Comment on Windjammer licensing change makes waves in Maine harbor town

An increase in the number of daily trips windjammers can take out of Camden harbor per season has frustrated owners of day sailing operations and is forcing the town to take a look at its decades-old harbor ordinance. Because of limited space in the harbor and town-specific definitions for what determines a day-sailing vessel and a windjammer, Camden’s harbor ordinance strictly regulates windjammer and day-sailing businesses. The town has tried to maintain the delicate balance between large windjammers, which take passengers out for multi-day overnight trips, and day-sailing vessels, which take passengers out for day trips. But during the past month, this balance has hit rough waters following the selectboard’s May 1 approval of a request that amends the windjammer licenses, allowing the windjammer businesses to conduct 15 day sails per season, up from three. A motion to rescind the license change failed at last week’s selectboard meeting because of a tie vote. Ray Williamson, who brought forward the request, said more day-sail opportunities are necessary to keep his windjammer business viable because he’s seeing a decline in the number of customers seeking longer trips. “I have three windjammers, and in the past few years we haven’t had the business to keep them all going,” Williamson said.