SLOOP BOAT CHARTERS
Take your friends and family back to the age of working sail
and learn firsthand why friendship sloops were once known as the ultimate sailing
lobster boat.
Aboard the Chrissy you can help haul the traps, tend the sails or just
enjoy the local color as boat builder Harold Burnham takes you on his vengeful
hunt for the great albino lobster.
The Chrissy carries up to six passengers on morning, afternoon, and sunset
trips. For your enjoyment bring coffee and pastries, a picnic lunch or a bottle
of wine.
All our charters are booked by phone. Call for pricing.
Call - 978-768-2569
The Captain and His Boat
When I started this business, I was between trips as a tanker mate and needed an
excuse to go sailing. It is amazing that many years and 2 kids later my goals have
not changed.
Ironically, I now make my living building the competition. In fact, I am better
known as the designer and builder of the schooner Thomas E. Lannon and the Chebacco
boat Lewis H. Story than I am as captain of the Chrissy. However,
Chrissy served as an important model for both of these vessels.
Chrissy was built at Friendship, Maine
by Charles Morse around 1910. At the time the Morses had been building
sloop boats for almost fifty years and their "Friendship Sloops" were
fishing out of almost every working harbor from Cape Cod to the Canadian
border.
Now Chrissy is one of only a handful of original
working Friendship sloops left on the coast. For over eighty years
Chrissy has been performing as she was expected. Although it has
taken some doing to keep her in shape, it's all been worth it.
Chrissy's enormous cockpit once proved a safe, stable platform for
fishermen. Now it provides all of us who sail aboard her some insight as to the
changes and challenges fisherman have faced over the centuries.
Along with our paying guests Chrissy and I work our way in and out of the harbor
without an engine. We sail up to and stop on our gear while we tend the traps. And
we laugh, joke and swap lies while enjoying this wonderful part of our New England
heritage.
I hope you will join us.
Harold A. Burnham
Return to
Essex.
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