Schooner Woodwind Sailing Cruises, Annapolis

I love the Woodwinds, I have gone out multiple times and always have a new experience some have been calm sunset sails others have been fast paced heeled over (with a big grin on my face), and I have been caught out in storms. No matter which experience it was I always have a good time on the water with my friends and with the Woodwind Crew. As a fan of the Woodwind it is hard for me to read a negative review, if the weather is bad...deal with it, no one is responsible for that, if you missed the boat, that is your fault, you are an adult. Your experience is up to you to enjoy, that's life...Woodwind provides a beautiful boat and an authentic sailing experience that is always new and (to me) always fun.

Staff was very unfriendly and very unhelpful. Ended up missing the cruise due to staff giving incorrect information and will not give refund. Do not waste your time or money on this! They only care about their bottom line and nothing else. Will sell your seat if you are not their early and then will not give it back even if you make it to the boat before it sails!

I have sailed on the Woodwind three times and loved it every time. I am looking forward to going back in 2010. The captain and crew are great and the boat sails very smoothly. I normally get sea sick on larger boats but even when we sailed in high winds, I did not get sick. The boat did not rock back and forth as smaller boats do. The business is owned and operated by the Kaye family and Ken and Jen Kaye are excellent Captains. It is fun to learn about the U.S. Naval Academy, the Annapolis Harbor, and learn about other boats on the water. And ask the Captain about the filming of the Wedding Crashers on the boat. It is a great story! If you think it might rain, bring a rain coat and worst case, an umbrella. The highlight of my trip - they let guests sail the boat, a 74 foot schooner, when weather allows. Bring a camera! It is a wonderful experience.

My husband and I went on this cruise recently. The crew was great and the views were wonderful. My only significant criticism was the way they absolutely packed too many people onboard. There really weren't good seats for everyone, and of course you have folks jostling for position before boarding in order to get onboard first and snag the best seats. I didn't much enjoy that; it adds lots of stress to the experience. At the very least, you should be assigned a boarding number that corresponds to when you purchased your ticket - anything to make this process more orderly would be nice. We ended up with OK spots onboard, but basically had to stand the entire time to see anything, since there were no seats on the deck of the boat left by the time we (politely) waited our turn to board. I probably would not do this with either of our parents or guests, given the uncertainty of seating conditions. Particularly if you go with a group, you most likely would not get to sit together, and I would think that a nice sunset cocktail cruise would be a social time. As it was, we had a nice enough time and it didn't ruin it for us, but I would want to know I had a decent seat before I went again or brought someone else on this cruise.

Unless the weather is perfect, do not book a trip in advance. It was raining before we even boarded (with thunder & lightening in the near distance). We were then forced to endure an hour and a half in driving rain. By the time we docked our clothing was soaked to the point where our underwear showed through. We had to cancel our dinner plans and head home early. In addition, the captain knew little (if any) historical information about Annapolis. What a waste of time and money.

Great way to see the area and get a feel for Annapolis. This is the #1 thing to do that I recommend to my friends. Enjoy!

Everything about our outing was magical.The crew and staff made us feel if as if we were on an old friends boat. Sailing on the chesapeake was great and relaxing. It was a real pleasure.

An absolute blast! We had the good fortune to joint the Woodwind Schooner crew on a praticularily windy day. The crew stated we set a new record for the distance covered. While orginally meant to be a sunset tour, the clouds obscured the sunset. In the end however that didn't matter as the speed of the schooner and its sharp slant in the gusting wind replaced romance with exhiliration and excitement. The spray of the ocean drenched the folks in the front (us included) and we thrilled as we let the wind push us at dramatic speeds across the bay. A must do for anyone visiting Annapolis