The only politician that we let into Great Cove in any way these days is Stephen Taber. And he’s long dead. He comes to us in the acceptable form of his handsome namesake, the schooner STEPHEN TABER. Here you see the TABER leaving the Cove after apparently overnighting here last week.
This historic vessel was on a 6-night cruise that was described on its website this way: “Captain Noah’s birthday is August 8, so we’ll spend the week indulging in all of his favorite spots and eats.” That Captain would be Noah Barnes, who began sailing on the TABER at the age of seven, when his parents took possession of the windjammer. His favoritism is reciprocated around here, where his vessel is one of the local favorites.
This classic centerboard schooner reportedly is the oldest documented sailing vessel in continuous service in the United States and is a National Historic Landmark. She was built as a heavy cargo carrier and launched on Long Island, New York, in 1871. Stepen Taber was the local U.S. Congressman and a Democrat.
The TABER moved to Maine in 1920, where she continued to carry heavy cargo until she was converted into a coastal tourist cruiser in 1946. She’s 110 feet long overall (68’ on deck) and reportedly can accommodate up to 22 guests in 12 cabins. She now hails from Rockland, Maine. I hear that she’s neither a Democrat nor Republican; she’s apparently a staunch Independent.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on August 6, 2026.)