Community Coming Together

Always a port and shipbuilding hub from its incorporation in 1791, by 1858 Camden had 6 shipyards, launching 10 to 12 vessels annually. These schooners both plied the overseas trade, bringing exotic goods to Maine from India and China in return for US cargoes, and more often worked between coastal towns, providing a vital lifeline. Starting in the 1930s, many of these sleek and hard-wearing vessels found new lives hosting seagoing visitors from around the world for anything from a few hours to several days. Camden's unbroken association with these beautiful vessels and those who make their living on the sea continues to this day.

The Camden Windjammer Festival is a celebration of Camden’s maritime heritage and living traditions.