets. The first mate was the only one to talk to us and only then because we actively were asking questions. Later in the evening, as we were leaving dinner, heard a profanity-laced tirade being shouted top-volume as the captain of the boat was cursing out another boater for, evidently, going too fast in the no-wake zone several hours earlier in the day. This exchange lasted about 2 or 3 full minutes, as there were families all around. Not even just the cussing (trashy much?) but the uncomfortable and awkward sense in the area as everyone around wondered why it sounded more like a NYC traffic altercation than a supposedly relaxing evening at Perkins Cove. The second star is only because it was a nice time on the water. Would not recommend. read more

The sail from Perkins Cove was about 90 minutes. It was a gorgeous day and clean well-maintained boat. Felt very safe on sail. I would've enjoyed some discussion of what we were seeing along the shoreline's or in the distance. Our sail was early but we were told we could've brought a bottle of wine on board. We brought a small cooler for drinks during the sail. "Crew works for tips" was the sign on board. Was easy to access from Perkins Cove. read more

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We had a wonderful trip aboard the Gift! The trip was 1.5 hours, sailing north towards Wells before looping back. You can bring small coolers and snacks on board (no glass - we poured our wine into plastic bottles before boarding). The Gift seats 12 passengers and had seating on the deck and towards the rear in front of the wheel. The crew was wonderful and answered all of our questions while keeping us safe and out of the water! The cruise is not narrated which is just lovely as you sit back and relax. I would highly recommend traveling with them! They saved the day for us after another sailing company cancelled last minute. On getting there: during high season traffic and parking is quite bad - arrive very early to find a spot (3 hour parking is available for $9 and other options further up Perkins Cove Road). The check in right next to the 3 hour parking and there is a large sign for the Gift in the back of a truck. A very sweet woman will check you in and answer all your questions. Arrive early as they leave promptly from the dock. read more

Steve and Kevin made our first sailing adventure a wonderful addition to our vacation. What you get for the price is very reasonable. Steve is very knowledgeable about the area and an expert sailor. The view was gorgeous and we will definitely want to sail The Gift again in the future. However, we did not know that the crew (Kevin) works for tips. We gave him what little cash we had but plan to be more prepared next time. read more

Great value. The boat was safe a clean. We had so much fun! The Captain was very knowledgeable about the area. Don't forget to tip the mate, they work for tips. read more

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Terrible sail on The Gift. We were taken out even though there was a storm offshore and the waves were 4 to 5 feet. Did not feel safe and would never recommend this charter. read more

This is the best thing in Perkins Cove. Went for a gorgeous evening sail with my husband. Quiet peaceful. A beautiful large safe yacht. The crew was professional and unobtrusive, yet friendly and informative. I would highly recommend this hour and a half trip. Marie Piper read more