It turns out the John Meckling, captain of the Levin J Marvel, was not all wrong in thinking he could make a go of taking passengers on an old cargo schooner and showing them a good time under sail. Last week, in the name of research, your faithful storyteller took a trip to Maine to experience the “Vagabond Adventure” of sailing on the Victory Chimes. The ‘Chimes,’ is part of the Maine windjammer fleet that sails from Rockland. It is also the sister ship of the Levin J Marvel, built in the same yard, within months of the Marvel.
This summer is the inaugural season for the Victory Chimes’ new owner/captain Sam Sikkema. The veteran of blue water tall-ship sailing is anxious to show the fleet that the Chimes can really sail. He says people have come to view the ship, which appears on the Maine state quarter, as a landmark that “just gets pushed around by her yawl boat,” and he is out to prove them wrong. The 119-year old boat still has a lot of sailing to do and Capt. Sam makes sure everyone gets a good ride when they come aboard.
Levin J Marvel 