Portland Discovery

Portland Discovery is a relatively new land & sea tour operator in these parts – when I lived here there was no regular service to Eagle Island. Offering a variety of boat tours in addition to trolley tours of the city, everything departs from Long Wharf, which is on Commercial Street along the Old Port’s waterfront.

Though I can only attest that the Eagle Island Tour is fantastic, it leads me to conclude Portland Discovery’s other offerings are a value as well. The boat we took to Eagle Island wasn’t luxurious, but comfortable and equipped with a rest room. Our captain offered an intermittent dialogue both ways, which I found interesting. Though I had been out sailing these parts with friends, the chat on those voyages was always focused on tending to the boat. Despite wanting to feel like I “knew” these waters relative to my companions on the tour, almost all of the stories the captain shared were new to me.

Even better, the commentary wasn’t annoying – he wasn’t constantly chatting, but would switch the mike on as we passed by something which seemed to jog his memory. Assuming he did this five days a week, I was impressed that his stories sounded so fresh and inspired. A couple of Portland Discovery’s other boat tours are the “Lighthouse Lovers Cruise” and the “Sunset Lighthouse Cruise” --- if you find yourself in Portland and aching to get out on the water, this operator is probably a good bet!